The goal of a Local Place Plan is to create a document that shares our community’s aspirations for the local area. Dunoon and Kirn have a joint population of just under 8000, a population that is slowly declining. We know from looking at a wide range of data sources that there are many complex challenges including: health inequalities, limited access to employment, a lack of housing and emerging issues such as increased flooding caused by climate change.
Including people from across the community and not just listening to the loudest voices
Our process
Community engagement
"I feel safe here, but I wish there were more jobs for my age group, that would help me stay"
Cross cutting themes
1. Inclusion in the economy
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An estimated 31.9% of people living in Argyll and Bute are employed in the public sector, in secure and progressive (in-terms of salary progression and training) forms of work. (ref Argyll and Bute in number v6 p.11). This contrasts sharply with high levels of self- employment, freelancing, seasonal work and people on low and unstable incomes in the voluntary and private sector.
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From our action-based research in the community - through projects that include Dunoon and Cowal Coworks (a meet-up and information sharing network for freelancers and small businesses) and Take the Plunge - there appears to be a lack of investment in place-based enterprise support within wider Dunoon and Kirn. For example, there is no business centre in town, accessible desk space used by home-based workers in the library has been reduced, and Business Gateway services are now delivered remotely across Argyll. Without the presence of a start-up and enterprise focused network and related facilities in Dunoon and Kirn, it is more challenging for people to access support and build the vital skills and connections to grow businesses.
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Anecdotal evidence suggests that insufficient provision of flexible childcare makes it harder for women to connect with peers and to access funding to grow businesses that give them a good income.
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The absence of spaces and initiatives focused on business and social enterprise start-ups and growth in Dunoon and Kirn also disadvantages young people, who don’t get the opportunities to meet peers and develop the support networks vital investment in growing skills and businesses.
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27% of the working-age population living in Dunoon and Kirn receive out-of-work benefits, higher than Scotland's average of 15.7% (ref Shaping Places for Wellbeing, Infographic Summary, p5). This means that over a quarter of our working age population is not in work for a variety of reasons.
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A lack of affordable, quality housing for sale and rent in Dunoon increases poverty, health inequalities and out-migration. There are approximately three waiting list applicants for every available let in Dunoon and Kirn. 20% of all homeless cases in Argyll & Bute are in Dunoon and wider Cowal (ref: Shaping Places for Wellbeing Housing and Community. At the same time, 40% of our population are living alone. Some of these people are living in houses that are larger than they need and are expensive properties to manage for one person. With no suitable housing to move into, these people remain in unsuitable accommodation, which can be stressful and costly to them.
2. Listening to younger people
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From our place-based research with young people (14+), we have identified a strong perception that young people don't feel they have agency to influence decision-making processes about spaces and services in the town. They feel that public spaces around the town are not designed for them - or are in poor condition. For example, there is one play park in Dunoon at West Bay. The play equipment is suitable for children and some of the play equipment needs to be repaired. Young people 14+ don't feel able to use this space.
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There is frustration that places that are designed for this older age group, such as the Skate Park (located at the edge of Dunoon stadiuam, near Ardenslate) are not safe to use. Meanwhile, the stadium complex, which occupies a large area in the middle of the town, is only open when booked, leaving young people without access to pitches and sports facilities unless they are part of an organised group.
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In Dunoon and Kirn 22% of children are living in poverty, compared to 18.8% in Scotland and 17% in Argyll and Bute (ref Shaping Places for Wellbeing Dunoon profile, p2)
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Young people aged 18+ are negativley effected by factors such as a shortage of suitable starter housing, limited work and training opportunities and costly, unreliable transportation to further education and work outside of Dunoon and Kirn.
3. Climate and biodiversity
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The Dunoon and Kirn area is already experiencing the impacts of climate change, with increased rainfall and storm frequency causing flooding and damage to the built environment, which is costly to repair. According to flood risk maps produced by SEPA, heritage assets like Dunoon Pier, which is a Grade A listed structure, and coastal areas, including West Bay and East Bay, are at increased levels of risk from flooding as climate change progresses.
