Tarlair Outdoor Pool Pavilion

Tarlair is a unique triple pool structure comprising paddling pool, boating pool, swimming pool and pavilion (tea-room), located just outside Macduff. The pumped seawater pools were one of the first such Art Deco structures to be built. The site is Category A Listed.
Tarlair was built been 1931-4 and when completed, was one of the biggest outdoor pools in Scotland. The architectural ambition is testament to an era when public health was at the forefront of government policy.
The site has always been a much-loved community asset and tourist destination. The pools closed in 1995, and although worthy attempts were made to maintain the structures, it could not halt the harm caused by the sea and weather. The reality is that the structures and interiors have been badly damaged by the elements.
There was strenuous support to see this heritage asset saved for the good of the people. Save Tarlair Group was formed in 2012 after a public consultation meeting. Then in 2013, Aberdeenshire Council appointed John Addison of Addison Conservation and Design. John oversaw the restoration of the boating pool terraces, Phase 1 of a 3 Phase Conservation Plan.
The Friends of Tarlair Community Group (SCO45727) was established in 2014 and gained a 99-year lease on the pavilion in 2020. Studio Octopi were appointed in 2021 to undertake the Phase 2 restoration of the pavilion.
In collaboration with heritage specialists, a condition survey, schedule of repairs and detailed drawings for the external and internal restoration were undertaken. The modest concrete structure has been returned to its original appearance, with cream painted concrete, peppermint green metalwork, restored softwood flooring and replica interior panelling. An unsympathetic 1970s extension has been replaced with an Art Deco inspired addition, but with its own contemporary spirit. The green marble cladding reflecting the gorse and granite of the site. Inside, a community workshop with gorse flower coloured joinery, adjoins the event space, café and toilets. Original built as a seasonal pavilion, the structure has been insulated with cork and lime plaster, improving the wall u-values from 1.98W/m2K to 0.22W/m2K.
The building is now back in use. The roof terrace has reopened and to meet regulations a glazed balustrade has been discretely integrated alongside the reinstated period balustrading.
For the time being the site remains on the at risk register, in 2025 Studio Octopi were appointed to the final phase restoration, the pools.