A business plan has been drawn up proposing to bring Perth Harbour under community ownership.
Last week Perth and Kinross councillors voted to close the council-owned harbour as a commercial port but left the door open for "serious and viable" offers to lease it.
Perth resident Hollie Irvine has since compiled a 35-page business plan to save the harbour and turn it into a community asset.
She is now testing the water for interest and support.
Hollie (28) - from Letham - followed last week's proceedings with interest and following the Perth and Kinross Council meeting tweeted: "Surely this is when the Land Reform Act kicks in for community right to buy?"
Hollie's vision is to build a sustainable, community-owned eco-port, heritage site and harbour development project where money made is put back into the community and local area.
Hollie - who has run her own digital marketing agency for the past four years - said: "I like to think when a community works together they can achieve great things."
She told the Perthshire Advertiser: "I love the area and want to see things happen."
Her plan is to raise up to £3 million through funds, grants and shareholders to create a sustainable business model to around £600,000 per year by 2028-2029, employing staff and "providing huge local and community benefits".
She has put herself forward as community development officer and said: "I will be accountable to the board and shareholders and I can be fired if I'm rubbish."
Brimming with enthusiasm she said: "I’ve engaged with PKAVS, Community Land Scotland and other organisations to try and ensure this happens properly. But the bottom line is it needs community input, understanding and support and if not then I won’t do it. This is the only way I would run Perth Harbour - I think that a real difference can be made in this part of Perth."
Her plan includes a community café and gallery as well as developing leisure and tourism. Hollie would love to see a ferry run between Perth and Dundee with tourists going to and from Perth Museum and Dundee's V&A.
She said: "My thoughts are with the addition of a museum up this end, more accessible walkways, street and building art, more access for people, then this would be a nice space to walk to. Perhaps weekend passes for a Tay Cities Culture Deal, where you get a museum pass for Blackwatch, Art Gallery, Perth Museum, Harbour Gallery, a river boat trip to Dundee and access to the V&A and their waterfront activities, all connected through a culture pass."
Her business plan proposes developing the harbour into an "eco-friendly commercial port for cargo and shipping, developing shipbuilding and repairs skillset, developing local maritime and seafaring skillset, whilst working alongside organisations to conserve and look after the Tay properly and support with wider flood management".
The proposal is to take both the harbour and surrounding businesses off grid - using various sources of renewable energy - and selling the energy stored and generated as a further source of income.
A Perth and Kinross Council spokesperson said the council would welcome "any interest in creating a viable future for the harbour and a takeover of all the required financial and legal responsibilities".
The PKC spokesperson told the Perthshire Advertiser: "Officers have been instructed to explore market interest in a long-term lease of the Perth Harbour site and this will progress alongside the agreed work towards closure of the harbour as an operational port and subsequent regeneration of the site.
"During that process it would be inappropriate for us to comment on proposals which may be subject to future negotiation and consideration by council, but we welcome any interest in creating a viable future for the harbour and a takeover of all the required financial and legal responsibilities.
"Although the harbour is currently set to close to commercial vessels, smaller boats would still be able to use it, and the area is to be regenerated over time to become a more vibrant business and leisure hub that the wider community can benefit from."
SNP council leader Grant Laing told the Local Democracy Reporting Service there had "undoubtedly" been "a lot" of interest in Perth Harbour.
Cllr Laing said: "There is undoubtedly a lot of interest in Perth Harbour and that’s why we’ve asked officers to listen to any offers that will provide a sustainable future for it.
"If there are serious and viable offers to lease the port then these will be considered by councillors."
Hollie is now keen to see if there is enough interest to take this idea forward.
