The fascinating painting above, entitled Home from the North Sea, is the work of Alexander Ballingall , the Largo-born painter and brother of engraver William Ballingall. This piece depicts the return home of the Largo fishing fleet in the 1890s. The registration of the boat with the most prominent sail is KY 478 - Annie Johnston. This fishing craft was built in 1880 in Anstruther but spent several years in Montrose before being bought by Largo's David Gillies in 1889. Annie Johnston was part of Largo's fleet for over a decade before being sold to Shetland in 1901. The colourful scene is a welcome contrast to the usual black and white images of fishing vessels from this era. The reddish-brown colour of the sails is the result of the white fabric being treated (or barked) with tar to make them more weather-proof. 

Multiple boats from Largo would tend to leave in groups for a lengthy trip. Some trips might head up further north, off Aberdeen or Shetland, or perhaps south to fishing grounds around Yarmouth depending upon the time of year. Children would often be allowed time out of school to see their fathers off. Ships' biscuits would be given out before the boats sailed away. Eventually, word would be sent home of their planned return, so that families could watch with anticipation for their safe arrival back home.

The kind of scene depicted in the painting, with a crowded pier, would have once been a frequent one, where wives and children greeted the fishermen with joy and relief. Note the man in the foreground presenting his daughter with the gift of a doll. Her mother, who is dressed in traditional fishwife clothes looks on with affection. Gifts brought back from far afield trips would be the main presents given in the year.

Other men, perhaps unmarried, busy themselves sorting and unloading their gear. Some of these nets and other gear may well have been taken over to the other side of the Keil to be dried and stored in and around the Net House. Back home, the washing of the men's clothes would take several days. Six boats feature in this painting. Given the date of late 1890s, other vessels may have included the Forget-Me-Not, Sultan, Ocean Bride, Osprey and Jane and Minnie. Alexander Ballingall painted many scenes around Largo pier, harbour and coast but also depicted other locations. Below is an 1881 painting by Alexander named Troubled Waters, Stonehaven which illustrates a winter herring trip, with stormy waves crashing around the harbour.

Alexander Ballingall was born in Largo in 1847, son of weaver William Ballingall and his wife Jean Wilson. One of several brothers and two sisters, like many of his siblings Alexander had a creative streak. While at the age of 14 he was working as a weaver like his father, he was destined to follow more in the footsteps of his elder brother, William the artist and engraver. By the time of the 1871 census, in his early twenties, Alexander was living in Edinburgh with his brother and his family and both brothers were working as engravers. They were based at Cockburn Street, just off the Royal Mile. Over the years, Alexander seems to have progressed more into painting than engraving and in 1879 he exhibited at Kirkcaldy Fine Art Exhibition with a painting entitled "Newhaven Harbour".

In 1881 he first exhibited at the Royal Scottish Academy. In the census that year Alexander was described as a 'landscape painter', still based in Edinburgh but now in Newington. ​The 9 March Dundee Advertiser described his 1886 work at the RSA as "always forcible and thorough in his sketches of sea-faring life". By 1891, he was married to silversmith's daughter Marion Wilson and living at 99 Montgomery Street off Leith Walk, now described as 'Artist - marine and figure'. The same year his RSA exhibits were, according to the Midlothian Journal of 17 April, "three crisp, clever realistic sea-scapes". One of those is the work shown above entitled Now then lads! All together. The newspaper noted the "caller seaside breeziness" and "the anatomy of the pullers...carefully studied, and sea, and rocks, and sky are as usual well done."
​

In contrast to the painting at the top of the post depicting the fishermen's return from sea, the artwork above is entitled Getting Underweigh. This shows the fishing fleet setting off on calm seas and dates to 1902. By this time Alexander's wife had died (in 1898 from tuberculosis). The 1901 census had noted him as 'Artist - marine and landscape'. His works did include overseas landscapes, including Venice, as well as many Scottish coastal scenes, including such locations as Buckhaven, Pittenweem, Dunbar and Greenock. By 1911, now aged 64, Alexander was still living off Leith Walk and was slightly differently described as 'Artist (marine and architectural)'. 

