Bidders hold talks over fate of Peter Pan house

A number of offers have been received for the Dumfries mansion

A number of bidders are in talks over the fate of a house which helped to inspire the Peter Pan story.

A closing date for bids on the Moat Brae site in Dumfries passed more than a month ago.

Liquidators confirmed that a number of offers had been received for the former centre for children's literature which was forced to close in August.

However, they said the timeline for any sale remained uncertain.

The mansion where author JM Barrie played as a child was shut this summer - about five years after its opening following a multi-million pound overhaul.

Liquidators have been appointed at the Peter Pan Moat Brae Trust (PPMBT) which ran the facility and the building was put up for sale.

A number of creditors have already submitted bids to "claw back" the financial support they gave the development.

A closing date for offers for Moat Brae passed on 3 October and it has now been confirmed that there has been interest in taking it over.

"Offers were received for the property at the closing date," said a statement from liquidators.

"Discussions are ongoing with the parties who submitted offers.

"Timescales for a sale remain uncertain and we will confirm once a preferred bidder has been formally selected."

Author JM Barrie played in the gardens of the house as a child

A number of groups have previously ruled themselves out of submitting a bid for the property.

They include the Crichton Trust, community group The People's Project and Prof David Thomson and Teresa Church who own and run a number of other historic properties in the area.

South of Scotland Enterprise has said it is continuing to work with "key partners" to look at how the building could continue to be used by the community.