The Lundin Links Hotel demolition has started a day earlier than expected.
There was a mixture of sadness and relief as bulldozers moved in on Thursday and began removing part of the roof.
The structure then quickly began collapsing in on itself.
And by late afternoon, all that was left of the once-prominent building was half of the back wall.
The entire C-listed building, which has occupied its corner site for more than 120 years, it expected to be down by nightfall.
It had been derelict for several years and was left in a precarious state following a catastrophic fire on August 18.
The main road past the site has been closed for safety reasons ever since.
Liquidators for the hotel’s former owners, Kapital Residential, announced on Wednesday that demolition work would begin on Friday.
The A915 is due to reopen on Wednesday.
Two 15-year-old boys have been charged in connection with the blaze.
Relief Lundin Links Hotel demolition has started
However, locals were surprised when machinery appeared a day early and began work.
Shopkeeper Zaphar Iqbal said he was relieved it was finally under way.
His custom has plummeted by a third during the road closure and he feared he may have to close as a result.
“It’s started today and thank goodness for that,” he said.
“I’m hoping it means the road will open earlier than expected too, maybe Monday.
“I’m really relieved. This is a big burden off me.”
The state of the hotel was the subject of a public meeting on Monday, where local people expressed concern about traffic problems as a result of the road.
‘This is the beginning of the end – it’s very emotional’
Former Runrig drummer Iain Bayne, who lives next door to the site once occupied by the Tudor-style building, was also breathing a sigh of relief on Thursday.
However, there was a sense of sadness too as the much loved hotel was torn down.
“It’s really sad to see it come to this,” he said.
“But everybody is mightily relieved we’re on the way to getting it sorted out now.”
Ian was amazed at how quickly the demolition was dealt with.
“I left to go to Leven at about 1.45pm and it hadn’t started,” he said.
“I was back by 3pm and most of the facade was down. It’s remarkable.”
Iain had been expressing fears about vandalism and fire-raising for months before the August blaze, fearing his home was in danger.
And he was evacuated as firefighters spent 17 hours fighting last month’s huge inferno.
“I was really stressed about it,” he said.
“But this is the beginning of the end. It’s very emotional.”
Site clearance will take several weeks
Work will continue on the site over the weekend to enable the road to reopen as soon as possible.
However, it will take several weeks to clear it entirely.
Security guards and CCTV will be in place for the duration of the work.
A further update will be provided in the week beginning September 20.
The A915 is the main route linking the East Neuk to the south of Fife.
And the ongoing closure and long diversion has been causing chaos and traffic jams across the area.
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