21 North Main Street
The initiative own and manage the former Bank of Scotland building in Wigtown.
After public meetings, and work with a range of groups and organisations in the area, run by W&BCI with expertise from Community Enterprise, the building was successfully converted into:
Affordable flats – upstairs into a family size affordable flat; and the back part of the ground floor into a fully accessible one bedroom affordable flat. These tenancies are for people with local connection;
Bunkhouse – convert the main “retail” area of the bank that opens off the square into a bunkhouse for visitors with an internet hub. Similar to the bunkhouse idea at the Barholm Arms in Creetown, affordable holiday accommodation for pilgrimage, walkers, cyclists and so on is lacking in Wigtown. And at busy times, there is just not enough holiday accommodation in the area. Offering maybe 6 bunkhouse beds means that more people can stay in the town, and shop and eat and drink at local businesses as they appreciate our wonderful town and the surrounding Machars countryside.
Please help us Let Wigtown Flourish. Can Wigtown bank on your support?
Updates and Information:
Register interest in Community Owned Accommodation : 13th October 2020
Register of Interest Wigtown Community Owned Housing Wigtown & Bladnoch Community Initiative (WBCI) has bought the former Bank of Scotland building at 21 North Main Street, and are now developing…
Final Grant Funding in place : 26th August 2020
Wigtown and Bladnoch Community Initiative are pleased to announce funding has been approved from the RURAL HOUSING FUND (RHF) for £146,119.50 to support the redevelopment of the former Bank building…
Planning Application submitted : 17th May 2019
We successfully completed the purchase of 21 North Main Street, Wigtown at the end of January and went straight to work with the architects to finalise the plans ready for…
GoFundMe to raise 5% of purchase price : 13th November 2018
We hoped that the Bank of Scotland might assist the community purchase by agreeing a discount on the purchase price but they have declined. The Initiative therefore needs to raise…
Town Centre Living Fund Application Success : 7th September 2018
The intention of this fund is to increase the supply of affordable housing in the regions town centres and settlements by bringing empty properties back into use. The former Bank…
Public Ballot Results : 12th August 2018
The Votes have been counted and the result was as follows: In Favour : 226 Against: 51 We now await the decision of the Scottish Government to see whether the…
Stage one funding from the Scottish Land Fund : 21st May 2018
The Scottish Government's Scottish Land Fund has awarded Wigtown & Bladnoch Community Initiative stage one funding from the Scottish Land Fund. The money is for developing detailed proposals for the…
Register of Community Interest Confirmed for Old Bank of Scotland : 11th January 2018
Just before Christmas we received official notification from the Scottish Ministers that they had decided that the community's interest in the former Bank of Scotland branch in Wigtown should be…
Signatures of support required : 11th September 2017
If you live in Wigtown & Bladnoch and support us, please sign the petition at the following venues: The Post Office, Scads, Machars Action, Beltie Books. The petition DOES NOT…
Bank of Scotland feedback from the public meeting : 11th September 2017
Following the successful public meeting where future uses for the bank building were discussed, we are now developing a strategy to take forward the ideas and deliver the best resource…