AULTBEA HALL REVIVAL!
The official re-opening of Aultbea Hall by HRH The Princess Royal on 12 May was a celebration of the outstanding collective will to save our historic World War II cinema and NAAFI. The project was launched at a public meeting in October 2021: three years earlier the building had been condemned as a dangerous structure, following a survey which reported on serious corrosion of the steel reef supports. It took until May 2025 to complete all the repair and renovation work required. However, much more was achieved than originally planned, thanks to ten grants and thousands of hours of voluntary commitment. The Hall is now a welcoming and vibrant venue for our local young people, including Bualnaluib School and ‘Babies to Bairns’, for ceilidhs and concerts, craft markets and an increasing range of leisure activities.
On a cool, breezy but bright morning, The Princess Royal met representatives of the contractors, user groups, volunteers and supporters, as well as the trustees and committee which had, post-pandemic, taken on the challenge of bringing the long-loved Hall back into the centre of community life. Local residents shared their memories, and the children of Bualnaluib School, musicians from Gairloch High School and Sing Loch Ewe provided the entertainment, before Her Royal Highness was presented with a posy, a gift of gorse-scented soaps and unveiled a plaque in recognition of Aultbea Hall Revival!