Ayr Station Hotel: 'With will and money it could be brought back'

Now a specialist survey carried out by one of the UK’s leading structural engineers has raised fresh hopes that the once spectacular building may be saved for the future.

Ed Morton, who has helped to bring a long string of high-profile, deteriorated buildings back to life, was drafted in to inspect the building by national campaign group, SAVE Britain’s Heritage.

It follows a decision in December by South Ayrshire Council to demolish a section of the building.

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Having spent two days scrambling across the high-level scaffolding which has encased the Category B Listed hotel for a decade, he has praised its high-quality construction – giving new hope that the landmark building can be saved.

His specialist survey is the first detailed inspection of the building in five years. It is being seen as a major leap forward in the long-running campaign to assess the building’s condition and re-use options and follows a recent fire which had exacerbated concerns that the building may be torn down.

Mr Morton’s firm of structural engineers, The Morton Partnership, has worked on major projects at York Minster, Grade 1 listed St Brides Church in Westminster and Sheffield Cathedral.

He said he had been left “stunned” by the building’s architecture and high quality of its construction, including rare attention to detail even at its highest and ‘out of sight’ points.

“It was top-end construction – very well built and very high quality,” he said.

“They really thought about the construction. For example, at roof level, they filled the area behind the rafters with masonry to provide soundproofing from steam trains as they thundered by.

“I was stunned by the detail that they went to, particularly at high level, which you don’t necessarily see.

“It has the feel of being robustly built and good quality Victorian construction and a solid build.”

Mr Morton has over 30 years’ experience working particularly in conservation and the repair and adaption of historic buildings, including Westminster Abbey, Canterbury, Durham, Southwark and Ely Cathedrals.

He added: “The hotel was obviously built to exacting standards with no expense spared on architectural details inside and out, from the decorative stone detailing at roof level down to what looks to possibly be the original lift of the 1880s running through the main staircase.

“It has clearly got problems, and there are certainly repairs that are necessary, but I have worked on many buildings in much worse condition.

“With will and money the building could be brought back to life.”

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South wing in 2023 (Image: ASHAG)

Designed by Andrew Galloway and constructed of Ballochmyle sandstone quarried from nearby Mauchline, the sprawling hotel at the edge of Ayr railway station opened in 1886.

Once one of Scotland’s grandest hotels, it boasted 75 luxurious rooms and lavish facilities, and catered for an affluent clientele who spent their summer holidays on the Ayrshire coast and attended the town’s fashionable race meetings.

However, it closed in 2013, apparently for repairs. No work was done, and it has never re-opened.

That year a dangerous building notice was issued by South Ayrshire Council, with Network Rail - which owns the ground floor of the north wing - erecting netting and crash decks.

A second notice was issued in 2018 to the owner of the hotel, a Malaysian businessman who acquired it in 2014, due to falling debris.

The council went on to install safety measures and scaffolding at a cost of £60,000 per month to prevent the Grade B-listed building being a risk to the public.

However, the costs, lack of progress and the unsightly scaffolding, across such a prominent town centre building has raised debate over whether it should simply be knocked down.

That has been resisted by campaigners, including SAVE Britain’s Heritage, which fought to rescue the building since 2016.

Last year, along with local architect Alistair Scott of Smith Scott Mullan Associates, SAVE set out suggestions to repair and revive the building. Options for reuse range from a boutique hotel and events venue to office space and station facilities.

However, in December, South Ayrshire Council outlined its recommendations, one of which included the demolition of the hotel’s south wing, regarded as the most recognisable section with the most historic interiors.

The hotel spans over 350 metres in length, overlooking the station platforms which are covered by an ornate iron and glass roof. While its rooms featured leading names of the day: the coffee and drawing rooms were decorated and furnished by Wylie & Lochhead, and marble, mosaic and tiles for the interiors provided by Galbraith & Winton, Glasgow, with stained glass by J B Bennett & Sons.

A spokesperson for South Ayrshire Council said: "The Council made a decision in December 2022 to demolish the southern section of the privately owned building and we’re working with our partners to achieve this and find a long-term solution for the site.

“If this survey leads to a viable alternative to demolition it would be considered.

“After the recent fire a safety assessment of the encapsulation was carried out, it was found that it had been unaffected and the structure was structurally sound."

Henrietta Billings, director of SAVE Britain’s Heritage, said: “We are delighted that the detailed inspection has been completed – this is part of a wider ranging plan to help secure a sustainable new future for this landmark building in the centre of Ayr, so that it can once again be the pride of the town.”