Alexander died on 30 November 1913, at the age of 67 at Bangour Village Hospital in West Lothian. He was buried at Upper Largo cemetery with parents, William Ballingall (a keen amateur astronomer) and Jean Wilson. The gravestone, although now in poor repair, has many interesting features, including a globe (now displaced), a shining star, a moon, a coastal setting sun, a sand timer and a sun dial. This unusual and eye-catching memorial is fitting for such a creative family many of whom keenly observed the world around them, and beyond.
​

The two images above, taken on Leven Links with Largo Law in the background, appeared in the 25 March 1892 edition of Golf Illustrated. The two men are Archibald Smith (dark jacket) and James Kerr, who were both one-armed golfers belonging to Leven Thistle Club. One of the images also includes two young caddies. These men were proficient one-armed golfers well before the days of the First World War and the Society of One-Armed Golfers which later came into being because so many men lost limbs in that conflict.

Archibald Smith, son of local blacksmith John Smith, was born in Leven in 1852. By the age of 19 he was working as an apprentice boiler maker. This line of work took him to Glasgow for a spell before the depression of trade brought about by the failure of the City of Glasgow Bank in 1878. That year, he returned to his native Leven and found employment attending to the breaker machine at Hawkslaw Mill. Shortly after his return, an accident took place there involving that machine, which required the amputation of his right arm at the age of 26. Mill owners Messrs Boase continued to employ Archibald as a timekeeper. Having been a keen golfer, he was keen to continue to play and became a prominent member of Leven Thistle Club.

Coincidentally, James Kerr had lost his right arm in an accident on the very same breaking machine several years earlier. As a boy of 13 in 1871, James was already working at Hawkslaw mill. His income was important for his family, as his father had drowned in the River Leven in 1868 while trying to rescue a small boy. The young James Kerr's right hand was severed in the machine and an amputation was carried out above the elbow. However, the resourceful lad learned how to write with his left hand and in time rose to a position of trust at the Durie Foundry.

Having mastered the pen, James took up golf and to the surprise of his friends proved to have great dexterity in wielding the driver and the cleek. He had worked as a golf caddy as a younger boy and recalled the move of the Innerleven Golf Club from Dubbieside to the green at Leven when he was about nine years old. In 1877 he joined Leven Thistle Club, becoming Secretary the following year. He went on to be Captain on three occasions. In spite of his injury at such a young age, James Kerr went on to have thirteen sons and a daughter, and the poem below was written about him by club mate David Jackson (29 Sept 1909 Leven Advertiser).
​

The Society of One-Armed Golfers was formed on 12 November 1932 in Glasgow, when sixteen men met at the inaugural meeting, held the offices of solicitor Archibald Pollock. The previous year had seen the first national meeting of one-armed golfers, when a contest at Moor Park attracted 38 competitors. Initially established for golfers who had lost limbs in the First World War, the Society, which is still active today, has since evolved to include those who have been affected by any condition, accident or incident resulting in the person being able to play with only one arm. 

Membership of the Society had reached around 75 people when events were paused during the years of the Second World War. Activity resumed in 1946 with a full meeting at St Andrews, involving 34 players. A pattern was established whereby an annual World Open Golf Championship was played in June on rotation between England or Wales, Scotland and Ireland. ​Back in 1949, the championship was held at Lundin Links. The photograph shows the competitors with one of trophies being played for, with Lundin Golf Club House in the background. Circled in the version of the photograph below is James Hunter Aitken (1896-1982) who was aged 54 in 1949. He lost his right arm in the First World War. It was his grandson who kindly shared this fantastic image.
​​

The 15 June 1949 Leven Mail reported on the occasion and some key results are given above. Mr G. Jackson of Kent triumphed in the main championship, while Australia's J.B. Todd won the President's Prize. A Team Championship Cup was also played for, and Scotland triumphed in that (see 9 June Dundee Courier below). The whole series of events was rounded off with a dinner at the Lundin Links Hotel, at which the awards were handed out by the then Captain of Lundin Golf Club, Fred Horne. Present at the award ceremony were representatives from the Royal and Ancient Golf Club and 'Golf Monthly' magazine.

