Residents fighting to take on a community hall say they have been left "frustrated" by the process and lack of support.

Princess Louise Hall in Rosneath has lain empty for nearly a decade and campaigners have been trying to get it made wind and water tight, and in use.

But the bureaucracy has dragged the process on for months, leaving village residents wondering how to move forward.

Last week they took to social media to say the terms of a proposed lease had been with Argyll and Bute Council's lawyers since February.

When contacted by the Advertiser, the council said it was actually with the Princess Louise Hall Committee.

That came as news to the group's chair, Maggie Irving.

She said residents were "genuinely struggling" in the village, but they were excited by the possibility for the hall.

"Our ambition is to look at the needs of the whole community of approximately 1,200 people," she told the Advertiser.

"We have surveyed them. There's a desperate need for facilities and not just entertainment."

Residents first proposed the idea of taking on the hall, in Howie Memorial Park, back in 2021 and run it from a charitable trust.

The committee said the proposed lease from the council should have been agreed before Christmas 2023 but was put to their solicitors in February.

They have considered buying it from the council as well, but council officials said the building is worth £300,000 as an asset, despite laying derelict for many years.

The committee was recently knocked back for Vibrant Community funds which could have been vital to making repairs to the building.

Maggie said: "I'm still not 100 per cent clear why we didn't get it. The building has been neglected by the council since 2015. Our community is in desperate need. There are no facilities or amenities.at all.

"The community is frustrated. We as a committee can understand the bureaucracy but it's very difficult job to explain that to residents. They see us being active trying to bring something back to the community and they see us being frustrated at every turn.

"It doesn't inspire confidence in our efforts, or in the council.

"The council have an opportunity to dispose of the building to us, but not for £300,000. Cove Burgh Hall was sold for £1.

"So within the three years of a lease, if we were to decide it would be advantageous to take over, we would be expecting to pay a peppercorn fee, not £300,000."

She added that they were recently approached by a group of teenagers "absolutely desperate to help" and have set up the Rosneath Youth Committee on Facebook.

"We are really inspired by their enthusiasm," she said.

Argyll and Bute Council were asked about the hall's committee social media post about the delays.

They told the Advertiser: "The draft lease is with solicitors acting on behalf of the Princess Louise Committee for their consideration."