A Perthshire village pub that closed less than a year ago could soon be lost forever.
The MacDonald Arms in Balbeggie shut its doors in March 2023 having been a pub and hotel since at least the mid 1800s.
When it went to auction five months later, for £150,000, the pub interior remained and it was ready for reopening.
But the building’s current owner Euan Smith says a pub use is no longer viable.
MacDonald Arms in Balbeggie could be converted into a residential property
He has submitted a planning application to convert it into a dwellinghouse.
His supporting statement said: “The applicant has invested in improvements to the building over the past 16 years and has made ongoing attempts to sell it as a viable business.
“There is, however, currently no market now or in the foreseeable future for a business of this type and scale in this location.
“Despite various attempts, the business has failed to attract a purchaser as a commercial property.
“A new residential use for the building could therefore now secure the building’s future by providing a beneficial and viable new use.”
Property was up for auction last year
The MacDonald Arms is currently split into two separate flats – downstairs has a three-bedroom en-suite flat. This has the potential to accommodate five bedrooms.
Upstairs is home to another three-bedroom apartment.
When the property was up for auction, it was reported that it had two tenants who generated £1,800 per month.
The application includes removing a flat roof extension to the southeast extension and creating a private garden on the site of the existing car parking area.
Perth and Kinross Council will decide on the planning application.
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