The Team Championship Cup was displayed in the window of a Kinghorn butcher's shop, as local councillor John McDougall had captained the Scottish winning team. Councillor McDougall was also elected President of the Society for the year ahead. Below are more-detailed images of the group. The British One-Armed Golf Championship returned to Lundin Links fifty years later in 1999.  If anyone has further information about either event held at Lundin Links or any of the individuals seen in the photograph, please do comment or get in touch.

Interestingly, half a century before this 1949 event, earlier one-armed golfers had been photographed on these links. More on that in the next post....
​

The image above shows an unusual boat on the sea at Lower Largo in September 1965. The reader who shared the image was on holiday in the village when his family spotted the home-made vessel and the gentleman that it belonged it.  The family were allowed to take the converted tank out on the water and would love to learn more about the boat and its owner, should anyone be able to share further memories and information. The boat was in fact an adapted aviation fuel tank - the type which hangs down under the wing of an aircraft. 

Known as a 'drop tank', such tanks were used to increase the flying range of fighter planes and were often capable of being jettisoned. First used in the 1930s in the Spanish Civil War, they were also utilised in the Second World War. Could it be that the adapted tank seen at Largo dated to World War Two? Could it be linked to a Fife airfield? After the war, many machine parts became obsolete and some were creatively recycled. Fuel tanks have known to be converted into cars, stoves and items of furniture as well as boats and mini submarines.

If you know anything about this interesting vessel, its origins or its owner - please do let us know by leaving a comment.

The previous five blog posts have charted the history of the Lundin Links Hotel, from its 1900 opening to the more modern era of the 1960s. The years from the 1970s to the present day will remain fresh in the memories of many, if you have your own memories or photos that you would like to share, and add into the archive of the hotel's history, please do get in touch, either by commenting on this post or hitting the 'contact' link on the sidebar (or footer on mobile version of site). The black and white images of the hotel above and below date to the mid-1970s and belong to the Canmore collection of Historic Environment Scotland. J.W. Mathison was still in charge at the hotel at this time. He advertised Christmas Dinner in 1975 at £2.50 plus VAT per head. A night's accommodation was £5.25 for a single room and £8 for a double.
​

Above is a typical advert for the hotel from 1980, setting out the entertainment for the week ahead. A mix of private functions, music nights, high teas and bar lunches would have been typical of the time. The price of £1.75 for a full supper with live music sounds like a good deal. Early in the 1980s the Jurecki family, who also had several other local businesses in both Lundin Links and Lower Largo over the years, ran the hotel. The adverts below date to 1982 and you can see the 'under the care of M. J. & R. Jurecki' note on all of these. Also notice the reference to 'our new Papillion Restaurant' and the 'Double L'.
​

​A longer spell of ownership occurred between 1991 and 2002 when Ian Ladd and Lyn Barron-Ladd owned and managed the Lundin Links Hotel. Stating that they wished to appeal to both local clientele and those from further afield, in 1992, they embarked upon an extensive facelift for the property. The ground floor was redesigned to create a new restaurant and to double the size of the bar area - which was renamed the 'Side Door Bar', following a naming contest. A dance floor, CD juke box and pool table were installed. The reception area was moved and a new replica arched doorway was created by John Donaldson the joiner. The images below, which appeared in a full-page advert in the East Fife Mail, illustrate the changes. The downstairs restaurant initially specialised in Tex-Mex food.

​The final owners, from 2010, were Claire and Martin White. The hotel finally closed its doors in January 2014. ​It was incredibly sad to see the hotel slowly deteriorate over the years that followed. Without wishing to dwell on recent events, the final photographs below show the hotel boarded up and then its remains after the fire that took place on 17 August 2022 (and before the demolition which began on 1 September and was carried out by Austin Wilkinson Demolition). A distinctive landmark for almost a century and a quarter, the hotel may now be physically gone but the good times that it provided will live long in the memories of a great many people.
​

The 1950s (covered in the previous post) seemed to be a decade of glamour and success at the Lundin Links Hotel. The Sixties began on a strong footing and in fact an annexe building was required to cope with demand for rooms. Mr and Mrs Muriset had purchased Glenairlie on Crescent Road around 1950 as their home and several years later they were able to buy Bourtree Brae House next door. As the image below shows, the house was within sight of the hotel and only a short stroll away. 

