The last surviving fishing cottage in one of Scotland’s most picturesque villages will be transformed into a new holiday let.
Aberdeenshire Council has approved revamp plans for 40 Pennan, a small building in the heart of the coastal community made famous in Local Hero.
Among the other pristine 18th century homes along the Moray Firth shore, developers say it stands out as an “unsightly object”.
The cottage was later used as a boatshed, before falling into disuse and becoming “uninhabitable”.
Boatshed a ‘true reflection’ of Pennan’s seafaring past
Stirling-based Douglas Laing bought the adjacent Driftwood Cottage as a holiday home in 2014.
There are many AirBnB properties in the area and the boatshed will eventually be offered as a holiday let.
Working on Mr Laing’s behalf, LDN Architects say the overhaul will breathe new life into the “special” structure.
Papers submitted to the council state: “40 Pennan is rare.
“It is the last surviving fishing cottage – in its near-original form – in this orientation on the principal street.
“It can be considered to be an unsightly object within Pennan’s Conservation Area but it is actually a true reflection of the past.”
Revamp will respect building’s past
The design experts say other cottages nearby have lost their “original architectural form” when upgraded – changing the “character” of the community.
And they plan the transformation of 40 Pennan to be “respectful of its original form” while “securing it for future generations”.
With that in mind, the roof of the derelict building will be raised to “meet modern living standards” but no demolition will take place.
Pennan a ‘magic’ place
To preserve the traditional appearance of the village, the council is imposing a number of conditions on the makeover.
Even to the shade of green paint used on the door and window shutters is to be approved in writing.
In a 2008 interview, director Bill Forsyth talked about filming Local Hero in Pennan.
He said the location was “magic” for his heartwarming comedy-drama.
You can see the application for yourself here.
