Bulldozers are due to move in to Kilbowie outdoor centre in the coming weeks, with the North Lanarkshire facility now set to be demolished by the end of the year.
The residential activity centre in Oban – which provided five-day adventure trips for thousands of primary seven pupils from Wishaw and across the authority area each year – closed its doors following a cost-cutting council vote taken in January.
Youngsters are instead being offered a week of daily outdoor experiences at Strathclyde Park, while the council is currently seeking offers from external providers who could provide future activity packages including residential stays which individual schools could then choose to book independently.
Demolition work on the Kilbowie site will involve removing the 1960s centre buildings to clear the site; while a council official confirmed that its ski slope has been “gifted to a local group in Oban”.
The adjacent sandstone building on the site is not part of the North Lanarkshire centre; it is privately owned and does not form part of any demolition or redevelopment plans.
Kilbowie’s closure was agreed by just one vote at the council’s policy and strategy committee in January, with the centre’s closure set to save the authority up to £818,000 per year while sale of the waterfront site could generate £680,000.
A council spokesperson said: “The demolition work is expected to be completed by the end of the year; a procurement contract for this work has been issued.
“The land will then be marketed for sale, and any receipts will be put towards our capital investment programme, for example to create new school and community hubs.”
Kilbowie was originally due to close in June following the controversial closure decision which attracted opposition from parents and pupils – but ended up hosting its final groups in March just before the coronavirus lockdown.
Community groups and local politicians in Oban had unsuccessfully campaigned for the retention of the buildings, with North Lanarkshire saying that the decision to proceed to demolition was made following “assessment of the marketing options available for the site, [taking] into consideration ongoing revenue costs and the additional impact of the coronavirus pandemic on our resources”.
