A crowdfunding campaign will be launched next month to support a planned community buyout of Britain’s most remote mainland pub.
It is hoped the campaign will raise around £250,000 towards the purchase of The Old Forge on the Knoydart peninsula. Another £50,000 could be generated from a community share issue scheme.
The renowned pub is in the village of Inverie which is accessible only by boat from Mallaig, an 18-mile hike from Glenfinnan or a helicopter.
It was put on the market at offers over £425,000 in February by Baird Lumsden, the rural property arm of chartered surveyor DM Hall, and has since attracted international interest.
Instil core community values and goals
The crowdfunder launches on May 7 and a Community Benefit Society is working on an environmentally-conscious community buyout which it said will allow local people “to instil core community values and goals within the business model”.
The group said the Old Forge plays a vital role in the continued sustainability of the 110-strong community. A local buyout offers a chance to secure its future and bring added benefit, with profits reinvested into the community and improve the ‘circular economy’.
It added: “With The Old Forge having recently gone on the market this is an exciting opportunity to pave a new way forward for our world-renowned pub. A community ownership model will offer countless social, environmental and economic benefits for Knoydart and its visitors and we are looking forward to sharing with you all the plans we have in store.”
Isla Miller, a member of the society, said: “We realise it’s a huge reach but we are quietly confident that we can do it. We’ve been overwhelmed by the interest which has been really positive.”
She hopes the campaign will attract additional funding from the Scottish Land Fund and private donors. Already 40-50 inquiries have been made, including one from the US and some from Europe.
Providing jobs and supporting local businesses
Ms Miller, who runs a tea room in Inverie, said the aim under community ownership would be for the pub to be open year-round, employing 15-20 local people in the tourist season, as well as supporting other businesses by using local produce.
The pub is a focal point in the 17,500-acre Knoydart Estate which was bought by the community in 1999.
Built in 1880, it is a traditional white-washed, single-story, cottage-style property with a slate roof and features in the Guinness Book of World Records as “the most remote pub on mainland Britain”.
It currently operates as a restaurant and bar, with capacity for 65 diners and also has an attached cottage, comprising a living room/bedroom and en-suite bathroom.
Ms Miller said there is concern it could be sold and converted into houses.
Jennifer Campbell, from Baird Lumsden, said there has been interest from home and abroad to own and run the pub, but also to use the property for housing.
‘It’s a dream to take it on’
“There has been a lot of interest. We have had inquiries from people who have run pubs and are looking for a new venture or a complete lifestyle change.
“We’ve had a few Scots from overseas looking to return and a couple of international buyers who know it, having probably been there on a walk and have fond memories of it.
“It’s very well known and everyone we’ve spoken to connects it to good memories and that’s why it’s a dream to take it on themselves.
“The seller has no issue selling to the community if the price is right. It will be interesting to see how it goes, but I’m pretty confident it will carry on as a pub for the rest of time. It’s a landmark and it should stay as that.”