CHRISTMAS has come early in Culross as the Red Lion Inn will be saved thanks to a £500,000 cash windfall from the Scottish Land Fund. 

The iconic West Fife pub gained fame from across the world at the start of the year, when Sam Heughan, star of the TV series Outlander – which had episodes filmed in Culross – backed a campaign to help the community buy the boozer. 

After months of efforts, West Fife Community Trading Ltd has received £504,500 to take over ownership of the B-listed inn and the group will be making the current owners an offer in the coming weeks. 

David Alexander and Ann Dowds have been trying to retire as owners of the Red Lion but were adamant that it didn’t get into the hands of developers. 

The pub is known for being a social meeting place for residents and an important attraction for the many visitors to the historic village. 

Tim Collins, secretary, West Fife Community Trading Ltd, said: “We are absolutely delighted and we’ve received messages of celebration from people across the world at the news, from America and Canada to Australia. 

“The list of people that we need to thank that helped us get there is never-ending – there’s to many to name!

“But we want to thank the staff at the Red Lion who have been amazing keeping the pub going in the middle of all this uncertainty. 

“And also the Dunfermline Press for getting the word out there. 

“This is good for Fife and the area.”

News is still to come on another funding package for an extra £250,000 as part of the UK Government’s Community Ownership Fund but a community bid can still go ahead in the meantime. 

To save the pub, a community share offer was launched in the spring where the public could buy their very own slice of the Red Lion. 

The initiative brought in £75,000 by July, giving West Fife Community Trading Limited a platform to look for outside funding. 

“We are in a position to make an offer now but if we get funding from the UK Government then we will have very little debt,” Tim explained. 

“We are unlikely to find out until April/May time about the outcome though and we’re hoping we’ll have completed the sale by then. 

“With this new COVID variant, it is making businesses very nervous and that makes funding organisations nervous too. 

“It’s a very difficult time so it makes it even more of a relief to get this £504,500. 

“David and Ann really didn’t want to sell the pub to a developer but they need to retire. They have been really patient and I’m sure it comes as a relief to them as well.”

A tenant will run the pub and restaurant at the Red Lion with the profits going straight back into the pocket of the community under the bid – making it the first community-owned and operated pub/restaurant in Fife. 

It all started back in February when Outlander fans from across the globe helped Culross raise thousands of pounds to save the iconic pub thanks to the power of the Press!

After we first broke the story, just short of £10,000 was raised in less than two weeks. 
Sam Heughan, who plays Jamie Fraser in Outlander, took to Twitter to share his memories and revealed that the historic pub was where he and co-star Caitriona Balfe first shared a drink during filming.

Tim added: “Outlander have been brilliant and we thank them for their support. The group have not really been able to get together to do any of this so it’s great to know everyone’s efforts have paid off.”

Dunfermline and West Fife MP Douglas Chapman said: “This is an exciting day for all those who have worked hard to win funding to keep the pub open as a community asset.

"Many locals have also put their hand in their pocket to support the plan but £500,000 from the Scottish Land Fund is something special and could make all the difference in helping deliver local aspirations to keep the Red Lion open for business.”