This is the first look at what three new beachfront properties on the site of Lossiemouth’s fire-hit Beach Bar could look like.
The historic pub was reduced to an empty shell following a blaze in September 2018.
Owner Graham Fleming initially hoped to rebuild the venue but as The Press and Journal revealed last month, the pandemic’s devastating effect on the hospitality industry derailed those plans.
Instead, an application for planning permission for three detached houses on the site has been lodged with Moray Council.
If successful, the land will be made available for sale.
Mr Fleming said: “It’s a really unique space because no one can build left, right or in front of you because all of that area is a coastal protection zone.
“That zone stretches from Burghead through to Cullen. You can’t get anything that close to the sea anywhere along the coast.”
The design
Inverness firm Cameron Architectural Design has created impressions of what the new houses could look like.
The results are likely to attract some interest.
A four bedroom detached property, with large glass windows on two storeys with a balcony looking out onto the Moray Firth.
Mr Fleming is hopeful that the application will be approved.
But there remains a sadness at saying goodbye to the Beach Bar.
Our story about the decision to call time on the well-loved pub prompted hundreds of comments and trips down memory lane online.
The news reached more than 100,000 people on the P&J’s Facebook page.
‘You could never recreate what the old Beach Bar was’
Mr Fleming said: “I spoke to quite a few people after the story was published and they tended to agree that you could never replicate that old bar atmosphere.
“You could build something new and people might love it or hate it.
“But you could never recreate what the old Beach Bar was. There’s disappointment but people have generally understood the reasons behind this.”
The old building was full of history too, even before it was known as the Beach Bar.
It began life in 1875 as Lossiemouth’s public baths.
There were hopes that the original building could be preserved but unfortunately, demolition crews took down what was left of the site in May 2019.
However, the stone which formed the shell of the building remains on site.
It is proposed that this stone will be used in the new development.
How is Lossiemouth going to bounce back from the pandemic?
Like every town and city in Scotland, the pandemic hit Lossiemouth hard.
But before Covid even struck, the town was already suffering from the closure of the popular East Beach crossing in July 2019.
According to business bosses, this was costing the town an estimated £1.5m annually in visitor spend.
Now Lossiemouth Business Association (LBA) wants to entice visitors back by highlighting its attractions.
The group has launched the A Fine Day Out campaign which includes suggested itineraries of activities for visitors to enjoy.