A PRIVATE members' club in St Andrews, which offers luxury accommodation in the historic Pittormie Castle and its estate, has revealed plans for a £12 million expansion.
London-born entrepreneur Tom Lawrence is adding 10 luxury residences to the property he acquired from the MacKinnon family, the former owners of whisky liqueur company Drambuie, in 2005.
Each of the latest Eden Club residences will have four bedrooms and be designed to an ultra-high specification.
The move, announced just days before The Open golf championship returns to St Andrews, will double the number of fully-serviced second-homes on the estate.
The castle itself, which became the home first Duke of Fife in 1596, is home to eight suites.
The investment is being privately funded and comes in response to rising demand for memberships from 42 countries.
Membership of the Eden Club has so far been snapped up by more than 700 individuals, who in return for fees from several hundred pounds can book the accommodation from £250 per night.
It is anticipated that no more than one thousand memberships will become available, with the accommodation already fully booked for the weeks before, after and during the Open.
The event, which formally begins at the "home of golf" on July 12, will see the castle welcome some of the world's top golfers, with a gala dinner hosted for players and wives
Fiona McIlroy, general manager of the Eden Club and Pittormie Castle, said: "Our owners believe that it is the right time to invest in the property as we see opportunities for growth in our international membership club model.
"We now have great demand from international members looking to visit Scotland year round, to play golf, hunt or enjoy other pursuits using our iconic castle home as their base.
"Unlike other Scottish clubs, The Eden Club is not venue dependent. Members join an international club which gives access to multiple dimensions wherever they reside including a luxurious lifestyle concierge, outstanding events schedule and private residence club."
Guests of the castle and estate have a choice of bars and restaurants, managed by Michelin-starred chef Allan Donald. The facilities include a swimming pool, sauna, gym and tennis courts, as well as short-game golf course.
More than half of the Eden Club's members come from across the Atlantic, where the residence club model is understood to be more established.
Work on the expansion is scheduled to begin in November and expected to be complete in time for the start of the 2017 golfing season.
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