The Pennan Inn and the red phone box found fame in 1983

The deal for the Pennan Inn in Aberdeenshire, which has been on the market for almost a year, is subject to final legal approval.

The buyers have not been named but are understood to be a husband and wife team from the local area who are keen to restore the inn to its former glory.

Pennan, and its red phone box, found fame thanks to Bill Forsyth's 1983 film starring Burt Lancaster.

Best location

The Pennan Inn is expected to re-open in late April or early May.

In 2005, Local Hero came out top in a film critics' poll for the best use of locations in Britain.

The poll was carried out for the Film Distributors' Association.

The 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.