IT is known as the place where Peter Pan began, but almost slipped into a Neverland of no return.
But now this Saturday will see the rebirth of Moat Brae House, where author J.M. Barrie spent his formative years, following a ten-year battle to save it from demolition.
The Georgian villa has been restored after an £8 million fundraising campaign which has helped transform the derelict building into Scotland's new National Centre for Children’s Literature and Storytelling.
It is now hoped that the Centre, in Dumfries, will attract tens of thousands of visitors each year and generate £1.3 million to the area’s economy.
Moat Brae as it is today
Barrie lived at the house between the ages of 13 and 17, and said that he spent the happiest years of his life there.
He credited the hours he spent playing in its gardens for firing his imagination, eventually leading to the creation of Peter Pan and all his adventures.
The author wrote: "When shades of night began to fall, certain young mathematicians shed their triangles, crept up walls and down trees, and became pirates in a sort of Odyssey that was long afterwards to become the play of Peter Pan.
"For our escapades in a certain Dumfries Garden, which is enchanted land to me, were certainly the genesis of that nefarious work, Peter Pan."
READ MORE: The original Tinkerbell flies back to JM Barrie's enchanted garden
Peter Pan began as a play before being turned into a novel and has gone onto become a favourite which children and adults like, as well as spawning several cartoons and films.
Moat Brae will display the original bell rung onstage when the fairy character Tinker Bell appeared, as well as 6ft tall dolls' house inspired by the play.
Visitors will also be able to access themed interactive exhibits, reading and play areas, temporary exhibitions, a shop and café overlooking the river Nith, while costumed guides will lead guests round discovery trails mapped out in the grounds.
A year-round programme of inspirational activities is also planned, and the grounds have been transformed into the Neverland Discovery Garden for children, complete with a pirate ship, Wendy house and a Mermaid’s Lagoon.
Dame Barbara Kelly, Chairman of the Peter Pan Moat Brae Trust (PPMBT) said: “We are hugely grateful to all the many individuals and organisations who have come together to make our dream come true by saving Moat Brae and creating somewhere that children can play and let their imaginations roam free, just as J.M. Barrie’s did.”
Used as a nursing home after the Barrie family left, Moat Brae fell into disuse and was a boarded-up shell due to be demolished when the campaign to save it was launched in 2009.
READ MORE: JM Barrie's first play to be part of Dumfries celebration
As well as donations from the public, the project attracted funding from tourist body VisitScotland, Historic Environment Scotland (HES) and Creative Scotland.
The National Lottery Heritage Fund contributed £1.78million to the transformation, and Dumfries and Galloway council sold adjacent land to the Trust for £1 to allow the gardens to be expanded.
The public fundraising campaign to save and restore Moat Brae was spearheaded by PPMBT Patron Joanna Lumley, who said: “The moment you step into Moat Brae you understand why J.M. Barrie called it ‘enchanted land’.
“It is fantastic that children and young people everywhere can now have the chance to enjoy its magic, discover the joys of Peter Pan, and revel in other children’s literature and stories from many different times, places and cultures. It’s a wonderful achievement.”
Tinker Bell rings the Tinker Bell
As well as being a centre for children, the house will also host resident and visiting authors, poets, illustrators and others and serve as a stage for performances during the Dumfries and Galloway Arts Festival the annual Spring Fling open studios weekend.
READ MORE: Scottish tourist site visits rise for fifth year in a row
Paula Ward, VisitScotland Regional Leadership Director, said: “The opening of Moat Brae marks a new chapter for literary tourism in Scotland.
"We hope that people young and old will feel inspired by the boy who never grew up and be transported back to childhood in a place where their imagination can run wild at Peter Pan Moat Brae.”
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