Friary hostel at heart of Inverkeithing regeneration bid

Council hopes new £3m bid will find favour

A 700-year-old monastery could be converted into a tourist hostel in a drive to regenerate Inverkeithing town centre.

The Friary is at the heart of a revised bid for £3 million of lottery and government cash to improve the town’s heritage.

Fife Council hopes the new bid will find favour so it can begin a £4.3m programme to improve the conservation area.

If successful, it also intends to refurbish the Town House for community use, improve other key spaces and offer repair grants to building owners.

Councillor Alice McGarry, convenor of the council’s south and west Fife area committee, said: “I’m particularly pleased about the proposal for the Friary. It would be unfortunate if after 700 years the Friary was allowed to crumble on our watch.”

Those behind the bid have responded to feedback from the funding bodies, which included a desire for viable end uses of the buildings involved to be confirmed.

An appraisal of the Friary is to look at creating high-quality hostel accommodation on the upper floors while retaining community access to the ground floor.

It could become a stopping point for walkers on the Fife Pilgrims Way being developed from Culross and South Queensferry to St Andrews.

Chris Wragg, the council’s economic adviser for economy, tourism and town centres, said: “The Inverkeithing project will work with a range of partners to improve the rich but neglected heritage in the town centre conservation area, one of Scotland’s first royal burghs, on the Fife Pilgrims Way, in sight of the Unesco Forth Bridge World Heritage Site.

“It will enhance the town centre offering, making it better equipped to attract and retain visitors and support those that live and work there.”

Decisions on funding are expected next May for Townscape Heritage and next August for CARS.

It is anticipated the earliest the programme would begin is April 2019.

It will enhance the town centre offering, making it better equipped to attract and retain visitors and support those that live and work there. CHRIS WRAGG

Plans are to turn the upper floors of the 700-year-old Friary into a hostel.