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About Argyll and the Islands

Local support Argyll and the Islands

Argyll and the Islands supports organisations based in this area as well as businesses looking to locate here. We offer practical advice, funding, property and access to our extensive networks, both in the public and private sectors. 

Our team, based in the Lochgilphead office, are experienced in business and community development and can provide you with support that's tailored to you. 

Find out more below about how we can support you or contact us to discuss the type of support you need.

Get in touch 

CAPITAL FUNDING

We can support you with funding for capital investment projects. Are you considering purchasing new equipment, fixtures or fittings to increase productivity? Perhaps you're thinking about upgrading your IT setup or changing to lower carbon processes to help you cut costs. How about constructing, adapting or upgrading premises to support your growth plans?

We recently helped Isle of Mull Oysters Ltd with £23,238 funding towards a new grading machine which has helped them increase efficiency and productivity, for example. Get in touch to see how we can help you. 

Expert advice

In addition to our own skilled staff, we have access to specialists covering a range of topics who can help you develop and grow.

We can help with strategy development, financial systems and support, sales and marketing, access to finance, digital reviews, human resources, and more. Islay sea adventures recently benefitted from a digital review though our support and we've also helped Ocean Ecology with a feasibility assessment for electrification of work vessels.

Get in touch

The best way to find out if we can help is to get in touch. Fill out our short form and let us know a little about your idea, project or challenge. You can also browse support below. 

Reach new markets

We can help you reach new markets, locally, nationally and internationally. We can tailor how we work with you to provide support where you need it most. We can help with strategy development, research into market opportunities, or provide funding and investment towards reaching new markets. 

We recently awarded Lussa Gin with £12,500 to support their exporting ambitions. We've also helped the Scottish Association of Marine Science (SAMS) with a recent international strategy workshop to identify new international markets. The size of your operation isn't what counts, it's the impact you can make. Get in touch if this is an area we can help you with too.

Support with rising costs

We know the rising costs of doing business is impacting everyone and that means it can be a scary time to talk about change but there are a number of ways we can support you. Improving efficiencies, changing how you operate, increasing production or reaching new markets can lead to savings.

How we work

We want to help create a fair and prosperous region that benefits everyone. For this reason, we prioritise our support to achieve the most beneficial and sustainable impacts. Find out more about how we work.

Get support

Have a look at some of the support we offer and find out how to apply. If you need help with something not listed here, please get in touch as much of support is discretionary meaning, we can direct our assistance to where you need it most.

Browse all support services

We support businesses, communities and social enterprises through a range of support services, including advice, funding, events and property. Find out how we can help you.

Innovation Argyll and Bute fund

Our Innovation Argyll and Bute fund offers businesses and social enterprises grants of up to £10,000 towards innovation and R&D projects.  

Young Business Capital Grant

The Young Business Capital Grant provides funding of between £10,000 and £75,000 to organisations trading less than five years.

Contact us

Please get in touch if you need our help or would like to discuss working with us.

Boats at Campbeltown harbour in Argyll

About our area and sector strengths

Argyll and the Islands is an area of outstanding natural beauty with mountains, lochs, islands and hundreds of miles of coastline, the region’s wilderness has seen it become the base for some of the country’s leading renewable energy and marine science organisations.

The area’s natural assets underpin many of the sectors and support economic growth within the area. The European Marine Science Park, being developed by HIE in partnership with Scottish Development International and the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), a world leader in marine science research, to create a strong, self-sustaining and growing cluster of marine science related activity.

The awe-inspiring landscapes lend themselves to a vibrant tourism and hospitality sector and the rich waters and land provide a significant natural larder to support an ever-growing food and drink sector. World-renown distilleries, finfish production and shellfish also contribute significantly to a vibrant export sector.

The landscape of the region supports significant renewable energy generation. Hydro schemes, onshore wind, solar and biomass are well established across the area with significant further developments in onshore and offshore wind and pumped hydro at various stages of the consenting process. 

Who we work with

Have a look at our case studies of organisations we're supporting. Find out about the different ways we can help you and the impact our support makes.

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Renewable parts

Renewable Parts Ltd helps green energy providers based across the UK to reduce the waste and carbon emissions associated with the manufacture and transport of new component parts.

Renewable Parts
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Argyll Coffee Roasters

Argyll Coffee Roasters, were awarded £10,751 through HIE's Young Business Capital Fund which supports businesses of five years or less to achieve their growth ambitions, create or retain jobs and increase productivity.

Argyll Coffee Roasters
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BC Technologies

We support BC Technologies, a leading IT specialist that supports small to medium businesses with IT and security requirements, with R&D and property.

BC Technologies
kitchen training

Bute Food and Drink

Bute Kitchen is being supported with HIE funding of nearly £20,000 to upskill the island’s hospitality workforce, explore local markets for food produced on the island and promote the Bute ‘brand’ to new audiences.

Boost for Bute food and drink
Islay Sead Adventures Hannah On Boat

Islay Sea Adventures

Islay Sea Adventures is based in Port Ellen Marina on the Isle of Islay. It offers a range of wildlife, fishing and foraging boat trips, mainly sailing out of Port Ellen but with some from Port Askaig.
Our recent support to the business has included a digital grant and funding to support a graduate placement.

Islay Sea Adventures
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Midton Acrylics

Midton Acrylics Limited is a specialist manufacturing company which has been based in Lochgilphead since 1981. We have been working with them over a number of years providing capital funding, specialist advice and skills support.

Midton Acrylics
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Easy waterfront access is available at the European Marine science park in Argyll

Our property portfolio

We invest in commercial property and land developments across the region where there's a need, economic benefit or opportunity to attract investment into the region. We also support organisations to purchase, rent space, develop and expand premises, as well as supporting community asset developments and land buyouts. 

European Marine Science Park

Our largest development in the Argyll and the Islands area is the European Marine Science Park at Dunstaffnage developed in partnership with the Scottish Association of Marine Science (SAMS). With a particular focus on marine science research and development, here we can support investors looking to benefit from the outstanding natural environment and the growing cluster of research expertise and business activity. We can also support start-up businesses, SMEs or spin-out businesses.

Visit the European Marine Science Park

 

Machrihanish1200 Play Video

Flythrough of The Factory, M A C C Business Park

THE FACTORY, M A C C BUSINESS PARK

The Factory at M A C C Business Park is a unique industrial complex available to let at Machrihanish by Campbeltown, Argyll. This base could be ideally suited to a range of operations including manufacturing headquarters, film or industrial facilities. It provides a variety of fabrication/warehouse buildings on a 66.38 acre site with large areas of laydown space in a fully secure environment. The buildings offer a range of clear heights but generally in excess of 10 metres. Substantial cranage is also provided with up to 50 tonne capacity. Download the property prospectus. 

Find out more

Available property and land

Find out more about our property and land availability in Argyll and the Islands. 

See what's available

The outside of the Fairmile building in Argyll

Sandbank Business Park

The Sandbank Business Park is already home to a wide range of businesses who have been established on the site for a number of years. These include distribution, manufacturing, service depots and call centres. We have development plots available and office space within our Fairmile Building. 

View Argyll and the Islands property

Latest news

All Argyll and the Islands news
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Argyll marine firm scales up with new high tech survey vessel

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Funding boost for new Isle of Mull recording studio

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Scottish aquaculture industry gears up for Aqua Nor 2025

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Argyll firm to create eDNA lab for aquaculture sector

About Argyll and the Islands - related documents

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