Work to secure the future of Craigtoun Country Park’s Dutch Village will begin towards the end of August.
The £120,000 project is a step towards the long-term goal of returning the popular attraction which has fallen into a state of disrepair through years of neglect to its former glory.
Roofs will be repaired, walls re-rendered and painted and new windows will be installed.
The water level of the pond will be reduced while work is conducted, but assurances have been given this will not affect the summer boating season.
Fife Council green space officer Kevin O’Kane said the upgrade would bring the island village into a stable condition to allow further development if funding can be found.
He said: “This is a much-loved part of the park, but there has been no work done on it for long time.
“Work needs to be done just to stabilise the buildings.
“This means they will be in a condition ready for a further phase of opening them up to the public.”
A conservation architect was appointed to assess the buildings and a heritage team from the council’s property services will carry out the specialist work.
Mr O’Kane said: “This work will mean the Dutch Village has a long-term future.”
The council is working with the Friends of Craigtoun Country Park, launched in 2012 to help save the park, which had suffered from a lack of investment.
It is hoped an application can be made to the Heritage Lottery Fund for the majority of the £1.2 million it is estimated full restoration would cost.
Friends chairman Kyffin Roberts said: “We are pleased to see work starting, although it’s slightly later than we would have liked.
“Although the advantage of starting later is that we will be able to use the leisure boats throughout the summer.”
Since their formation, the Friends have worked hard to revive the park, and were rewarded with visitor numbers reaching 160,000 last year.
They have reintroduced old favourites, including the miniature railway, and have improved the children’s play areas and held a number of special events.
Mr Roberts said they hoped to transform the Dutch Village into a venue for weddings and to open a restaurant.
He said: “The intention is that we will move forward and try to get lottery funding for a full-scale restoration.
“On a regular basis people say to us ‘you are doing a fantastic job, but when are you going to do something about the Dutch Village?’
“Lots of people have fond memories of it from childhood when there was a caf and a playground there.”