Bold statement: The battle over Mull’s school location is not just about maps and money—it’s about who gets to decide the future of a community, and the answer, for now, is more complex than it appears. But here’s where it gets controversial... Islanders on Mull have lost a legal challenge challenging Argyll and Bute Council’s plan to build a new £43 million campus in Tobermory, at the island’s far north. The council intends to place the school adjacent to the current Tobermory High School—the island’s only secondary school and a longtime flashpoint among residents.
Many parents advocated for a central site to reduce long ferry commutes for southern pupils, who currently face over 90 minutes of travel to reach the Tobermory facility. Some families even stay in hostels midweek to attend classes on the mainland, highlighting the practical impact of location on daily life. The challengers filed for judicial review, arguing the council sidelined proper procedures. However, a Court of Session judge in Edinburgh dismissed the petition, with Lord Cubie noting no procedural unfairness in the council’s vote.
A judicial review scrutinizes whether a public authority’s decision or action adheres to the law. For decades, Mull’s only high school location has divided its pupils: northern students attend the Tobermory campus, while southern residents must bear lengthy commutes to Oban. In 2023, funding was secured to replace the dilapidated Tobermory High School with a modern campus that would also house a primary and nursery school. Several potential site options were identified across the island.
Campaigners proposed a split-site plan: a new secondary school in a more central location (for example Craignure) while retaining a Tobermory primary. The council, however, argued that a split campus would add roughly £12 million in cost and that delaying further could threaten promised Scottish government funding. They also warned that this plan would leave Tobermory without a primary school.
Ultimately, councillors voted in March of last year to proceed with a Tobermory campus alongside the existing school. The judicial review case was heard by Lord Cubie in October. James Mure KC, representing Mull Campus Working Group Ltd, contended that the council acted irrationally in rejecting the split-site option and did not adequately consult the broader island community. The council’s lawyers countered that extensive engagement had taken place and that no legal requirement existed for another formal consultation at this stage.
Lord Cubie acknowledged the strong local feelings but affirmed that such sentiment did not impose new legal duties on the council. The judge concluded there was no obligation to consult further on shortlisted sites and found no conspicuous unfairness in the process adopted, effectively upholding the council’s decision.
What this means in practical terms is that Mull faces a definitive decision on where its next generation of students will learn, with implications for travel, funding, and community cohesion. Do you think centralizing the secondary campus serves the broader good, or should the island prioritize accessibility even if it means higher costs? Share your views in the comments.
