Kirkcaldy hotel to be given a new future

The Abbey Hotel in Milton Road will re-open later this month under the new name of The Raven, after being taken over by a Glasgow-based hotel group.

And the man behind the project, Scott Brunel, says he wants to restore the premises to its former glory and put it back on the map as a quality hotel.

Mr Brunel told the Press: “We had passed it a few times and I thought it was a beautiful building, so we decided to have a look inside.

“It was a real mess, but we could see the potential in it and we took it over about seven weeks ago now.”

Scott and his team have spent around £150,000 doing up the inside of the 10-bedroomed hotel, which is now fully en-suite with new bathrooms and complete new decor throughout.

The bar has been given a make-over and there will be a new restaurant serving fresh local produce as well as a refurbished function suite and the outside has still to be repainted.

“We are currently recruiting new staff which we aim to do locally, and will be taking on between 15 and 20 full and part time staff,” said Scott.

“Likewise all the work is being done by local contractors to help boost the local economy.

“What we want to do is bring this hotel back into the community as a place people want to come to, serving quality fresh food and offering quality accommodation.

“It has not been run properly for years which is a real shame, and we want to turn it round,” he said, adding that he hoped to open around mid August.

“It is to be called The Raven because that’s the name of our hotel group and it is also a very interesting bird! I am working alongside several other partners, but they don’t get involved in the day to day running of the business, they are in property development.

“We have done lots of different places, not just in Scotland, but also abroad, and I run other hotels through in Glasgow.

“I have also worked in Edinburgh and Aberdeen, and am looking forward to working in Kirkcaldy.”

The Abbey has been part of the town’s nightlife for decades.

Formerly known as the Abbotshall Hotel, it was once THE place for functions and a hugely popular meeting place for a night out – many local sports teams made it their port of call after matches.

It has changed hands frequently over the years. Most recently it was run by Shaun Dennis, former Raith Rovers and Hibs star, before the doors closed.