Boat of Garten Community Hall

Boat of Garten Community Hall opened its doors in August 2007 with music for the clarsach & flute which had been especially composed by local musicians Patsy Burr and son Stuart to commemorate the opening of the new facility.  An exhibition of art by local artists brought the corridors and art exhibition room to life and in the evening over 300 local residents, friends and supporters danced the night away at a ceilidh in the main hall.

The new facility is a popular multi-purpose venue for the community, situated adjacent to the village’s playing field and in a quiet location. Boat of Garten is an ideal venue centrally located within the Cairngorms National Park near Aviemore.  The building replaces the old village hall which the community has outgrown and provides much needed space and opportunities for the arts, community groups and clubs.

Managed by a voluntary committee with the help of a part-time coordinator, it was awarded £158,000 National Lottery funding from the Scottish Arts Council, creating a high quality performing arts venue and exhibition space within the multi-functional community hall.

The overall project cost is in the region of £1 million and with improved technical facilities and flexible tiered seating which can convert into demountable staging, the facility has the potential to develop new audiences through the development of its professional programme and working in partnership with other venues and organisations across the region.

The volunteer committee worked with Douglas Murray, Architect, and his professional team from the early stages of design to completion and has achieved a high quality facility which will serve the community for years to come as well as providing a venue for the arts in the Highlands.

The facility has a large bright airy foyer leading into a spacious main hall, a smaller comfortable lounge which with direct entry from the performance area will double as a 'green room', a well equipped modern kitchen, box office and a training room with IT capabilities.

It also has an additional two meeting rooms which have a folding partition wall with deep sinks in one area to encourage art classes.

The facility will provide: An all-year-round programme of music and arts activities An auditorium with tiered or cabaret seating with a capacity of up to 300 A foyer with capacity of up to 100 A lounge with theatre style capacity of up to 70 Art exhibition space with J rail hanging system Several smaller rooms seating from 12-25 Catering and function facilities for weddings, dinners and dances Changing rooms with showers Training facilities in several separate areas

For more information and a programme of events, please visit the Boat of Garten community website.

Supported by the National Lottery Fund through the Scottish Arts Council.