A PLAN to display two of Scotland's most famous trains at a farm-based museum in Fife has been knocked back by council officials.

The Cameron Railway Trust, set up by John Cameron, of Balbuthie Farm, near Kilconquhar, who owns the trains Union of South Africa and The Great Marquess, had submitted plans to open a visitor centre at Balbuthie in order to exhibit the two trains and also give members of the public to opportunity to visit the farm.

However, the plans were rejected by Fife Council, which said that the development would result in the loss of prime agricultural land and that it was unacceptable in the countryside.

A former chairman of Scotrail and member of the British Railways Board – and veteran farm sector political leader – Mr Cameron had hoped that providing farm visits would be a way of letting the public learn about how food is produced, and the decision to reject the plan therefore appeared contrary to the Land Planning Policy statement recently announced by Scotland’s First Minister which highlighted the “need to create more opportunities for primary school children to visit farms”.

A spokesperson for the Cameron Trustees expressed 'great regret' at Fife Council's decision: "It was the intention of John and Margaret Cameron to build the visitor centre and to provide agricultural students and school children as well as the general public with free access to a high quality educational agricultural and farm tour experience facility which promotes farming in Scotland.

"It was also the intention of Mr Cameron to house his two famous mainline steam railway engines, 'The Union of South Africa' and 'The Great Marquess' within the visitor centre and again visitors would have free entry to view and enjoy these special locomotives which have hauled Royal Trains and spent their entire working lives from depots in Scotland, one of them being kept at Thornton in Fife.

"It is deeply regretted that Fife Council have sought to reject an application which has been painstakingly put together and submitted in the belief that a full and compliant proposal had been lodged. It is extremely disconcerting that a project which requires no public funding and which would stimulate economic activity and six permanent jobs, as well as providing a free educational and research facility and tourist facilities has been rejected."