Scottish island primary school rescued from being permanently closed

The decision comes as Scotland continues to battle school closures in areas facing depopulation

Plans to permanently close the only school on the Isle of Luing have been rejected, with councillors giving islanders a year to prove the facility’s sustainability.

Luing Primary School was mothballed in 2020 when Covid hit due to a lack of pupils. Seven of the eight pupils at the time graduated to high school on the mainland, and Argyll and Bute Council decided it could no longer justify keeping the island school open. This put it at risk of permanent closure, which residents have been campaigning against after calling the school the “heart of the community”.