Restoration work nears completion at 18th century Fife wedding venue

A Fife wedding venue that was built in the 18th century has had a new lease of life thanks to a six-figure funding package.

Oswald House Hotel in Kirkcaldy was acquired last year by Douglas and Sarah Philip. Picture: Contributed

Oswald House Hotel in Kirkcaldy was acquired last year by Douglas and Sarah Philip.

Built in 1793, the property required a complete overhaul and refurbishment of all 15 rooms, the ballroom and dining room areas after being left untouched for 40 years.

Support has come from a £160,000 funding package from Bank of Scotland. The 17,700 square foot building is used as an exclusive-use wedding venue.

Once the restoration work is complete, the primary focus will be to raise the profile of the venue and increase 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.

Douglas Philip, joint owner, said: “We wanted to open a business that would tap into the growing demand for traditional Scottish wedding venues that allow 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 decor that we know would appeal to guests. We’ve spent the past 18 months completely transforming Oswald House.

“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, added: “Worth almost £1 billion 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.”