TEN YEARS AGO Friday March 9, 2012

Bunkhouse opens its doors

More than five years of ongoing time and effort to get an old school house in town renovated has paid off, as it has reopened as a bunkhouse.

The old Free Church School at Big Kiln, Campbeltown, has been given new life as Campbeltown Backpackers and the first bookings have been taken.

The Grade B listed building has two bedrooms, sleeping up to 16 people with wi-fi available for all visitors.

The concept is designed to attract budget travellers down the peninsula as well as surfers and Kintyre Way walkers.

It will provide more accommodation for the town’s major events like the 10K and music festival. It has already been reserved for the Kintyre Way relay race in June.

The project has been carried out by the Kintyre Community Trust which is shortly holding an open day.

‘There have been numerous challenges along the way, from brick suppliers who went into liquidation to the question of whether to put a pot on the fourth chimney,’ said a spokesman for the trust.

‘This is a great project that has removed a bit of urban decay and replaced it with a new business opportunity that capitalises on what Campbeltown has to offer.’