Council officials have turned to the public to try to boost their case for funding for public transport services in Argyll and Bute. They have opened a consultation enabling the public to tell them if they have been affected by extreme weather events in the area. Residents have been asked for their views on matters including shared transport, reducing carbon emissions, and whether better digital connectivity would reduce their reliance on transport.

Royal Navy submariners celebrated their annual awards night in Glasgow last weekend. The event in the Hilton hotel recognised the achievements and commitment of veterans, serving personnel and their family members. This year’s host was Coronation Street actor Antony Cotton, who is an ambassador for the armed Forces charity SSAFA and patron of Help for Heroes. In total, 12 awards were presented by Commodore Ben Haskins.

The average rent of a two-bed flat has risen by more than 50% in 14 years, new figures have shown. The figures have led to calls for the council to use new powers to control rents for private tenants. Official statistics from the Scottish Government show that in 2024 average rents for a newly-let 2 bedroom flat in Argyll and Bute reached £756, an increase of 50.4% since 2010.

Caroline Robertson has been appointed as head of hospitals and community care in Argyll and Bute She previously worked for Combat Stress, a veterans’ mental health charity, where she was head of operations for Scotland and Northern Ireland. The charity provides clinical treatment and support for veterans from the armed forces, focusing on those with complex mental health issues resulting from their experiences during military service.

The Conservative group on Argyll and Bute Council has a new leader. Peter Wallace from Bute (right) has been selected to head the party’s group of councillors, only three years after being first elected to the authority. He replaces Helensburgh’s Gary Mulvaney (Helensburgh Central), who announced his resignation from the role last month but will remain a councillor. Cllr Mulvaney also stood down as leader of the council’s Argyll, Lomond and Islands opposition group.

Planning applications in Gartocharn and Lochgoilhead are among those to be validated by Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority this week. The full list is of applications is below - for details of an individual application, go to the national park's website and use the reference number. Reference number: 2025/0247/HAE Community council: Lochgoil Proposal: Erection of garage/store building within garden curtilage…

Council officials expect a budget gap of over £10.5m will need to be plugged in Argyll and Bute next year. A report has revealed that over £100,000 has been added to the gap that was forecast for 2026/27 when a key council committee last met two months ago. It is also stated that a delay to the Scottish Government’s budget announcement, from December until mid-January, would create further uncertainty for the council ahead of setting its own budget in February.

Submariners were welcomed home by their families and the UK’s Defence Secretary as they returned to Faslane after what is thought to be a patrol lasting more than six months. Over 400 family members gathered for the welcome home event organised by naval base staff and the Royal Navy Family and People Support (RNFPS) team. The 140-strong crew were joined on the final part of their journey by Defence Secretary John Healey, Chief of the Defence Staff Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, First Sea Lord General Sir Gwyn Jenkins, and Chief of Defence Nuclear Madelaine McTernan.

A 20mph speed limit on a stretch of the A82 and A83 beside Loch Lomond will take effect next month. Transport Scotland is imposing the limit in Tarbet via contractors BEAR Scotland. A temporary traffic regulation order will take effect on November 7. Transport Scotland is also imposting 20mph limits on trunk roads in four other parts of Argyll and Bute – Inveraray, Connel, Ardrishaig and Tarbert on Loch Fyne.

A new plea has been issued for residents to help keep Scotland’s sewers flowing freely, as increased downpours from climate change puts extra pressure on the system. The call comes as part of Scottish Water’s ongoing Nature Calls campaign, which began in 2022 and is aimed at reducing the number of wet wipes and sanitary products being flushed down the toilet.

The Maxwell Quartet is returning to Helensburgh next weekend for the opening concert of the Helensburgh Music Society’s 2025/26 concert series Their programme will balance string quartets by Haydn and Brahms with a selection of their own arrangements of traditional Scottish melodies. The quartet is formed of four close friends, who grew up playing folk and classical music in youth orchestras and music schools across Scotland.

A coalition of community groups on Scotland’s coastlines has been praised in the Scottish Parliament. The Coastal Communities Network (CCN) includes AFF the Clyde, which campaigned plans for a salmon farm on Loch Long, and the Clearwater Group in Cove and Kilcreggan. And this week Ariane Burgess, Scottish Green MSP for the Highlands and Islands region, lodged a motion in the Scottish Parliament praising it for achieving charitable status and recognising its role in protecting Scotland’s marine environment.

