The new owners of The Scores Hotel in St Andrews have submitted a planning application to Fife Council to carry out a major refurbishment and extension of the iconic venue.
The historic property occupies a unique position, a few yards from the first tee at the Old Course, overlooking the Royal & Ancient Golf Club’s clubhouse and North Sea coastline.
The application has been submitted by TODD Architects on behalf of the new owners, a joint venture between Links Collection Capital and Northern Ireland-based property investment company Wirefox, which purchased the property earlier this year.
As reported on Scottish Construction Now, the proposal will see the hotel’s existing rooms reconfigured and a five-storey extension added at the rear to create a luxury five-star hotel with 51 rooms. The design includes a new entrance area, while the new extension will include a restaurant and garden-dining area.
Andrew Murray, director at TODD Architects, said: “The Scores Hotel has been in existence since the mid-1930s and we fully understand the responsibility of restoring such an important and well-loved building for the local community and the tourism trade in the area.
“Whilst a truly special hotel, it has been subject to a series of unsympathetic and piecemeal changes and additions, leading to many of the lovely Victorian spaces being carved up into awkward shapes with difficult access and many level changes. The hierarchy of spaces, dramatic settings and potentially amazing views have been lost. Our aim is to bring it back to its full potential, respecting the existing fabric whilst making sure our contemporary additions sit gracefully within the hotel grounds and the wider conservation area.”
Speaking about the proposals, Joanne McBurney, director at Wirefox, said: “We are delighted to have finally submitted plans for the transformation of the much-loved Scores Hotel along with our development partners Links Collection Capital and our project team. We will continue to work proactively with local stakeholders and community groups as well as our neighbours as the application progresses through the planning process. Our aim is to create a world-class facility to complement the existing offer in St Andrews and the site’s location overlooking golf’s most famous course.”
