Fife hotel owners celebrate 50 years in village

His father, also Jim, had worked as a plant manager at the Reekie Plant in Cupar for two decades and had toyed with the idea of purchasing and running his own pub.

After searching for a pub, he decided upon the Ye Olde Hotel, in the heart of Leuchars.

He was advised that he give it six months.

Five decades later, and while the village has developed and grown, and major changes have taken place at Leuchars Station, Jim continues to run the pub.

Last weekend, Jim and wife Wilma invited friends to mark the anniversary with them, hosting a barbecue and celebrating with a cake.

“I remember coming up that first night after coming home from Bell Baxter,” explained Jim. “We came from Kingskettle. I was 16.

“Never in our wildest dreams did we contemplate being here this long.”

While half a century has passed since the Hendersons took on the Ye Olde Hotel, customers from 1969 would notice little difference between now and then – but that is not to say there are not plans for the future.

While the building has undergone little change since ‘69, there are now plans to install a kitchen, create a games room and dining space.

It is a reflection of the changes pubs across the UK have had to make in the last couple of decades, especially following the introduction of the smoking ban in 2006, and the habits of the customers.

“The dynamics have changed,” said Jim. “Friday, Saturday, Sunday, when we first came here, we would be mobbed. But that is when we closed at 10pm. Now there’s not a lot of people coming out till then.”

However, despite these changes, the Ye Olde Hotel is still going strong.

“We’ve had to keep adapting with all the changes,” said Jim. “But there’s always going to be a space for a good local.”

Wilma added: “We have a good, local clientele, which is what kept us going over the RAF closure.

“It’s quieter than it used to be. We’re a good wee village pub. It the local hub. We have a lot of people who, maybe they’ve lost their wives - this is their place to come.

“Over the years, I’ve said he should write a book about all the different things that have happened in here. 50 years is a long time.

“We just want to thank our customers from over the years.”