La Scala latest: Historic Grangemouth landmark sale price rises to £250,000

The historic Station Road building was supposedly sold at auction on March 30 for £55,000 and Bo’ness and Grangemouth Arts Trust – established to try and preserve the La Scala – tried to track down the new owners to ask them what their intentions are for the premises.

However, the premises was then put up for auction again on April 6, but that auction came and went with no apparent interest so the property is now scheduled to go up for auction once again on Future Property Auctions site on and the deadline for offers, according to the Future Property Sales site is April 13 at 3pm, while the minimum asking price is £250,000 and there is a buy now price of £175,000.

The site states the building is a “super investment” and is located in a “prime destination shopping and business hub in the heart of Grangemouth”.

A Bo’ness and Grangemouth Arts Trust spokesperson said: “It's taken a little while to confirm what happened with La Scala at the auction on April 6, but La Scala will be included in the auction on April 20 with an opening bid of £250,000.

"We really don't know what happened with the auction on April 06 and have contacted the auction house for information. We would argue it's more valuable to the community and the heritage of the town than anything else.

"What price do you put on heritage? How does a building increase in price by nearly 300 per cent in a couple of days?”

First opened as the Electric Empire Theatre back in 1913, the premises became the La Scala Cinema in 1916, which then closed in 1971 and became an independently operated bingo hall, known as the Carlton Bingo Club, until that too closed in 2006.

Historic Scotland designated the La Scala a Grade C listed building in May 2007.