A tourism organisation has welcomed Argyll and Bute Council’s decision to ‘pause’ the visitor levy process for the area. The authority last week decided to put the project on hold in order to seek further information on potential changes to legislation, including more power being given to councils. Possibilities include the ability to set a flat rate for the visitor levy, as opposed to a percentage, with the council having proposed a 5% charge before the decision to pause.

A new competition has been launched aiming to ‘put Helensburgh on a pedestal’. People have been invited to celebrate the town’s heritage by suggesting a new artwork for the outdoor museum in Colquhoun Square. The winning idea will be developed in collaboration with a professional artist, who will design, produce, and install the final piece – valued at up to £6,000.

There are few things on which people on both sides of Argyll and Bute’s political divide agree – but one of them seems to be that the council lacks what is politely called ‘transparency’. Two councillors – the SNP’s Julie McKenzie and Conservative Amanda Hampsey – have published open letters raising concerns about the authority’s response to Freedom of Information (FOI) requests and an apparent conflict of interest over media responses.

Geilston Garden will be the subject of a talk in Helensburgh next week. Alana Ingram from the Friends of Geilston will give a social and historical perspective of the garden near Cardross, which is owned by the National Trust for Scotland. Covering around 10 acres, the 200-year-old garden ranges from woodland walks to the kitchen garden, and from orchards to a spectacular walled garden.

A planning application for a new house in Rahane is among those to be validated by Argyll and Bute Council this week. The full list of applications in the Helensburgh and Lomond area is below - for details of an individual application, go to the council's website and use the reference number. Reference number: 25/01431/PP Community council: Cardross Proposal: Sub-Division of existing dwellinghouse to form two dwellinghouses (part retrospective)

A 50-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the death of 38-year-old Graham Wright. Police Scotland say Mr Wright’s family has been informed and they are being supported by specially trained officers. Extensive enquiries are ongoing, the force said in a statement tonight. Mr Wright, 38, was reported missing on Monday August 25, after last being seen around noon on Wednesday August 20 on Cumberland Street in Glasgow. On Saturday September 13 police were called to the Rubha Dubh, near Firkin Point, Loch Lomond, after human remains were discovered.

The number of people using the Blairvadach Outdoor Education Centre has risen by 40% in two years, a new report has revealed. The centre in Shandon was threatened with closure by its owners Glasgow City Council in 2020 but was spared after more than 12,000 people signed a petition. And last year saw occupancy in the residential centre reach its highest level since 2019, with 2,859 users compared to 2,033 in 2023-23.

A decision to refuse planning permission for a house near Loch Lomond has been upheld after an appeal. Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park Authority refused to allow the planned development by Calum Sullivan on land south of the Old Schoolhouse at Arden. It was ruled in March that the proposal did not meet the size guidelines issued with planning guidance, and was not compatible with national planning framework (NPF4) policies.

The 25th anniversary of Cove Burgh Hall being taken over by the community will be marked with an open day this month. The B-listed building was the brainchild of Charles Cayzer, owner of the Clan shipping line who had a summer residence in Cove, and who, as Provost, initiated its building in 1891. It was designed by Glasgow architect James Chalmers and opened in 1893, serving as the village hall for Cove and Kilcreggan under the ownership of successive councils for more than a century.

A new survey has been launched to address Argyll and Bute’s falling population – with only people aged 44 or younger allowed to take part. The area’s population is expected fall faster than almost anywhere else in the country, a Scottish Government report last year revealed. That document confirmed that the ‘Roseneath Peninsula’ was being targeted for ‘repopulation’ – despite official figures confirming that its population was increasing.

There will be traffic lights and a 30mph limit during roadworks starting next week on the A82 near Loch Lomond. A bridge parapet and safety barrier at the Dubh Eas Bridge near Glen Falloch are being replaced by contractors BEAR Scotland, The work will start on Monday and is expected to take up to 15 days to complete. It will be carried out between 8am and 6pm each day, with no works on Saturdays or Sundays.

A volunteer first responder has retired after 12 years of literally lifesaving service. John Webb officially retired on September 17 – he also served for ten years as coordinator of the Garelochhead and Rosneath Community First Responders. In that time he attended 51 cardiac arrests and was involved in six successful returns of spontaneous circulation, a key indicator when a sustained heart rhythm is restored.

An additional full-time GP has been appointed to cover both the Kilcreggan and Garelochhead medical practices. In May Argyll and Bute Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) announced the appointment of Dr Lizzie Dicker as a salaried General Practitioner – she started in June. A statement at the time said the appointment was ‘a significant milestone’ as she became the first salaried GP to be employed by the health board across Kilcreggan and Garelochhead practices.