Poets Neuk to Transform Greyfriars Plot

A neglected plot on Greyfriars will be transformed into a public garden celebrating Mary, Queen of Scots, following a lengthy campaign to return the historically significant site to community ownership.

The land was gifted to the town by Mary, Queen of Scots, in 1567, the year of her abdication. Once home to a chapel belonging to the medieval Franciscan Greyfriars Friary, the site is one part of the former church lands granted to the St Andrews community by the monarch.

Community group Poets’ Neuk plans to transform the overgrown plot into a peaceful garden featuring roses cultivated during Mary’s lifetime, poetry displays, and information panels exploring her connections to the town. A statue of the queen was also proposed for a later stage.

Group secretary David Middleton said to BBC News that the plan was to create a quiet place where the public could “sit and enjoy a rose garden” while reading poetry and learning about the town’s heritage.

According to Fife Today, Poets’ Neuk was formed in 2017 after the introduction of the Community Right to Buy legislation by the Scottish Government’s Land Reform Act of 2016. 

BBC News specified that this legislation allows land to be sold to a community group by “compulsory purchase” if it intends to further “sustainable development” and is in the “public interest.” 

As Fife Today reported, Poets’ Neuk spent six years putting together the evidence and community support before the Scottish Government approved the land acquisition in 2024. 

The plot of land was previously under the ownership of Forthtay Limited Employee Trust, a trust and company from the Isle of Man. 

Middleton said: “We’ve tried our best to get on good terms with the landlord and convince them it was a good idea to pass it on to the community for a reasonable price, and that just failed over time,” in a statement to BBC News. 

After the Scottish Government granted consent for the exercise of the Community Right to Buy legislation, Forthtay Ltd appealed the action in court. 

In April 2025, the Dundee Sheriff's Court rejected the appeal of Forthtay Ltd, allowing the acquisition process to proceed.

Following the completion of the purchase, Poets’ Neuk said it was “delighted and somewhat relieved” that the forced sale had finally gone through, as stated in BBC News.

According to Community Land Scotland, a national organisation and representative council for community landowners in Scotland, the legal authorisation of the land to Poets’ Neuk “demonstrates that private property rights are contingent on the public interest and can justifiably be interfered with when existing landownership is not meeting public interest considerations.”

Overall, Community Land Scotland described the case as “profoundly significant” and the “first legal decision under the most legally challenging of the Community Rights to Buy which forces the sale of land under certain circumstances.”

Regarding their successful acquisition of land, Fife Today reported, chair of Poets’ Neuk Graham Wynd commented: “This is tremendous news for the St Andrews community and the dedicated group of local residents who have supported this project through many years, dating back to 2017.”

“We now have the major task of bringing the Poetry Garden project to a successful conclusion, and we do not underestimate the challenges involved and the wide community effort that will be needed. I have no doubt that this will be forthcoming.”

Campaigners say the land has suffered from littering and antisocial behaviour. Claims of rough sleeping, as stated in Scottish House News, remain unverified, with no established link between homelessness and the reported problems. 

The Scottish Land Fund supported the acquisition, alongside privately raised money for the garden’s development. 

For supporters, the project represents more than restoring neglected land. It marks the return of a historically significant site to community ownership, safeguarding a connection to Scotland’s past while creating a public space for future generations.

Image Courtesy of the Saint