PLANS to re-open Abbot House came a step closer this week when the West Fife area Common Good Fund agreed to a £30,000 grant.

Members of the City of Dunfermline area committee approved allocation of the funding which, it is hoped, will help renovate the historic tourist attraction.

As reported previously in the Press, there are plans to put life back into the 'pink hoose' and have it open up as a restaurant and delicatessen as well as offering space for artists and other groups.

Proposals have also been outlined for the creation of self-catering rooms for visitors following the “pilgrims route”.

Behind the plans are two members of the Fire Station Creative team, Sarah Young and John Gibson, who have been working closely with the Carnegie Dunfermline Trust in the hope of returning Abbot House to the community.

The building would be run as a registered charity in the same model as Fire Station Creative.

Sarah was unable to give an idea of when the attraction was likely to open, explaining: “It all depends on funding coming through so we can’t commit to anything just yet.

“We have a lot of money to raise and money from the Common Good Fund is part of it.

“The renovation package is going to be from a whole lot of places and we are in the process of just pulling all the funds together.”