Cheers! £57k raised in a day for remotest pub
A BID to bring Britain’s most remote mainland pub into community ownership has been given a boost after it smashed its £40,000 fundraising target in a single day.
More than £57,000 has been raised for the Old Forge at Inverie, Knoydart, following an online campaign.
The Inverness-shire pub is only accessible by boat, helicopter or a gruelling 18-mile hike, with no roads leading to it.
In recent times, the ‘community hub’ has been forced to close for six months of the year during winter, to the dismay of locals.
So when the inn was put up for sale in January this year, they clubbed together and managed to secure grants from the Scottish Land Fund and Community Ownership Fund to try to ensure it was saved from developers.
Last Thursday, a fundraiser was launched to cover vital repairs – and it hit its target in only 24 hours.
Now residents are seeking a further £20,000 to help renovate the cellar and create a custom bar made of bricks bearing the names of donors.
Isla Miller, from the Old Forge Community Benefit Society, said: ‘We are absolutely blown away. We had anticipated that we might get there due to the support we have had so far but we never thought that it would happen in a day.
‘The strength of support from everyone – and to have that validation – is just great to see.
‘Behind the scenes, an offer has been made so we are just waiting for that to go through.’
The community, which already owns and manages 17,500 acres following a buyout in 1999, jumped at the chance to save the Old Forge from becoming a holiday home. They hope bringing it into their ownership will keep it open year round as well as providing vital employment in the area.
Mrs Miller added: ‘It’s more than just a pub.
‘I grew up in Knoydart and it was where you celebrated your birthday, where firefighters set up a base during nearby hill fires. It’s where kids go guising at Halloween, it’s the heart of the community’.