Shortlisted for the MacEwen Award 2026

Tarlair Outdoor Pool Pavilion has been shortlisted for the MacEwen Award 2026.

Studio Octopi’s restoration of this extraordinary facility, much loved by the communities of Macduff and Banff on the Moray Firth, has resulted in it being shortlisted for the MacEwen Award 2026.

Originally completed in 1934, the Category A-listed complex comprises a paddling pool, boating pool, swimming pool and pavilion, all fed by pumped seawater. Following its closure in 1995 the Friends of Tarlair Community Group was established in 2014 and they secured a 99-year lease on the pools. Restoration of the pavilion began is 2021. Internally, the pavilion now accommodates a café, event space, toilets and a community workshop, designed to support year-round use.

Photographs credit: Studio Octopi