Schemes to promote sailing and improve infrastructure along Scotland's west coast as part of a wider collaboration involving Northern Ireland and Ireland have been handed a boost.

Scotland-based projects as part of the £6.3m Sail West programme will receive £2.2m from the EU's INTERREG IVA initiative, with local councils contributing a further 25 per cent. It comes as a new brand - MalinWaters - was also launched as part of Sail West, which is named after the part of sea covering the majority of the project area.

Scottish tourism minister Fergus Ewing said: "The funding already pledged by the partners will not only improve the infrastructure of the sailing facilities, they will also provide a welcome boost for the country's coastal towns." VisitScotland chair Mike Cantlay added: "Visitors are offered stunning wilderness as they cruise within the waters where they can feel completely exhilarated while escaping the stresses of everyday life."