Atholl Palace Hotel
| Atholl Palace Hotel | |
|---|---|
 Atholl Palace Hotel | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Town or city | Pitlochry |
| Country | Scotland |
| Coordinates | 56°42′5.5″N 3°43′11.6″W / 56.701528°N 3.719889°W |
| Construction started | 1875 |
| Completed | 1886 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Andrew Heiton |
Listed Building – Category B | |
| Designated | 5 October 1971 |
| Reference no. | LB39856 |
Atholl Palace Hotel is a Category B listed[1] building in Pitlochry, Scotland.
History and architecture
[edit]In 1873, the 30 acre site was leased by the Balnakeilly Estate to the Athole Hydropathic Company. The company launched a share prospectus in September 1873 with the aim of raising £40,000 (equivalent to £4,480,000 in 2023)[2] in 4,000 shares.[3] The building was designed by Andrew Heiton (Junior).[4]
Construction started in February 1876. The contractor for the masonry was Henry Robertson and Company. By 1883 the proprietor, Mr. Dick, was bankrupt, having spent £60,000 (equivalent to £7,630,000 in 2023).[2] The site was sold to William McDonald lessee of the Royal Refreshment Rooms at Perth General Railway Station for £25,000[5] and it opened on 25 June 1886.
The hotel was sold in 1911 and again in 1913 to the Atholl Palace Hotel (Pitlochry) Company when it took on its current name. During the First World War it became the home of Queen Margaret Girls’ School, Scarborough (now moved to York) when their school was damaged during the bombardment of 1914[6] and during the Second World War hosted The Leys School from Cambridge.
During the 1930s the hotel built a suite of accommodation near the garages for chauffeurs. This was designed by the architect John Steel.
In 1971 the hotel was purchased by the Clydesdale Commonwealth Hotels[7] along with the lease for the adjoining golf course for £130,000. The group planned an extensive renovation and expansion of the hotel with the addition of a conference suit to accommodate 500 delegates and most of the 130 bedrooms were to be equipped with private bathrooms. A further 100 twin rooms were to be added.
References
[edit]- ^ "Atholl Palace Hotel, including terraced gardens". Historic Scotland. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
- ^ a b UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017). "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
- ^ "Money and Commerce". The Scotsman. Scotland. 3 September 1873. Retrieved 17 September 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ Gifford, John (2007). The Buildings of Scotland. Perth and Kinross. Yale University Press. p. 675. ISBN 9780300109221.
- ^ "Sale of the Athole Hydropathic Pitlochry". Dundee Evening Telegraph. Scotland. 4 June 1886. Retrieved 17 September 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "A Scarborough School Transferred". Sheffield Daily Telegraph. England. 26 December 1914. Retrieved 17 September 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Hotel bought". Coventry Evening Telegraph. England. 5 October 1971. Retrieved 17 September 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.