An historic Fife venue which secured £160,000 of funding, is in the final phase of renovation as the owners seek to tap into a wedding industry which experts claim is worth almost £1 billion annually.
Oswald House Hotel in Kirkcaldy was acquired in 2018 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.
The 17,700 square foot B-listed building is used as an exclusive-use wedding venue that sleeps up to 36 people.
The business employs a core staff of 20, including two chefs, but has ambitious plans to increase the team by ten over the next six months.
Once the restoration work is complete, the business’ primary focus is to increase the profile of the venue and the number of bookings.
The owners also have a five-year plan to acquire additional venues in the are area including a barn to attract guests looking for bespoke weddings.
Douglas Philip, joint owner of Oswald House Hotel, 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.
“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.”
Funding for the work was secured from the Bank of Scotland, and forms part of its £1.6 b lending commitment to Scottish businesses.