Brydekirk cheers as community reclaims beloved Brig Inn
Local residents secure Brig Inn through community fundraising efforts
A significant achievement has been marked by villagers near Annan as the Brig Inn in Brydekirk is officially under local ownership.
The pub's future has been secured after the community, with the assistance of a benefit society, raised the necessary funds to purchase it.
Financial aid from the Scottish Land Fund, South of Scotland Enterprise, and the Minsca Fund played a vital role in this accomplishment.
Treasurer Duncan MacMillan expressed his emotions upon receiving the keys:
“A lot of relief, but mainly excitement as it’s been some journey and it’s not been easy. We’ve had a massive amount of support from the community and funders, but there were times on that journey when there were doubts as to whether we’d get over the line.”
MacMillan explained that the road to ownership has been lengthy:
“We’ve been two years in the making to get to this point, but the desire was there long before that. Once the pub closed, it was an immediate miss, but circumstances with the ownership meant that we couldn’t really get involved and engage until the last couple of years.”
Plans are already underway to renovate and relaunch the building as a hub for the area.
Future Plans and Challenges
MacMillan says the work is far from over:
“We’ve got a project coordinator in place, and there are some structural repairs to do on the outside of the building, which we’ll start in the next 60 days. We’ve got architects engaged to come and have a look at our feasibility study to work out what we can do next with the property.
“Timelines are difficult because we’d love to see it open in 2027, or even before that, but there’s a lot of work to do. Challenges will inevitably be financial; we almost have to start again. We’ve got to wade through these pockets of funding and engage with the community again.”
To bolster community participation, a community share offer is anticipated later this year, inviting more individuals to contribute to the pub's revitalisation.
The project encourages local involvement through volunteering, fundraising, and engagement with the upcoming share offer.
Driven by local enthusiasm, the Brig Inn, historically central to village life, is poised to once again serve the community.
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