A popular garage on Speyside has shut its doors after nearly a century of servicing vehicles in the area.
Cars and carts have been repaired at the Central Garage in Aberlour since 1922.
However, now owner Ian Collie has closed the shutters on the site to prepare for retirement before it is cleared to make way for a new pharmacy.
Yesterday, the businessman, who has lived in the village since his school days, described the sale as an “end of an era” – but stressed he thought the future for Aberlour could not be brighter.
He said: “I’m actually delighted it’s going to be a pharmacy now. It’s going to give it a new lease of life. I don’t think there’s a better spot for a shop in the village.
“A pharmacy is going to be very important and well-used in any community and will perhaps be more popular now than in the past. It’s good to keep business local.”
Central Garage opened nearly 97 years ago under the stewardship of John Forsyth.
During the early years the staff repaired the horse-drawn carts of the era before the business experienced the rise of the modern car.
The Speyside Visitor Centre in the village was packed at the weekend as locals and enthusiasts snapped up tools and equipment dating back the garage’s formation in the 1920s – including a floor safe, coin operated car wash and workshop manuals.
Mr Collie added: “We wanted to have a big sale to clear the decks. There was a right mix of tools, equipment and parts that had been collected over the years.
“The place was packed. We couldn’t believe the interest in it. The time is right to move on though.”
The sale of the building is due to be finalised at the end of October with the demolition of the garage scheduled within the next six months. The new pharmacy is expected to be open before the end of next year.
Brian Doran, chairman of business association About Aberlour, said: “The garage has had a very distinguished past and Ian has contributed a lot to the village over the years.
“It’s sad to see the garage go but excellent to know it will have a bright future and help create jobs in the area.
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“It’s just further evidence of the rejuvenation of Aberlour’s High Street. It’s growing all the time.”
The opening of a new pharmacy on Aberlour’s High Street could prove to be the latest boost for the village – despite a double bank closure.
The Speyside community has been left with no banking facilities since the Clydesdale moved out in May last year – less than six months after the Bank of Scotland branch also shut.
However, since then the village has avoided gloomy business forecasts and has actually seen an upturn in firms setting up on the High Street.
The former Clydesdale Bank is already open as a gift shop and coffee shop while an eatery is also planned for the abandoned Bank of Scotland.
Meanwhile, new business The Speyside Whisky Shop also opened in the heart of Aberlour at the weekend to follow on from other enterprises that have either been launched or expanded in the last year.
Ian Collie, owner of the former Central Garage, said: “It’s been good to see lots of things happening on the High Street. The pharmacy will help to keep that going.”