SCOTLAND'S touring Screen Machine has confirmed dates for its return to Cumbrae - and island film fans won't have too long to wait.

The Regional Screen Scotland charity, which runs the mobile cinema, has announced that it will be visiting the island at the end of the month.

The charity had been hoping to bring the touring cinema back to the island this spring after funding was secured from Screen Scotland to continue the service.

But an abrupt U-turn was made after CalMac imposed a weight restriction on its ferries to Cumbrae whilst MV Loch Shira was taken off the service for repairs.

The Screen Machine will be visiting Millport between July 29-31, with tickets going on sale soon.

READ MORE: Screen Machine forced to pull the plug on Millport visit

Its visits were a hugely popular attraction on Cumbrae until last year, when the island was taken off the cinema's schedule due to access issues around the use of a new vehicle.

The 80-seat, air-conditioned, digital mobile cinema service has been bringing the latest films to over 40 communities of the Highlands and islands of Scotland since 1998.

The service has specially designed rollers fitted to the Cinémobile, which will enable it to visit more communities including four more islands, and one mainland location.

Simon Drysdale, interim chief executive officer of Regional Screen Scotland, said: “Since April 2023, we have been using a leased cinema, the Cinémobile.

"It has different dimensions to our previous cinema, which was tailor-made to negotiate Scotland’s ferries.

"Sadly, these different dimensions meant that certain locations could not be reached.

"This problem has been largely solved by working with the Cinémobile’s owners, Toutenkamion, to design rollers for the rear of the cinema trailer, which will enable it to negotiate more slipways with greater ease.

"We are enormously grateful to FirstStage Studios for funding this important change to our cinema.”