Planners give go-ahead for former Assynt book and coffee shop to be turned into storage shed

Planners have given the go-ahead for a former bookshop and coffee shop in Assynt to be turned into a storage shed.

Permission for the change of use of the former Achins Bookshop and Cafe at 17 Inverkirkaig was given under delegated powers earlier this month.

The business was run by Alex and Agnes Dickson for more than 30 years before the couple sold it in 2020 to Steph and Keith Taylor who moved to Assynt from Edinburgh in 2019.

Located down a single-track lane, it was thought to be the most remote bookshop in mainland Britain.

The Taylors had hoped to refurbish the premises and reopen in spring 2022.

But a post on the business’s social media page that year said that “things had not progressed as planned, and there would be a delay in opening”.

A further update recently said: “We have had to put in a change of use with planning as we are not trading and therefore liable for rates. Looks unlikely the shop will open again.”

However Assynt now has a new bookshop with the opening of Lochinver Bookshop in the premises of the former Inverbank Books and Newsagents.

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