A remote community with a population of just 240 is set to benefit from a new £418,000 village hall.

Applecross is a remote peninsula in north-west Scotland and the people who live there have helped raise a significant amount towards the final construction costs.

It will be built on the foundations of the old hall, which is in the centre of the community. It was demolished because it had reached the end of its useful life and no longer complied with modern Health and Safety regulations and access for the disabled legislation.

A questionnaire was distributed to the community seeking opinions on many different aspects of life in the village and improving the hall's facilities was the one which received most support.

A public meeting held to explain proposals was well attended and the community responded by supporting fund-raising events for the replacement.

The main purpose of the new hall is to provide a social focus for the community, which is proud of its high degree of self-sufficiency.

A team of volunteers will form the hall management committee, and all are eager to make Applecross a better, livelier place in which to live, thus encouraging people to move there or make them reluctant to leave.

The new facility will be suitable for all kinds of uses, including sports, stage productions and social functions for young and old alike.

A number of agencies are contributing to the total cost, including Ross and Cromarty Enterprise (RACE) who have invested £40,000 in the project. The Highland Council, the Applecross Trust and the National Lottery Charities Board (Community Fund) have injected the balance.

Chief executive of RACE Gordon Cox said: "The economy of the region is fragile and a new hall will have a profound and beneficial effect on the community.

"It will encourage sports, music and drama, education, social interaction and allow for visiting cultural events, all of which are extremely important for developing long term community sustainability."

A spokesman for the Applecross Trust, Mr Alistair McCowan said: "This has been a project which was over five years in the planning and it will be completed by the end of October.

"A lot of people have worked hard to achieve what we have, and being a small community, we are proud of our achievements. We have worked together to get a new heritage centre and a new fishing pier, now the hall's opening is eagerly anticipated."