Celebrate the Reopening of Historic Pub as Community-Owned Inn
CAMPAIGNERS are celebrating after being awarded a grant to fund a community buy-out of their local pub. The 150-year-old landmark Oakbank Hotel, located at a gateway to the southern Highlands on the banks of Holy Loch, has been closed for almost two years. The £147,411 awarded to the Oakbank Community Inn Sandbank (OCIS) group in Argyll by the Scottish Land Fund (SLF) will finance the purchase of the pub with an additional fundraising campaign through a share scheme to cover the costs of renovation work.
Sue McKillop of OCIS commented on the monumental achievement: “This has been a challenging 18-month long odyssey. We are all delighted by the outcome and very grateful to SLF for the award and to current owner Greg Devine for his support and patience throughout. The SLF award will fund 95% of the asking price as well as provide money for a part-time development worker for a year and essential repair and conveyancing fees. In this current financial climate we are very fortunate to have been successful in being awarded this amount.”
Launching a Share Scheme
McKillop revealed that the community will soon be launching a share scheme to cover the 5% shortfall in the asking price. “It will allow us to carry out the essential work needed before we open in 2025 as Oakbank Community Inn Sandbank. With the land opposite the pub recently purchased by Scenic Sandbank to create a community garden, we will have the ability to reduce ‘food miles’ into food metres through the supply of locally grown produce.”
Inspiring Community Action
McKillop expressed hope that their success story will inspire other communities to come together and save their local assets. She emphasized, “We have lost so many fantastic venues in this area in recent years. Hopefully our success will encourage and inspire other communities to pull together and save their local hostelries and other assets. The Oakbank Inn is more than a pub, it’s a community hub.”
Supporting Resilient Communities
The SLF, a funding programme delivered by the National Lottery Community Fund, aims to support urban and rural communities in becoming more resilient and sustainable through the ownership and management of land and land assets. This grant to the OCIS group marks a significant step towards revitalizing a cherished community establishment and fostering a sense of ownership among local residents.