A VILLAGE pub looks set to be saved by a grant from the Scottish Land Fund.
The Inn in Kingsbarns on the Fife coast is the village’s only pub. However, it has been on sale since 2020 for £753,000.
Kingsbarns Community Development Trust have now been awarded a grant of £590,000 from the Scottish Land Fund to help towards buying the property.
They hope to transform it into a community hub which includes rooms to let, a pub, restaurant, café and shop.
It is hoped the rest of the money will be raised through a fundraising campaign.
Sharon Makin, a member of Kingsbarns Community Development Trust, said the building has “amazing potential” to bring benefits to the area.
“This will enable us to keep the pub open,” she said.
“It is the first step to realising our dream of creating a lively and welcoming community hub in the village.
“Everyone on the team has worked tirelessly to get us to this point.
“We are so thankful to the Scottish Land Fund, for their guidance and for seeing the amazing potential this funding will mean for the community.”
Funded by the Scottish Government and delivered in partnership with the National Lottery Community Fund and Highlands and Islands Enterprise, the Scottish Land Fund aims to strengthen the resilience of communities through the ownership and management of land assets.
It covers both rural and urban projects, with maximum grant available being £1 million.
Mairi Gougeon, the Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands, welcomed the awarding of the grant.
She said: “The Scottish Land Fund is continuing to help community groups take control of local land and buildings and manage them in a way which benefits people in their neighbourhoods.
“The successful projects will help to create jobs, mitigate climate change and tackle social isolation and loneliness.
“I commend them for their efforts so far and wish them all the best in the future.”