​The hotel produced a promotional pamphlet highlighting the enviable location on Largo Bay - "a veritable Scottish Riviera" - which had "been compared to the Bay of Naples". Both the cuisine and the wine cellar topped the list of features within the hotel itself - "some very fine vintages". New baths had been installed and the "latest type of bedding". Aside from the bedrooms, there were two "delightful, restful lounges" and a ballroom and recreation room. Heating was a mix of real fires, electric fires and radiators. Other services available included the option to be met at the railway station by a hotel porter, the attention of a doctor by arrangement and large garages one minute away (on Woodielea Road). As always, the hotel emphasised the proximity to golf courses. Other sporting pursuits were also mentioned, such as tennis, bowls, sea-bathing, fishing, boating and angling. Even motoring was considered a pleasant pastime for the holiday-maker!
​

However, change was afoot. Firstly, in 1962, after thirty years service, manageress Miss Cameron died. Three years later the railway line through Lundin Links and Largo closed to passenger services. In 1966, the Murisets decided to retire - 34 years after taking on the hotel. Never again would anyone come close to retaining ownership of the hotel for such as lengthy period. Huge changes had taken place during the era of Freddie and Jean Muriset. In the East Fife Mail of 9 November 1966 Mr Muriset commented that there had been a 100% increase in the number of people eating out at hotels and that quality of food had greatly improved.  He also remarked that "running a hotel is very much a 24 hours a day job". The couple had certainly devoted a huge chunk of their lives to the Lundin Links Hotel and had enjoyed doing so.

Part three in this series about the Lundin Links Hotel ended with the outbreak of the Second World War. Hotel owner, Freddie Muriset, had already served as a gunner with the Royal Field Artillery in the First World War. He immediately signed up to serve again, becoming a Captain with the Royal Artillery Territorial Army from 1939, progressing to a Major later during the war. In his absence, the hotel remained open, with his wife Jean Muriset at the helm, supported by long-term member of staff Miss Margaret Cameron who lived on-site.

The postcard image above features the air raid shelter which was created by the entrance to Fir Park (see brick feature at far left of image). This is shown in more detail below. The hotel continued to host functions such as weddings, and to welcome guests, while dealing with blackout restrictions and rationing. The advert below dates to 1944 and names Jean as the proprietor. As it became clear that the war was close to an end, fund-raising events such as dances were held in the hotel in aid of the 'Welcome Home Fund'. In the years immediately following the war, hotels across the country found stocks of items such as sheets, towels, furniture and curtains in short supply. Mr Muriset commented upon this in the press in June 1948, adding that the cut in spirits allocation and limited petrol rations, on top of other supply issues, would mean that many small hotels would struggle to make a profit.

However, as the post-war years gave way to the new decade, the Lundin Links Hotel was on the up once more. Each week in the local press there were reports of dances, celebrations, meetings and dinners held there. Moreover, a string of famous faces visited the hotel. Firstly, on 14 March 1949, child actor John Howard Davies, pictured below, who was aged 10 at the time, was a guest. The star of the 1948 film 'Oliver Twist', stayed at the Lundin Links Hotel with his mother for three days, while making personal appearances at cinemas in Lochgelly, Kirkcaldy and Dunfermline. He also paid a surprise visit to a school in Methil. ​

June 1952 saw His Highness Omar Ali Saifuddien III, the Sultan of Brunei, and party lunch at the Lundin Links Hotel as the guests of Cameron Bridge Distillery. The Sultan had arrived in the UK on 20 May for a two month visit (his first to the country). The photograph above from 11 June Tatler shows him (centre) at an event just days prior to his visit to Fife, where he attended the Cupar Highland Games. A second Sultan dined at the hotel just one month later. On this occasion it was the Sultan of Perak (a Malaysian state) who enjoyed the hotel's hospitality.
​

The following year, another celebrity dropped in for lunch at the hotel - Maurice Chevalier, the French actor, singer and entertainer. The 64-year-old, who was also a keen golfer, visited in February 1953 while in the UK touring his one-man show (which included dates at King's Theatre in Glasgow and the Lyceum in Edinburgh). His lunch followed a visit to the John Haig factory in Markinch.

