Community wins £500,000 in funding for remotest mainland pub

A community hoping to take over Britain's remotest mainland pub has won more than £500,000 in funding.

The Old Forge in Inverie is on the Knoydart Peninsula in Lochaber.

The only way of reaching the village - and its pub - is by walking 18 miles (29km) or making a seven-mile (11km) sea crossing.

The Old Forge went up for sale earlier this year for offers over £425,000, and the community has now won £508,000 from the Scottish Land Fund.

Knoydart's coast and mountains have been described as mainland Britain's last wilderness.

The pub's Belgian owner Jean-Pierre Robinet revealed in January he was selling up after running the business for 10 years.

The small community of just over 100 people held a consultation on a community buyout.

Seventy took part, with almost all backing the idea, and The Old Forge Community Society was set up.

Although the group has secured the funding it does not mean it will be the winning bidder.

The award is part of more than £1.1m of funding for eight groups, aimed at putting local assets in the hands of local communities.

The list was announced by the Scottish government's land reform minister, Mairi McAllan, during Community Land Week.

She said: "All across Scotland, communities are taking ownership of the land and buildings that matter to them with the support of the Scottish Land Fund.

"I know how hard people will have worked to develop their projects and to achieve this success, and I look forward to seeing the benefits for their communities."

Other projects awarded funding were in Port Bannatyne, Canna, Easter Breich, the Western Isles, Shetland, Stirling and Renfrewshire.