St Andrews Care Home Set To Become 18 Million Deluxe Hotel

Last week, Historic Environment Scotland (HES) registered a complaint against The Scotsman Group’s proposal to turn the former Gibson Care Home into an £18 million deluxe hotel.  

The Gibson Care Home, located on Argyle Street, was initially built in 1882 and founded by William Gibson of Duloch as an “eventide home” — as the building’s outdoor plaque reads. 

The site has served as an assisted living facility in St Andrews since 1906.

The Glasgow-based Scotsman Group’s plans for the building take the form of a two-part development, phase one of which saw the residents of the former care home being moved to a new location on Wyntoun Road in July. The new care home claims to offer “enhanced levels of comfort, accessibility, and wellbeing for its residents,” according to The Scotsman Group’s website. 

The new building has 40 en-suite bedrooms, compared with 33 rooms at the original location. The Scotsman Group claims that each room is designed to “provide privacy, dignity, and ease of access.”

Following the relocation of residents to the Wyntoun Road location, The Scotsman Group now looks to move into phase two of the renovation, stating that this next phase includes “a meticulous refurbishment of the iconic B-listed Gibson House listed building, the replacement of an existing extension and the addition of modern facilities and landscaped grounds to create a deluxe hotel and secure this building’s future.”

A spokesperson for The Scotsman Group told The Courier that this phase will involve “substantial private investment over the coming years and is aimed at breathing new life into the historic property,” adding that, “upon completion, the site will be transformed into a deluxe destination hotel, complete with landscaped gardens and premium hospitality amenities.”

The company applied for planning permission for 85 bedrooms, along with two bars and restaurants. However, this development would require the removal of several internal walls and the original main staircase.

Despite these significant changes to the original building, The Scotsman Group claims that their project is “not just about preserving a building; it’s about reinvigorating a piece of St Andrews’ heritage for generations to come.”

“Our vision is to honour the legacy of Gibson House while unlocking its potential as a world-class hospitality venue,” the spokesperson continued.

HES has since lodged a complaint against The Scotsman Group’s plans for the building, warning that “it may not be possible to achieve the number of rooms suggested on this site,” and further stating that “the proposals are unsympathetic to the listed building.”

“The near-wholesale removal of internal walls and an intact interior scheme would significantly impact upon the special interest of Gibson House, and the proposed down-takings result in a significant loss of historic fabric, including the decorative main stair,” the organisation wrote in their objection statement.

HES therefore recommends that, if The Scotsman Group is unwilling to consider creating a hotel with fewer rooms, a residential development may be “more appropriate” for the site.

Despite their concern for the integrity of the original building, HES had no objection to the proposed demolition of the building’s 1980s extensions, but specified that "the proposed replacement extension to the rear is not subservient to the listed building and should be reduced in scale.”

HES were not the first to voice a complaint against The Scotsman Group’s proposed developments. After stating that the development company was “keen to liaise with the community,” amid its upcoming project, The Scotsman Group faced backlash from both the town’s residents and the St Andrews Community Council.

The complaints stemmed from the fact that, despite the proposed 85 bedrooms, the hotel will only have six parking spaces.

The Scotsman Group have defended this decision, saying that the hotel’s central location means that guests will have no need to bring a car, adding that it could become “the most sustainably-located luxury hotel in town.”

The St Andrews Community Council has lodged its own formal complaint against the planning application. The objection reads, “This business should not seek to evade the rules […] but should bite the bullet and provide an underground car park.”

The local council has stated that if The Scotsman Group does not comply, “it should be made to do with [fewer] bedrooms.” 

It is unclear how The Scotsman Group plans to proceed at this time, though they have expressed a desire to carry out a site visit and continue conversation with Fife Council in order to “attempt to achieve an acceptable scheme that could be recommended for approval.”

Photo by Manraj Gill