Holiday homes are to be used by a Scottish local authority in an attempt to help tackle its housing shortage.

Second homes and holiday homes which lie empty all or most of the year are to be identified to be leased by owners to tenants looking for affordable accommodation.

Argyll and Bute Council is planning to adopt an Empty Homes Initiative to bring disused homes in need of repair up to standard to allow them to be brought into use.

The plan will cover areas popular with people looking for a second home or houses bought to let out to tourists in towns and villages, including Oban and Helensburgh and on islands like Mull.

For years people have complained that families have been forced to move to other areas to find suitable housing while many properties are vacant.

Last month, The Herald revealed the extent of the housing crisis in Arran in North Ayrshire where 25% of the population is in rented accommodation with many people only able to secure short-term tenancies in the winter, losing to higher holiday rents in the summer.

The Argyll and Bute initiative is part of a range of measures in a housing strategy aimed at providing more homes for rent permanently, including a landbank fund to acquire land and sell it on to developers or housing associations. The empty homes project will be partially funded by additional cash raised through reduced council tax discounts on second homes in the area.

Second homes can receive a discount on council tax of as much as 50%, but a council can reduce that to 10%. Argyll and Bute Council has already reduced the discount and plan to reinvest the additional cash raised in a repair and refurbishment programme for potential rented properties.

Douglas Hendry, Argyll and Bute Council's director of community services, said in a report to councillors: "Given the significant level of ineffective housing stock - ie vacant, holiday and second homes - in many pressured areas within Argyll and Bute the Empty Homes Initiative was viewed to offer more efficient use of resources.

"The council was of the view that there are significant opportunities to establish or enhance a range of potential mechanisms to assist owners."

Scottish Executive guidance states extra income for reduced council tax discounts will be retained locally by the council in an affordable housing account and used for provision of social housing as part of their local housing strategy.

Housing campaigners welcomed the plan, but only as part of a wider strategy to ensure there is adequate provision to house local people in affordable homes.

Archie Stoddart, director of Shelter Scotland, said: "It would be a positive step to help combat the rural housing crisis in Argyll and Bute by reusing empty homes. The houses lying empty are making no contribution to meeting the housing need of the 3188 people on the main house waiting list in Argyll and Bute.

"Reusing empty homes is only part of the solution. Argyll and Bute needs more affordable homes for rent. If this does not happen the council will continue to face difficulties housing people."