Fife equestrian centre unveils plans for two new lodges

Change of use proposals tabled with Fife Council could see the two lodges sited at Drumcarrow Craig near St Andrews, which is currently home to Drumcarrow Equestrian LLP, which specialises in horse sales and livery, and Premier AI Services, a equestrian veterinary service.

The group of buildings currently on site includes the steadings, which are used for equestrian activities and machinery storage, Drumcarrow Equestrian owners Hamish and Alayne Lohoar’s house, and a separate lodge which is occupied as a house by their son Stephen and his partner Selina Ayling who run Premier AI Services.

An additional lodge currently occupied by the Lohoar’s other son Angus is the subject of a tandem application for retrospective planning permission.

However, the family now wants a further two lodges on site: one which will be used by seasonal professional veterinary nurses while the other will be for equine clients, guests and holiday makers.

Supporting documents along with the application say the first lodge is “absolutely essential” so key staff are available day and night to carry out procedures on the 150-strong number of horses on the site at any one time.

The second lodge is deemed as a “logical diversification” for the business, which will help to off-set the costs of building the vets’ lodge.

“This site is the most appropriate for lodges of this type within the existing operational area at Drumcarrow beside the group of buildings and it is a logical location for employee accommodation and for business related and tourists,” the supporting statement added.

As well as being home to a small sheep enterprise, Drumcarrow Equestrian’s business includes basic livery and grazing services, horse riding lessons, training show jumping horses, buying and selling horses.

There are also 20 training students on the European Tour based at Drumcarrow.

Premier AI Services is the only vet-led AI centre in Scotland and specialises in breeding high-end horses using cutting edge technologies such as flushing, artificial insemination, embryo transfer and semen collection.

Donor horses can be worth upwards of £100,000 and clients send their horses to Drumcarrow from across the world.

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