Couple behind popular Largo cafe and arts venue buy second village church

A Fife couple who transformed a former church into a thriving arts venue are hoping to repeat their success.

Andy and Carol Duff have bought a second church building in Lower Largo and are planning a major upgrade.

And they are now calling on the community to come forward with ideas for how it should be used.

The purchase of Largo St David’s Church on Main Street, comes five years after the couple bought the nearby Baptist Church.

They have since turned that into The Aurrie, a cafe which hosts regular music and comedy nights and showcases local artwork.

Andy and Carol have given their latest project the working title The Aurrie Mor, or Big Aurrie.

And they say they are very much open to suggestion before they decide on the end result.

Largo St David’s Church will not become a house

Andy says: “We’re just investigating possibilities at the moment but we know it’s not going to be a residence.

“We would like to see it run as a sustainable business along the lines of The Aurrie.

“It might be compatible and related or something completely different.”

The couple are confident another business will be welcomed and successful.

“It’s already raised a lot of interest. People are supportive of using buildings like that,” Andy says.

“There’s a really good feeling in the area just now,” says Andy.

“The Levenmouth railway has been great and that knocks on around the bay.

“And maybe it’s a post-covid thing too.

“People are valuing these small communities more, and more people working from home means there’s more people in Lower Largo.”

Bid to make building watertight

Largo St David’s Church held its last service in 2017.

It hosted a few pop-up events organised by Largo Arts before covid but has been empty since 2019.

Previous purchasers secured planning permission to turn it into a house but that has since lapsed.

Andy says it’s now in need of essential repairs ahead of any significant work.

“Our priorities are to make the building watertight, undertake some essential upgrades, then investigate potential uses and respond to business proposals from any interested parties,” he says.

“We look forward to communicating our plans as they unfold.”