The previous post about the author Annie S. Swan, noted that her breakthrough novel was named 'Aldersyde' - a romantic tale set in the Scottish borders. In Lundin Links, there is a house named Aldersyde at the corner of Leven Road and Crescent Road. Built around the turn of the century, a little later than the row of shops, the first residents of Aldersyde were the Gulland family, who remained there for several decades. It seems likely that the house was built by the same Lundin Mill builder (Archibald White) who erected 'The Anchorage' in Kinghorn for Annie S. Swan. In fact there are a number of similarities in design between the two turreted homes. Perhaps the Lundin Links 'Aldersyde' (shown below) was inspired by 'The Anchorage' or maybe the Gullands were fans of the writer. It's fun to speculate anyway....
Another piece of speculation that recently occurred to me, was whether a building near York, named 'Aldersyde House', could have inspired the design of the Lundin Links Hotel. It could simply have been a popular style of the time but there are a number of parallels between the two buildings (inside and out). Look at the images below of Aldersyde House and see what you think. The architect of the York building was Walter Penty and it was built for flour-milling businessman Ernest Leetham in 1895-6 - just before the Lundin Links Hotel was designed by Peter Henderson.
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