An Angus landmark hostelry is to reopen, following months of speculation about its future.
The Colliston Inn, by Arbroath, mysteriously shut its doors without explanation in the summer. But a sign saying the venue is under refurbishment and is to reopen under new ownership has now appeared in the car park.
Incoming owner Cara Patullo, a partner in a local farming business, said it was the first time she had taken on such a venture.
”It will be a family-run business, initially run as a coffee shop serving food and light lunches,” she said. ”The function suite will be used for funerals but we are hoping to expand on that in the future.
”There are refurbishments going on in the interior on the building just now, but there will be no structural changes.”
The keys were handed over to the new owners on September 16, with the venue having been subject to a staggered shutdown since the end of July.
Councillor David Fairweather said the opening of such a well-known site could only be good news for the town.
He said: ”It is always very sad when any business goes under or closes and it affects not only the owners but the wider economy and employment levels.
”It is great to see the place has now been bought over and I wish the new owners all the very best for the future.”
The Colliston Inn website describes the business on the A923 as being surrounded by beautiful scenery, golf courses, walks, fishing and beaches.
A former manse, the building is more than a century old and boasts a bistro, restaurant and function suite.
The inn had built up a good reputation for using Scottish produce including fish, vegetables, game and malt whisky.
Pat Millar of Arbroath Community Council said businesses like the Colliston Inn were the ”lifeblood” of the town.
She added: ”I am delighted to hear the Colliston Inn will once again be opening its doors because I know that for many it is regarded as the hub of the village.
”We really don’t want to lose these places because they are so important to our communities so it is heartening to hear some positive news when too often all we seem to get is the doom and gloom.”
The future of Arbroath’s wider pub and hotel trade is looking brighter, with several prospects in the pipeline for the town.
Last month it was revealed the Central Bar in Brothock Bridge had been leased to a ”prospective purchaser” and that the Newgate Inn in West Newgate is likely to be sold in the near future.
Both pubs belonged to the Aberdeen firm Arbrothock Bar Company, but were passed to the control of a liquidator after the firm ran into tax difficulty.
Rumours have been circulating that the once popular Crown Inn on West Abbeygate could reopen, while the site of the former Seaforth Hotel in the west of the town has been put up for sale.
Those developments follow the reopening of the Cliffburn Hotel, which began trading under new management near the start of the year.