Letham Grange House is a large and distinctive country house built in the early 19th century with later alterations standing in an extensive estate with a range of other listed and unlisted estate buildings. Having been unoccupied for thirty years at the end of the 20th century, it found new use as a luxury hotel and two golf courses but these were closed in 2011 and the buildings have been disused since then. Proposals were announced in 2023 which would see the house brought back into hotel use but with a large amount of additional development on the estate. In 2024, further details were made public involving the addition of vast wings either side of of the house. Elsewhere on the estate a new "village" of housing was proposed including shops and a village square, retirement accommodation and woodland lodges.
The house itself is Category B listed, built in a classical style in sandstone ashlar. It has an E shape with a pedimented central bay and a semi-circular Doric portico framing the main entrance and unusual bowed bays in the corners. The rear elevation has a full height bow window in the form of another portico with attached full height columns. Despite its adaptation to different uses, it retains its original architectural presence and character.
There are a number of other listed structures on site including a Doocot, two gateways and a lodge as well as the stables which were listed in 2022.
There are concerns that the proposals for the site involve a huge amount of redevelopment including the extensive wings around the house and that the listed structures have been disused for a prolonged period and are reported to be deteriorating in condition. The house, the stables, the Doocot and other curtilage listed structures (Home Farm, the Riding School and the old laundry) are on the Scottish Buildings at Risk Register.
We added the site to our Buildings at Risk register in June 2024 following the announcement of a public consultation event in April of that year to announce the development of plans first formally put forward in 2023. Since then there appear to have been no further public announcements and so it is not clear what the intentions of the owners are for the site as a whole or for the maintenance of the listed and other buildings on the estate.
Photo credit: Anna Lornie
