Historic Albert Hotel in Fife to reopen as owner reveals £400k investment plan

The owner of a historic Fife hotel that has been empty for nearly five years has revealed plans to reopen the premises.

The Albert Hotel in North Queensferry closed its doors in 2017, after nearly 200 years of operations.

Owner Kenny Waugh had hopes of changing the use of the building and converting the Albert Hotel into four flats.

However, his plans were rejected by Fife Council in August last year. An appeal was then tabled but it was rejected earlier this year.

Investors plan to ‘save’ historic hotel

A group of local investors had also proposed they purchase the hotel to stop it being converted into flats.

That plan was backed by North Queensferry Community Trust.

Now, as Mr Waugh reveals his plans to reopen the hotel, the community trust has arranged a meeting for Saturday morning to ‘Save the Albert’.

North Queensferry Community Trust is applying for a buyout of the hotel.

It is nominating The Albert Community Group Ltd –  a not-for-profit company set up by a group of residents with the aim of buying the building – buy the building from Mr Waugh.

The community trust is asking for votes in support of its proposal for a buyout.

The group says it needs 500 votes or the buyout will fail.

Owner to invest £400k in Albert Hotel

Mr Waugh said because it has been unused for a number of years, the building would require some work.

He anticipates the project will cost in the region of £400,000.

Mr Waugh wants to move the bar into the basement area and reopen the venue as a hotel, restaurant and bar.

He said: “After being refused planning, we have come up with another plan. We think it can work financially.

“At the moment the bar and restaurant are on the ground floor with the kitchen and toilets down the stairs at basement level.

“We’re applying for planning to move the bar into the basement, which is at the beach level.

“By putting it in the basement it makes it a lot bigger, and we can have the bar, restaurant and beer terrace all at the one level.”

Creating Fife jobs

Mr Waugh says this new set-up would make the venue easier to staff.

He hopes to create up to six full-time jobs when the hotel reopens.

“It doesn’t work on two floors,” he said.

“We’d be able to run it with one team, whereas before we needed three separate teams over the two levels.”

Mr Waugh also plans to convert the hotel’s eight bedrooms into four five-star suites.

With costs of running a premises on the rise, the businessman said he had to think long and hard about reopening the Albert Hotel.

“The licensed trade is in a bit of trouble with staff costs rising, energy costs rising – they are the biggest challenge to the pub trade.

“That’s why we went for the change to residential because it doesn’t work on two levels.

“If you ask any experienced pub operator, if you can get your business on one level, it can work. On two levels, you’re splitting staff.”

He hopes Fife Council will approve his latest planning application by the end of the summer.

If successful, work would then get under way with the hope of reopening the hotel early next year.

Plea for community backing

Mr Waugh also hopes the local community will get behind his plans.

“I hope the public will support this. The local community council has made enough noise about wanting to keep the hotel.

“This gives them an opportunity to do that.”

The historic Fife hotel was originally called Mitchell’s Inn, after the owner Robert Mitchell.

Its name was changed to the Albert Hotel in honour of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert’s arrival at the town pier in 1842.