By Larry Gardner

Historical Scottish Landmark Pub To Be Replaced By Modern Homes

ONE OF Scotland’s oldest licensed pubs has gone out of business and is to be renovated into modern homes. The Crook Inn on the A701 road between Broughton and Moffat in the community of Tweedsmuir, Peeblesshire, was first licensed for business in 1604. Such notables as Robbie Burns took hospitality there and legend has it, that a barmaid fervently refused his amorous advances. Rob Roy and Redgauntlet author Sir Walter Scott enjoyed refreshment there too. It was also a gathering place for the Convenanters in the 17th century who urged Scots to become Presbyterians. Its fifteen miles either way to the next pub down the road but the owner says he has been losing money for a long time and the conversion to four flats and a house is an appropriate financial decision.

Local residents don’t see it that way at all and a Tweedsmuir Community Association was formed to stop the construction, with the idea that they would takeover the pub and run it as a community project. Last month, the Scottish Borders Planning Department and the Council agreed that the construction company Inverwest Ltd could go ahead with the conversion, much to the utter disgust of the Community Association.

The lawyer for the owner concurred that if the community had taken a few beers in the Crook Inn when it was open, the whole situation may never have arisen. www.savethecrook.org.uk.

Dapper Senior Citizen Dealt Heroin From His Garden Shed