North Queensferry villagers sue ministers over bid to buy local pub

Villagers in North Queensferry, Fife, have launched legal action against the Scottish Government after officials refused to order the sale of their local pub under the country’s land reform laws. The North Queensferry Community Trust (NQCT) says the decision blocks a £2 million plan to buy and restore the Albert Hotel, a 200-year-old listed building near the Forth Bridge, and will seek a court ruling to overturn it. The case was brought at Dunfermline Sheriff Court after the trust asked ministers to use reform powers introduced to empower communities to buy local assets deemed socially valuable.

The bid to acquire the Albert Hotel has been backed by Sarah Brown, the wife of former prime minister Gordon Brown, who has described the property as a much-loved community asset and a potential social hub for the village. The plan would have seen the Albert, which closed in 2017, reopen as a hotel and pub, with the trust financing the purchase through a combination of local fundraising, grants and a National Lottery contribution. The village, home to about 1,100 residents, has already faced a failed planning bid to convert the site into flats after objections from locals.

Since 2020, Scotland’s land reform framework has allowed a community to pursue a compulsory sale if it can demonstrate a sustainable development plan and the business case to run the asset effectively. In March, however, government officials rejected the NQCT bid, arguing that while the plan would deliver social and economic benefits, those benefits were unlikely to be achieved. Officials said the proposal would not provide the necessary certainty that a social hub and economic activity could be sustained, even with outside funding. The decision prompted the legal challenge now before the court.

The Albert—named in honour of Queen Victoria’s husband when the royal couple visited the village en route to Balmoral in 1842—has long been a landmark on the edge of the Firth of Forth. Its exterior was even featured in a 2022 film about the search for the lost king, a nod to the building’s historic role in the community. The site is owned by Festival Inns Limited SSAS, a pension fund run by Edinburgh businessman Kenneth Waugh. The trust’s plan anticipated a seven-figure restoration to reopen a hospitality offering that would anchor local commerce and tourism, complementing existing amenities in the village and providing a social gathering point for residents.

The North Queensferry bid has drawn support from various quarters, including Mrs. Brown, who has argued that the Albert’s absence has left a social void in the village. She has urged authorities to consider a fair purchase price and a viable business plan that would enable the building to function as a pub and hotel once again, rather than be repurposed for flats or other uses. The trust contends that its proposal was developed with input from experienced organizations, designed to be financially sustainable and to preserve a community asset that has long served as a focal point for locals.

The scale of the plan remains substantial: the trust has raised funds locally and sought external support, while acknowledging that additional seven-figure investments would be necessary to restore and operate the property as a viable hospitality venue. Officials have noted that, even with public and philanthropic funding, the project would require a sustainable business model and clear evidence of ongoing demand within a small village market. The NQCT has said it plans to press its case in court, arguing that the land reform provisions were designed to help communities rescue assets deemed important to local welfare and identity when owners are not prepared to sell on reasonable terms.

A representative for Festival Inns Limited SSAS did not comment on the legal action when approached, while the NQCT said it would engage with authorities and stakeholders during the legal process. The case at Dunfermline Sheriff Court is expected to proceed through subsequent hearings later this year as both sides present their arguments about the application of the land reform framework to the Albert’s sale.

The dispute underscores a broader debate about how land reform policies are applied in rural Scotland, balancing the rights of private owners with the aspiration of communities to maintain local services and social infrastructure. As the court process unfolds, residents of North Queensferry and supporters in the village will be watching closely to see whether the legal route can yield a pathway to reviving a long-standing community asset or whether authorities will stand by their initial assessment that the proposed redevelopment would not deliver the necessary benefits.