The project, intended to replace the existing Tobermory High School, had been paused since 2025 following a judicial review brought by a working group concerned that locating the new campus in the north of Mull could disadvantage pupils living elsewhere on the island. In February 2026, judges upheld the council’s decision to build the facility beside the current school.

The enforced delay has had a significant financial impact. Inflation alone has added more than £946,000 to the project, with the forecast cost now sitting at £46.8 million, up from the original £42.9m budget agreed in April 2024. Councillors also allocated a further £7m in February 2026 as a provision for future school‑building costs on Mull.

Finance policy lead Cllr Ross Moreland warned that affordability remains a major concern, noting that construction inflation is rising by £100,000–£120,000 per month.

He said the pause “has had a real financial impact at a time when the council is facing intense and competing pressures across all services”, adding that delays could jeopardise Scottish Government funding conditions tied to an original 2027 opening date. “To pay for a new school, there will be difficult decisions ahead,” he said, pointing to potential council tax increases or reductions in services such as libraries, public toilets or roads maintenance.

A more detailed cost plan will be included in the outline business case due in December 2026, with external global factors, including instability in Iran, expected to continue influencing material and construction costs.

Education policy lead Cllr Kieron Green said the council’s commitment to delivering a “modern, fully accessible” campus remains unchanged.

“This project is about far more than a new building – it is about better educational outcomes, inclusive spaces and enhanced opportunities that reflect how young people learn today,” he said. Around 200 pupils would attend the new campus, with 84% of secondary‑aged children on Mull living within the Tobermory catchment.

An economic assessment also found that locating the campus within Mull’s principal settlement would deliver £3.1m more economic benefit than a central island location.

The new facility is expected to offer state‑of‑the‑art teaching spaces, improved accessibility, and community‑use areas supporting learning, leisure and social activities beyond the school day.

Work will now resume to update the delivery timeline first approved in March 2025. Subject to future council and Scottish Government approvals, the campus is now projected to open in late 2030.

Key milestones include:

• August–October 2026: Statutory consultation under the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010 on relocating the existing school
• December 2026: Outline business case presented to councillors
• 2027: Detailed design, costings, planning and final business case
• 2028: Construction phase begins
• 2030: Building handover and campus fully operational