When news broke the Bull pub in Gartmore was to hit the market in 2019 – locals feared their only watering hole would be turned into flats.
Despite its popularity, the business, which had already switched hands three times in recent years, was proving unviable due to the upkeep of the 1740s building.
But its closure would leave the rural Stirlingshire community without a social hub.
Gartmore residents buy village pub after raising £70,000
So – after raising £70,000 between 250 village residents and securing a six-figure grant from the Scottish Land Fund – they bought the pub.
The Black Bull – now run by five volunteer directors and 20 staff members – has since been lovingly refurbished by the community.
Founding board member Eilidh Gilmour, 75, has been there every step of the way.
“Initially it was just set up as a bar,” she recalls.
“But then Covid hit”.
The Black Bull pub – which appeared on the Celebrity chef Tom Kerridge’s TV programme Saving Britain’s Pubs in 2019 – was forced to close its doors.
This offered the community a chance to decorate the building, which boasts six bedrooms, a restaurant, a pub and two meeting rooms.
“While it was shut, we managed to get a whole lot of renovations in the pub done,” Eilidh says.
“We’re very lucky because we’ve got a property committee, which is made up of local volunteers.
“This included a hotel interior designer, a builder and a joiner – so they actually did a lot of the work for free.
“And then local residents came in and a lot of them did painting.
“They managed to do it by taking a room each, because we weren’t allowed to work in close proximity at the time”.
How does community pub run on a not-for-profit basis?
The six boutique bedrooms were turned into ensuites and updated with wood panelling, new light fixtures and fresh paint.
The bar area was also modernised and an accessible toilet was installed.
As a community-owned venue, any profits made by the Black Bull go towards the upkeep of the building.
Any excess is put into the community to support the likes of school projects.
Despite its three income streams from the bar, restaurant and letting rooms, Eilidh says it was hard to make ends meet for the first few years.
The refurbishment wouldn’t have been possible if it wasn’t for those who gave their time for free.
But things are looking up. The Black Bull turned over £500,000 in 2024 and made a profit.
And today, considered a hub first and a pub second, it is a pillar of the Gartmore community.
It is a place where the choir group practice, book clubs meet and remote workers fire off emails.
The pub also runs a Community Café twice a week to help combat loneliness and provides food at low-profit to village events such as Bonfire Night and Gala Day.
It even hosts a series of events, from live music and pub quizzes to heritage evenings.
Oh, and it remains a much-loved watering hole among locals and the many tourists who flock to the village, which sits in the heart of the Loch Lomond Trossachs National Park, in summer.
Black Bull pub helped Eilidh ‘fill void’ after daughter’s death
The transformation of the Black Bull pub has also been a lifeline for Eilidh on a personal level.
The retired legal secretary was asked to come on board when she was struggling following the death of her daughter.
“It kind of suited me at the time, because my daughter had died, and I was looking after her two boys, and then they went to university, and I was left with a big empty gap.
“So when they asked me to join I said yes, because it just filled a big void.
“It was one of these things. She had multiple sclerosis and she was just one of the unlucky ones.”
Laura died aged 45 in 2014.
While the story of the Black Bull Pub and Hub is undoubtedly one of success – its dedicated board of directors have no plans to get complacent.
They know there is no room for that.
In 2022, Gartmore’s community-run shop was forced to close after 24 years due to pressures from online shopping and running costs.
This is why the volunteers behind the Black Bull Pub and Hub are always thinking of more ways to serve the community.
What’s next for the Black Bull Pub and Hub?
Plans are currently underway to upgrade its restaurant and expand its food offering with themed dinner events – including pizza and pasta nights.
Eilidh says: “With the shop gone, if the pub goes, there’s nothing in the village.
“There’ll be nowhere really for folks to go to.
“That was why we wanted to make it a hub, as well as a pub.”
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