£160,000 backing to transform historic Kirkcaldy house

Oswald House Hotel in Kirkcaldy was bought in 2018 by Douglas and Sarah Philip and they have secured a £160,000 funding package from Bank of Scotland

It will be used to install a new heating system, repair the roof and roughcast the exterior walls of the property, which was built in in 1793.

The hotel, formerly known as Dunnikier House Hotel, needed a complete overhaul and refurbishment of all 15 rooms, the ballroom and dining room areas after being left untouched for 40 years.

The bank funding means the alterations should be completed by autumn.

The 17,700 sq ft B-listed building is used as an exclusive-use wedding venue that sleeps up to 36 people.

The business employs 20 core staff, including two chefs, and has plans to grow this by 10 over the next six months.

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Once the restoration work is complete, the hotel’s primary focus is to increase the profile of the venue and the number of bookings.

The owners also have a five-year plan to work with the bank to acquire additional venues in the area including a barn to attract guests looking for bespoke weddings and a hotel.

Mr Philip said: “We wanted to open a business that would tap into the growing demand for traditional Scottish wedding venues that allows guests to stay in one location for a few nights.

“When my wife and I bought the hotel, we wanted to fully renovate the property to maintain the original décor that we know would appeal to guests.

“We’ve spent the past 18 months completely transforming Oswald House.

“Bank of Scotland has been by our side from the start and we’ve been able to make the changes needed to transform the building into a luxury venue for our guests.

“Our plan is to keep attracting wedding parties as well as golf tourists visiting many of the local courses.

“We also hope to add to our portfolio over the coming years and open other similar venues across Fife.”

Louise Molloy, relationship director at Bank of Scotland, said: “Worth almost £1billion annually, the Scottish wedding industry is booming. We’ve been working with the owners of Oswald House to ensure the business can grow and ultimately succeed in what is a competitive industry.

“As part of our commitment to helping Scotland prosper, we will continue to provide the support necessary to help businesses thrive and take hold of the opportunities being presented across all industries in Scotland.”