Part of Peter Pan mansion to reopen as café

A part of the Dumfries mansion which helped to inspire JM Barrie to write Peter Pan hopes to reopen by mid-July - nearly a year after it closed.

The centre for children's literature at Moat Brae shut in August last year after liquidators were appointed at the trust which ran it.

It was sold to a property developer in March this year and a new operator is to take over its café.

Curtis Silver said he hoped to open its doors later this summer, employing a small number of staff initially.

Barrie used to play in the grounds of the property - which was built in 1823 - while he was growing up in Dumfries.

It went through a number of different uses before it opened as a literature centre in 2019 after a multimillion pound fundraising campaign.

It shut due to the Covid pandemic and subsequently struggled in the face of rising costs, falling funding support and lower visitor numbers than anticipated.

That prompted the decision to close its doors in August 2024.

The property was put up for sale after liquidators were appointed at the Peter Pan Moat Brae Trust.

It was sold to a property developer about three months ago and work is ongoing to bring it back into use.

Mr Silver, who is originally from Eastbourne, said he was taking over one part of the property.

"The old building, the Moat Brae building, is going to be offices," he said.

"The extension - where the café is - is what I am taking over.

"I saw this opportunity and I am now moving here to put all of my energy and passion into it."

The new venture will be called Pans Café and will offer "high quality" brunches and takeaways which he hopes will tap into the office market around the building.

He said one room in the property could be set aside to celebrate the origins of the Peter Pan story but that plan was yet to be finalised.