People who live and work on Jura or have strong connections to the island have taken up the opportunity to reside in the state-of-the-art Otter Brae development in Craighouse.

The development has been funded through a Scottish Government grant of £1,619,633.06, a £120,000 grant from Argyll and Bute Council, as well as a contribution of £495,000 from West Highland Housing Association raised through private finance.

Eight two-bedroom semi-detached bungalows and a further two three-bedroom semi-detached villas have been constructed.

An official opening ceremony took place on Thursday, July 21, which saw Cllr Robin Currie, leader of Argyll and Bute Council, formally open the new development.

Brett Sadler, chief executive of West Highland Housing Association, said: “I am delighted these new ultra-modern homes have now formally opened. It is pleasing to see they will be inhabited by those who are either residents of Jura or those with close associations with the island. This will help play a vital part in providing accessible homes for Jura’s residents in a stunning location.

“I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to the success of this project. This was a challenging development due to its remote location and the impact of Covid-19, so it is great to see the scheme completed.”

Cabinet secretary for social justice, housing and local government Shona Robison said: “Good quality housing is essential to attract and retain people in Scotland’s remote and rural communities. These 10 new high-quality, energy efficient affordable homes on Jura, supported by £1.619m of Scottish Government funding, will meet the community’s housing needs and greatly reduce residents’ energy bills.

“We are proud of delivering 111,750 affordable homes since 2007 with over 78,000 for social rent. We are now delivering against our commitment of 110,000 affordable homes by 2032, of which at least 70% will be for social rent and 10% in remote, rural and island communities”.

Cllr Robin Currie, leader of Argyll and Bute Council, said: “The delivery of local affordable housing in Argyll and Bute remains a priority for the council. I am delighted to officially open ‘Otter Brea’, particularly as this is a much-needed island development. I hope tenants will be very happy in their new homes.”

The design team consisted of project management consultancy firm Macdonald & Cameron Ltd; quantity surveyors Morham and Brotchie Ltd; architects C P Architects; contractor Macleod Construction Ltd; engineers Cowal Design Consultants Ltd; and site manager Stuart Jackson.