Luxurious private members club in Fife unveils plans for new holiday lets

Pittormie House in Dairsie, near Cupar, wants to add seven holiday letting units to its estate, a staff lodge and new access under plans submitted this week to Fife Council.

The venue is billed as a “magnificent baronial castle set amongst some of Scotland’s finest grounds featuring private walled gardens, manicured lawns and towering trees” - and is situated just minutes from The Old Course at St Andrews.

Its owners developed The Eden Club into an international private members golf club at the Home of Golf in 1997, and, in 2005, bought Pittormie estate.

Its new plans are based around previous submissions to approve, alter and extend the main house and to provide additional staff and visitor accommodation, which were originally given the go-ahead by Fife Council in 2009.

Now,some 16 years later, the Eden Club said it was “now ready to invest further in the estate and is seeking to complete the additional accommodation.”

In the intervening years it has re-purposed some rooms, and added a garden/dining room, converted the steadings and added ten further cottages. The conversion of the main house to a private members club was also swiftly undertaken after it was bought.

In a supporting statement, the business said: “In the intervening years it has become apparent that the occupation demographic of visitors demands a slightly different layout of property than was originally consented.

There is no intention to increase the number of accommodation or staff units as previously consented, simply a desire to adjust the layouts to make better use of the agreed developments, as well as to implement further landscaping items that would help to ensure the safety of all users on the site.

“The current owners have demonstrated over the last 20 years that they have developed a successful and sympathetic operation on the estate that employs well over 50 members of staff, buys produce and services locally throughout the year, and is a significant net contributor to the local economy. They continue to invest in and maintain the property and surrounding landscape to the highest standards and are keen to develop the estate further with attendant benefits that this will provide.”

It added that the proposals would “ensure the longevity of the estate for future generations.”

Pittormie Estate was originally built in the 18th century, and subject to significant alterations and re-modelling around 100 years later under the supervision of local architect John Milne when the house was extended and altered with baronial features such as turrets, towers and crenelated and crow-stepped gables and parapets.

At around the same time, and as the needs of agriculture demanded more covered storage and associated farm buildings, the steadings to the south were constructed. The main house and steadings, along with some of the garden features are B-listed buildings.

In 2005 the estate was purchased by The Eden Club and the buildings were repurposed as a private members club, which it continues as to this day, providing significant employment and generating much welcome income for the local economy,.

Councillors will consider the plans in due course.