A Perthshire prisoner of war camp has welcomed a stream of new customers thanks to the opening of a new cafe.
Ken McCutcheon and his partner Karen Sinclair have opened Camp 21 Cafe at Cultybraggan Camp in Comrie.
The cafe joins the museum and B&B facilities that operate in the grounds.
Ken said: “I used to have the lease on Frandy Fishery, down in Glen Devon.
“When it came up for renewal I lost that to Gleneagles Hotel – obviously, I couldn’t compete with them.
“Karen is a chef and worked at Kippen House nursing home.”
Ken added: “I didn’t want to retire and we were going to get a food trailer. One of Karen’s friends had told her about the cafe at Cultybraggan.
“We had a look at it and thought, ‘we can probably make a go of this’.
“It needed a bit of money spent on it and that may have put other people off. It didn’t have a kitchen in it so we needed to put a fully working one in.”
Camp 21 Cafe opens at Cultybraggan Camp in Comrie
The couple have welcomed a steady stream of customers since they opened the cafe doors.
Ken said: “The weekend we opened, they were having their VE celebrations at the camp so it really was a baptism of fire.
“As well as that, last weekend they had a vintage bike event on, so again it was all systems go.
“It’s been a busy stretch but the cafe is looking good.”
Karen’s menu options include gourmet burgers, toasties, cold-filled rolls and breakfasts, as well as vegan and vegetarian options.
Customers have been enjoying what is on offer.
Ken said: “It has been very good so far.
“The camp were after a cafe, it was one thing they thought was missing.
“It now has one and it’s proven to be quite popular, not just by visitors but local people as well.
“The camp are good at letting us know when they have events on so we can cater for that a bit better.
“The first weekend we were thrown into the deep end and we didn’t know what to expect. We got through it but just.”
The village took ownership of the camp in 2007 and it is currently run by the Comrie Development Trust.
Last year, the trust backed the managers of the B&B facilities at Cultybraggan after they came last on Channel 4 show Four in a Bed.
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