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Climate change is predicted to increase the strength and frequency of storms, so a more proactive approach to building and infrastructure maintenance needs to be developed to protect coastal assets and to keep people safe in Dunoon and Kirn.
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Flooding in 2024/25 in and around Morrisons’s Car Park and properties located in Velrose Terrace / Cowal Place, indicates that there needs to be a proactive approach to managing flood risk in areas of the town close to water courses such as Milton Burn.
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An estimated 34% of people in Dunoon and Kirn are living in fuel poverty locally (ref: Shaping Places for Wellbeing Housing and Communitt p.3). Registered social housing providers such as ACHA and Fyne Homes, manage 984 properties in Dunoon, (ref Dunoon and Kirn Housing Information, Argyll and Bute Council, June 2025). They are progressing programmes of retrofitting to insulate homes with the goal of reducing energy bills for their tenants.
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There are significant costs and complication for people who own their own homes or rent properties and want to reduce energy costs. Likewise, there are increasing cost pressures on small organisations, such as Dunoon Burgh Hall, managing larger buildings for the community. People want to retrofit and improve on costly heating systems, but many buildings are old and poorly insulated.
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Due to high rainfall levels in this area, people need better access to specialist advice on approaches to retrofitting that prevents buildings retainning water. Getting access to the right advice, grants and contractors with the specialist knowledge to carry out this work is also a huge challenge at a local level. Although organisations like Ali Energy can provide support, there is currently no collective approach to retrofitting or clean heat that responds to the scale of the challenge, especially given Scotland’s commitment to NetZero by 2040.
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Our practical, place-based research through projects and public exhibitions including West Bay Wonder, indicates that the systems thinking needed to embed climate action into the way public spaces are designed and maintained is not strong. For example, there are no street recycling bins in public spaces to support simple acts of environmental care. Interdepartmental working practices need to be improved to enable this to change.
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When we spoke to young people about climate change, they felt that it wasn’t an issue that people were engaged with at a local level or even within places like the school. Although climate change was a concern, they didn’t feel they had the power or agency to do much to influence policy and decision making at a local level.
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Visitor destinations that invest in the quality and care of the environment and protection of natural assets, tend to attract higher spending visitors (Visit Scotland, Driving the Visitor Economy 25-28). Through our research we have found that a key challenge is a lack of community and public sector awareness about how to care for and manage our natural assets, particularly coastal biodiversity and green spaces. More needs to be done to invest in blue and green spaces, managing them in alignment with best practice to ensure that Dunoon and Kirn are considered high-quality visitor destinations.
4. Keeping people healthy and happy
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Data gathered in the Shaping Places for Wellbeing project town profile identifies that 28.7% of the local population are over the age of 65, slightly higher than the rest of Argyll and Bute at 27.26% and higher than the rest of Scotland at 20.3%.
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The rate of individuals aged 16+ receiving Personal Independence Payment is around 10% (107 per 1000 in 2021), double that of the rest of Argyll.
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Prescription rates for anxiety and depression drugs are also higher at 25% compared to Scotland's average of 19.3%.
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These statistics clearly show that our community already faces significant health and demographic challenges. It is imperative that all local assets and services are utilised and developed with a clear emphasis on supporting improved health and wellbeing outcomes for the people who live here.
5. Travel and connection
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Bad weather can deter active travel, but poor pavements, a lack of safe crossings, a lack of public toilets, and the absence of companions for people to walk with also impact on people’s choices.
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Once commutable by ferry and train to Inverclyde and Glasgow, Dunoon and Kirn now struggle to attract and retain working age people and their families. A reduction in ferry and bus services, poor timetable alignment, a lack of travel information and the increased costs of bus, ferry and train links present real challenges to our community.
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Protracted and slow decision-making processes about public transport continue at a national level, whilst local people struggle today with public transport that is not affordable or reliable.
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Optional summary text: Our community feels poorly served by decisions taken at a distance which have significant impacts on their ability to access reliable public transport on a day-to-day basis. Collective and creative action is needed to improve travel and connection across Dunoon and Kirn and beyond.
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