Peter Pan house in Dumfries sold to property investor

A Dumfries mansion which inspired JM Barrie to write Peter Pan has been sold to a local property investor.

Liquidators confirmed that a deal had been done for Moat Brae house in Dumfries, which closed last year.

A closing date for offers passed more than five months ago but an agreement has finally been reached with an undisclosed buyer.

Alistair McAlinden, joint liquidator of the Peter Pan Moat Brae Trust (PPMBT), said: “We are pleased to have completed the transaction and wish the new owner success as they take ownership of this iconic property in Dumfries.”

Moat Brae, which was built in 1823, was designed by architect Walter Newall for a local solicitor and Barrie used to play there while growing up.

It opened as a children’s literature centre after a multimillion pound fundraising campaign in 2019.

However, it was closed due to the Covid pandemic and struggled after reopening due to rising running costs, dwindling funding support and lower than anticipated visitor footfall.

That prompted the decision to close its doors in August last year.

It was subsequently put up for sale after liquidators were appointed at the PPMBT.

Talks have been ongoing since late last year with prospective buyers but a deal has now been reached to take over the building.