Fife Council has pledged to help with the restoration of an iconic Fife visitor attraction as new photos reveal the extent of its decay.
The Dutch Village at Craigtoun Country Park was closed almost 24 years ago due to dangerous roof tiles.
Its condition has deteriorated significantly since then and it is now on Historic Environment Scotland’s Buildings at Risk Register.
The four buildings on a man-made island sit in the middle of the boating lake at the St Andrews park.
Built in the 1920s, they housed a boathouse, summerhouse, cafe and Italian-style ice cream booth.
And the village was a huge draw for families who travelled for miles to visit.
However, Friends of Craigtoun Park, which runs the attraction, warns it is now in danger of becoming “a sad ruin and an eyesore”.
Survey reveals several areas of decay
Tree roots are growing through the stonework and large cracks have appeared on the render.
Many pantiles are cracked or missing, allowing water to pour in.
And there are substantial areas of missing harl, exposing brick work.
A survey also revealed rusting windows, internal damp, vegetation and birds roosting inside.
The Friends had the buildings surveyed in 2021 to look at future uses.
And funding director Henry Paul said a structural engineer last year recommended immediate repairs following further damage.
However, no money has been secured for either restoration or renovation and the charity says they were unable to get Fife Council to engage with them until recently.
Hopes of Dutch Village restoration on the horizon for Craigtoun Park
While the charity runs Craigtoun Park on a 25-year lease, the Dutch Village remains the responsibility of the council.
And it has commissioned another survey, this time by their own engineers, to be carried out this week.
Friends of Craigtoun say they would ideally like to adopt a model similar to that at Silverburn Park in Leven, where the charity has overall responsibility along with the power to fundraise.
“We have been having regular meetings with Alan Paul (Fife Council’s head of property services) and hopefully he will be able to help us get the refurbishment of the Dutch Village off the ground,” said Henry.
Mr Paul said the council is assessing the condition of the Dutch Village and will work with Friends of Craigtoun to help with its restoration.
Conversation