Heart of the community beats again!

The Scottish Rural Network (SRN) fund the Scottish Rural and Island Community Pub Network, which is delivered by Plunkett UK on our behalf.

The network supports rural and island community groups seeking to develop or take ownership of a pub within their community.

This case study video highlights how the people of Port Bannatyne on the Isle of Bute developed and opened a community-owned pub. They share details and insights of their journey to owning and running their establishment, The Anchor Tavern. Accessing the Scottish Government’s Scottish Land Fund and with support from Plunkett UK and Development Trusts Association Scotland, the community took ownership of the pub and transformed it into a thriving community hub.

The Anchor Tavern group on Isle of Bute has now taken on the adjacent building as a pop-up hub, wine bar and restaurant, engaging different local catering businesses each time (therefore supporting the wider local economy on the island). The group plans to open a community bakery in the next vacant building along, creating a venue for two local bakers to operate from, and a kids’ recreation facility inside an old church, which is a testament to the confidence and agency this community now feels in making an enormous change to their own facilities and services in Port Bannatyne.

The Anchor Inn community pub project was supported through a partnership between Plunkett UK and Development Trusts Association Scotland.

“It has brought the village alive”: The community-owned Anchor Tavern on the Isle of Bute

Plunkett UK is a national charity with a vision for resilient, thriving and inclusive rural communities. To achieve this, they support people in rural areas to set up and run a wide range of businesses which are genuinely owned by local communities, whereby members have equal and democratic control.

Thanks to Plunkett UK and Democratic Finance Scotland for co-producing such a fantastic film.