The man behind the renovation of an infamous Dundee pub that was the scene of a paramilitary robbery has promised to restore its “former glory”.
More than 80 tonnes of rubbish has been cleared from the inside of the former Mains of Claverhouse Pub.
Owner Tom Dyer said the roof of an extension was so precarious it had almost blown away, but workers on the site were able to remove it before it got any more dangerous.
He said: “The engineers have checked it over and it seems to be in reasonable condition.
“The roof on the extension was not safe with fire damage to the wall ties so we were lucky to have caught it just before it blew off. We managed to catch it in time.
“Since we have been clearing it 80 tonnes of rubbish has come out of the place and what we are trying to do now is just get it wind and water-tight. We’re bringing it back to its former glory.”
Planning permission to turn the C-listed main building into two large flats was granted along with two new buildings next door.
As a pub, the building was the focus of national attention after an armed robbery by a paramilitary group in 2003.
Since shutting its doors, the building had been the target of multiple acts of vandalism and fire-raising.
In 2011, a suspicious fire “completely gutted” the building.
The Courier was given exclusive access to the old pub which is still being cleared. The building is extensive inside but has suffered holes in parts of the roof to the rear.
The flats will be a welcome change to the vandal tagged pub which sat in a scenic area close to the Trottick pond nature reserve.
The project is expected to take between six and eight months to complete, and one resident told The Courier: “It’s great to see work finally being done.”