Campaigners are one step away from buying out Britain’s most remote pub in the Highlands following a “phenomenal” crowdfunding drive.
The Old Forge Community Benefit Society (CBS) has finally put the last piece of the puzzle in their ambitious plan to purchase their only pub and secure its future for locals.
The group was launched when the Old Forge, at Inverie on the Knoydart peninsula, was put on the market for offers over £425,000 by its Belgian owner in January.
Fears that the venue could be bought and turned into housing – stripping the village of jobs and business hotspots – sparked an urgent call to save it for residents as a community asset.
Campaigners ‘blown away’ by the support to save the Old Forge
After smashing their fundraising target of £40,000 within hours, the Old Forge CBS now has everything in place for the acquisition and redevelopment of the pub from start to finish.
Group secretary Stephanie Harris said this was the last essential bit they needed to bring their plans to fruition.
She said: “The building does need quite a lot of work before it can be opened and the crowdfunding campaign was the last piece of the puzzle in our fundraising plan.
“We knew there was going to be a lot of support but that blew us away to be honest.
“It means that we can use everything we’ve raised on top of our original target to do more refurbishment works and make it more comfortable and enjoyable for all locals and visitors.”
The crowdfunding campaign closed on Saturday, December 18, with 555 people pledging their support to the cause.
A total of £66,446 were raised – on top of funds, which have already been secured – to push the project over the line and even add “more creative and interesting features”.
It came as a further cash boost to the £500,000-grant from the Scottish Land Fund and another £219,000 from the UK Government’s Community Ownership Fund.
The majority of the additional money will be used for the redevelopment of the pub after the purchase is completed – including some essential repairs to the toilets and back of the building.
To extend their gratitude, the group also intends to engrave the name of everybody who has pledged money on a new timber bar-top to be made as part of the upgrades.
Ms Harris added they wanted to make sure people “get the chance to put their stamp on it” as nothing would have been possible without the support from both within and out with the local community.
What is the next step forward?
The Old Forge CBS is currently in negotiations with the seller and hopes the deal can be sealed by the end of the month, and the pub can open as soon as next year.
Built as a blacksmith’s forge in 1880, the Old Forge has been the holy grail of the UK outdoors leisure community for decades, with 65 spaces for diners and a cottage attached.
And although it’s declared “the most remote pub on mainland Britain” by the Guinness Book of World Records, it has always enjoyed huge popularity among tourists eager to make the trip.
Under community ownership, the Old Forge would be open year-round and employing 15-20 local people in the tourist season. It will also support other businesses by using local produce.
Ms Harris added: “Now that we are in negotiations with the seller, we are hoping that we’ll be able to push it over the line and get this done as soon as possible. We would love to have the news by the end of the year that we’ve got it and we can start to plan to open it for next season.”
