'We saved a 200-year-old pub in a forgotten part of Scotland'

The celebratory pints have been flowing freely in a Scottish town after a historic pub was saved for the community.

The former Plough Inn in Wigtown was at risk of being turned into flats until local residents stepped in and took it over.

Now it has reopened, providing a major boost for an area which can sometimes feel like "a forgotten place in Scotland".

Craig Hamnett, who chairs the Wigtown Community Inn community benefit society, said it was a relief not to lose the centuries-old hostelry.

The pub in Wigtown had been in continuous use for more than 200 years.

Its first licence was granted in 1795.

Unfortunately the business closed shortly after the Covid pandemic.

Craig said the prospects had not looked good for it remaining in use as a local bar and gathering place.

"It closed in 2022 and was in good condition, but market conditions meant that there wasn't much interest in privately purchasing or leasing the pub," he said.

"Plans were being drawn up to convert it into flats and that would've meant being lost as a community asset."

Originally from Stockport, Craig moved to the town from Edinburgh about seven years ago and got involved in community efforts to save the pub.

"In that time I have seen the ebbs and flows of business but in recent times there has been more closures than openings," he said.

"I wanted to try to commit time to a project that would help turn that tide and be of a net benefit to the community."

He said that was not just to see the pub - now The Wigtown Ploughman - succeed but to help "all the local businesses that work so hard to keep the lights on" to benefit from an increased footfall to the town.

"The Machars often feels like a forgotten place in Scotland," he said.

It has been a long battle but thanks to support from South of Scotland Enterprise the group was able to purchase the building for £330,000 and got the keys on Valentines Day this year.

Thanks to an army of volunteers - and more than £30,000 from a community share offer - it recently reopened its doors to great acclaim.

"The feedback has been great so far, but we know that we're just at the start of a very long road," he said.

"Work is under way to get the accommodation ready for the busy season and then we also have the task of renovating the kitchen to ensure we can provide an excellent food offering."

He said their first couple of weeks had been an "incredible success".

"Listening to locals saying that this is the first time they've been out to a pub for socialising in four years is exactly why we have committed so much time into the project - to bring people together again and rekindle connections," he said.

"Our hopes for the future is to be open seven days a week, 364 days of the year and to entice people from all over the country to come and visit Wigtown, Scotland's national book town.

"It's pretty easy to find us from down south, head north, turn left at Gretna, turn left at Newton Stewart, and the whole of the Machars peninsula awaits you."

The facility, the community project says, is "more than just a pub".

The same building will be used as a community hub which they hope to open later this month.

They also intend to announce their first employees soon and bring the accommodation in the building back into use.

"This community-led project is just getting started, and we plan to be here in the heart of Wigtown for generations to come," said Craig.