Ambitious plans are being unveiled to resurrect Saltcoats' outdoor pool after around 50 years in cold storage.
An innovative design has been drawn up by leading architect and tidal pool expert Chris Romer-Lee.
The Splash Group is set to unveil the planned new look at a public meeting in Saltcoats Town Hall tonight (Wednesday).
And people are being invited to give their views on the project to the group and the architect.
Campaigners from the Splash Group aim to reopen the pool and give Saltcoats a unique, outdoor swimming place for everyone to use.
Group chairwoman, Irene Campbell, said: “Saltcoats is a traditional tidal pool which has been filled from the sea. There is a lot of widespread interest in this as outdoor swimming is becoming very popular.
“We’ve had an engineer’s report and at the meeting everyone will see how it is going to look. There is considerable interest in outdoor swimming.
“But you could also have canoeing and paddle-boarding and sub aqua could also use it. We need a good clean out and to get the pool restored and re-opened.
“The site dates back to around 1890 but in 1933 the fancy pool with the pavilion opened.
"I learned to swim at the pool when I was four and, in the 1940s, my mother, Mary, was the bath mistress and swimming teacher at the pool when she was in her 20s, so I have a very strong connection with it.
"We just want the pool back up and running with access points, which are being designed.
“A feasibility study has been carried out and a report from the engineer and architect confirmed it would be possible to reopen it."
Irene added: "We were given £20,000 from the North Ayrshire Council community investment fund to allow us to do that. We want to keep the pool in as natural a state as possible.
"The pool is a safe space for people who want to do outdoor swimming.
“I think it could be open all year round and the pool could bring people back to Saltcoats, even for the day, which would be great for the town.
"If people tell us they want the project at this meeting then hopefully we can get the structure in place.
"If we have the momentum behind us and secure funding during this tax year, I would be hoping work could be complete by the middle to the end of summer next year. I think the community would be delighted if we got this up and running.”
