On 28 March 2009, reports indicated the Society was no longer viable, and would be put up for public sale, to be managed by the Bank of England.

It expanded throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, and acquired over 20 other organisations including: the Stenhousemuir, Peebles, Fourth Fifeshire Investment Company, the Stirlingshire, and the Edinburgh and Paisley Building Society.

On 28 March 2009, reports indicated the building society was no longer viable, toxic assets would be stripped out and the remaining business put up for public sale, to be managed by the Tripartite Authorities (Bank of England, FSA and HM Treasury).

BBC Scotland business editor Douglas Fraser broke the story, where a £26m loss was announced in late March 2009.

It was announced on 30 March that the Nationwide Building Society had bought the retail and wholesale deposits, branches, head office and most of the residential mortgage book of the Dunfermline, with the Bank of England assuming control of £1bn in commercial lending.