Peter Pan mansion cafe forced to close after just over a year

A cafe and restaurant in part of the mansion which helped to inspire the Peter Pan story has shut after a little over a year.

Pan's Cafe opened at Moat Brae in Dumfries last summer about 12 months after the site had closed as a centre for children's literature.

However, owner Curtis Silver said increasing financial pressures, rising taxation and operating costs had led to the decision to shut being taken with a "heavy heart".

He added that "ongoing difficulties behind the scenes involving circumstances beyond our control" meant it was "impossible to continue in a sustainable way".

The property on the banks of the River Nith was where JM Barrie played as a child and he credited its gardens with helping to inspire his most famous work.

It was taken over by a trust and opened as a literature centre after a multi-million pound overhaul in 2019 but that project failed after five years and the property closed.

There were fears it could remain vacant - as it had for years previously - but the cafe reopened last summer alongside office spaces in the rest of the building.

However, despite a recent addition of its BRAE restaurant offering, the catering operation has not proved sustainable.

Silver said a combination of factors had made it "increasingly difficult to operate" and ultimately led to the closure.

"We're incredibly proud of what we've created, and even more grateful to everyone who has been part of it," he said.

"From our wonderful team who have worked so hard behind the scenes, to our loyal customers, familiar faces and everyone who supported us along the way thank you.

"We set out to create somewhere people could come together, enjoy good food and feel genuinely welcome.

"We hope that, in some small way, we achieved that."

He said the closure had come "sooner than we'd hoped" but they would "look back on the good moments with gratitude".