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Scotland’s last deep coal mine to be transformed into new Fife holiday park

Plans for up to 100 lodges have been approved.

How the Castlehill Lodge Resort lodges will look. Image: Fife planning portal.
How the Castlehill Lodge Resort lodges will look. Image: Fife planning portal.

Councillors have approved plans for a Fife holiday park with up to 100 lodges on the site of Scotland’s last deep coal mine.

Fife Council’s west and central planning committee heard Castlehill Lodge Resort, near Blairhall, could generate around £9 million for the Fife economy.

And they agreed the development will mean a significant capital investment.

The entrance to the former Castlehill Mine site in west Fife
The entrance to the former Castlehill Mine site. Image: Google.

It will also address a shortage of tourist accommodation in west Fife.

Applicant Ben Jurin wants to open the resort at the site of the former Castlehill Mine, eight miles from Dunfermline.

It closed in 2002 after a catastrophic flood.

It previously supplied coal to Longannet Power Station, which was demolished three years ago.

Mr Jurin plans to create footpaths linking the park with the nearby Millennium Cycle Way, which provides 300 miles of dedicated routes for bikes.

Tourism development welcome in west Fife

Planning officer Scott Simpson described the former industrial land, between Blairhall and the Gartarry roundabout, as a relic.

And he said the council’s tourism team advised the development was welcome in the area.

An aerial view of the former Castlehill Mine, Scotland’s last deep pit. Image: Fife planning portal.
How the new Fife holiday park will look
How the lodges  at the new Fife holiday park will look. Image: Fife planning portal.

There were no objections from members of the public.

Each lodge will include decking and two parking spaces, and there will be a shop on site.

Meanwhile operators will include a daily bus service to Culross and to nearby bus stops.

The approval of Castlehill Lodge Resort comes two months after an ambitious proposal to transform the nearby derelict Comrie Colliery site received the go-ahead.

A hotel, spa, hundreds of holiday chalets and a golf course all form part of the major blueprint for the area.

It also includes 185 houses, a care home and a retirement village.

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