Hero's return as Pennan Inn opens

The hotel featured in the classic film Local Hero

The hotel which found worldwide fame after featuring in the film Local Hero has re-opened for business.

The Pennan Inn in Aberdeenshire - and the village's red phone box - became recognised after Bill Forsyth's 1983 film starring Burt Lancaster.

It closed in August 2007, the same week as the village was hit by landslides.

New owner Peter Simpson now has the Pennan Inn back up and running, and the re-opening has been welcomed by locals and tourists.

Mr Simpson, of Turriff, told BBC Scotland: "It's such a famous pub and it seemed like a good business proposition in such a unique location."

He explained: "We are hoping to maintain the Inn's unique character and put the heart back into Pennan."

The 1983 film saw representatives of a US petro-chemical giant, who were seeking to build a refinery in a coastal village, come to find the gentler rhythms of the local life practically irresistible.