Proposed disposal of Pitlochry Town Hall – a Common Good property

Overview

Pitlochry Town Hall (shown outlined in red on the plan below) is a Category B-listed two-storey public hall built on a site donated by Mr A. E. Butter of Faskally.

Funds for constructing what was originally known as Pitlochry Public Hall were raised by public subscription and gifts, including 150 guineas from Mr Sandeman of Fonab.

The foundation stone was laid in 1899 and the hall opened in 1900. The hall was originally held by the Trustees for Pitlochry Public Hall, but ownership transferred to the Provost, Magistrates and Councillors of the Burgh of Pitlochry in 1963 after the Trustees found that they could no longer maintain the property.

Pitlochry Town Hall is today owned by Perth and Kinross Council, the burgh council’s statutory successor. As a recognised common good property, the hall is held by the Council on the Pitlochry Common Good Fund.

In recent years the hall has been managed by Live Active Leisure, but in July 2025 the Council entered into a management agreement with Pitlochry Town Hall, a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO), which currently operates the property.

Pitlochry Town Hall SCIO was established to benefit the local community through the provision of recreational facilities and the advancement of education, arts, heritage, culture, science, and wider community development initiatives.  As is its right under Part 5 of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015, Pitlochry Town Hall SCIO has submitted an asset transfer request to the Council to take ownership of the hall in the belief that community ownership will secure and support its long-term use for community benefit.

Pitlochry Town Hall SCIO have requested that ownership of the hall is transferred to them for the price of £1. The discounted price reflects the social and community benefits that are anticipated to arise from the disposal, as well as planned capital investment by the charity to make accessibility and sustainability improvements to the hall. To comply with the 2015 Act, the Council must agree to the asset transfer request unless there are reasonable grounds for refusal.

The transfer is subject to approval from the Council’s Pitlochry Common Good Fund Committee and Property Sub-Committee, and also subject to the consent of either the Sheriff Court or the Court of Session.

Why your views matter

The Council is running a consultation as the 2015 Act places a statutory duty on local authorities to publish relevant details and seek feedback before taking any decision to dispose of a Common Good property.

The Council welcomes the views of present and former residents of Pitlochry on the proposal to transfer ownership of Pitlochry Town Hall to Pitlochry Town Hall SCIO.

Any person may submit a response in support or objection to the proposed disposal by clicking on the link below. 

This consultation will be open to responses from members of the public for eight weeks. A summary of the results of the consultation will be made publicly available on the Perth and Kinross Consultation Hub.

A summary will also be included within a report concerning the proposed disposal of Pitlochry Town Hall that will be submitted to the Pitlochry Common Good Fund Committee.

Please note: There will be future consultation on the wider management of the Pitlochry Common Good following this consultation on the proposed transfer of the Town Hall.