Craigtoun Hospital, Craigtoun Park, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 8NX

A stately mansion built around 1903 by Paul Waterhouse (1861-1924), Craigtoun was intended for a wealthy business man.  It is a grand design showing elements of Scottish Baronial style and early Renaissance influences. It is category B listed.  It stands in a Registered Park.

This large looming early Renaissance mansion with some Scottish Baronial features, is known as the former Craigtoun Hospital. Formerly Mount Melville House, it was rebuilt for the Younger family of brewery fame around 1903. Built out of hammer-dressed pink sandstone, it also has a Westmoreland slated roof and stone mullion and transomed windows.

In 1947 Mount Melville House along with 47 acres and the East and West Avenues, was bought by Fife County Council for £25,000. Its name was changed to Craigtoun, and the grounds were established as a Country Park. The remainder of the estate continued to be farmed by the Mount Melville Estate. The mansion became a hospital until 1992 when it was sold, together with 330 acres of parkland to the Old Course Hotel, St Andrews who developed the Dukes Golf Course in the west park. Understood to have last been in full use around 1992 as a hospital, the building now remains disused and at risk. 

It has stood empty for decades.  Over that time, its condition has deteriorated and despite previous permission for conversion, no work has proceeded.  At the start of 2023, a new application was submitted that would see the conversion of the house into apartments and 18 new units by way of enabling development (Planning ref:22/04134/LBC).  The proposals involve some demolition of curtilege structures and the introduction of some new features on the roof.  At the time of adding this building to the register, the application had not yet been decided. 

This building has been added from the Scottish Buildings at Risk Register. Click here to see the entry on that register.

*Update* January 2024 - The application was agreed in principle in the middle of 2023 but formal permission was not granted until December 2023 after the completion of the related legal agreements and conditions.  It is not clear when development will commence and we will keep the building on the register until work is complete.