The hotel now used the phrase "Scottish Riviera" extensively in its advertising and this became the hotel's telegram address. An advert even appeared in The Tatler suggesting the hotel as a place to go for 'Northern Nights' away. A good balance would seem to have been struck between catering for both visitors and locals alike. Parties thrown for children are fondly remembered by some. The 9 November 1955 Leven Mail reported on a Hallowe'en party where "a hilarious time was had by all". Tea was served, a conjurer provided entertainment and then a real witch "whisked in on her broom, complete with cat". A 1950 Christmas Social comprised "a programme of games and dances to suit young and old", Christmas carols then an appearance by Santa Claus who presented each young guest with a gift.

The previous post concluded with Thomas Hogg and his wife taking over the running of the hotel in 1924. Just two years later, their lives were hit by tragedy when their son, Cecil James Hogg, who worked as an assistant barman in the hotel, was killed in a motor accident, aged just 17 years old. The accident happened on a new stretch of road between Aberhill and Leven Bridge in wet conditions. The car, with five occupants returning from a dance, collided with an electric standard, adjacent to the Wemyss and District tramway track. Hogg received the full force of the impact. Part of the Fife Free Press report of 24 July 1924 is below. The family continued to run the hotel for a further three years before Thomas Hogg retired from hotel keeping to focus on his motor hire business. He lived at 'Montpelier' on Victoria Road (named after the house of the same name in which he previously lived in Edinburgh). 

In 1929, the hotel changed ownership to Mrs Eileen Helen Lindsay and Miss Margaret (Meg) Hutchison Morton (who were sisters). The advert below from the Arbroath Herald dates to their era. Their proposals for a "lifting screen and counter" were approved by the St Andrews District Licensing Court in April 1930 (click here to see the original architect drawing for this work (will open in a new window as a PDF document)). However, their tenure would be short-lived. The hotel was advertised for sale in September 1931 (see advert further below from The Scotsman). The sale was likely due to ill health, as Meg Morton died in February 1932. 

The sale of the hotel was concluded early in 1932. The new proprietors - Freddie and Jean Muriset - would go on to become the longest-serving owners of the Lundin Links Hotel. Alfred Henri Olivier Chapman Muriset (pictured below) was born in 1893 in Edinburgh, to parents who were both teachers of French. He had worked in the whisky and wine trade prior to purchasing the hotel. The Murisets time in charge was something of a golden era for the hotel but in fact it got off to a tricky start. Almost immediately after taking over the reins, the hotel suffered a fire, in June 1932. As with the fire of 1920, it was Captain Burnett and the Buckhaven Fire Brigade that attended the call. The outbreak affected a ground floor bedroom but was triggered by an adjacent fireplace in a lounge room. Thanks to the speedy work of the fire brigade, the damage was 'trifling' and limited to a fireplace, carpet and some furniture.
​

The Murisets recovered from this early set back and embarked upon improvements to the hotel. With the input of L.A. Rolland, architect, they drew up extensive plans for a new public bar and cocktail lounge to replace the original bar. The original full architect drawings for these can be viewed by clicking here (will open in a new window as a PDF document) and extracts are shown below. Note that the red lines indicate existing work removed. Also notice the various different cellars and stores. Mr Muriset's experience in the world of wines and spirits, and the pride he took in his cellar, gave him the vision to create an exciting modern bar experience for customers.
​

Below are the reports in the local press on the progress of the works. The 26 February 1935 Leven Advertiser reported that the alterations were well-advanced - the new bar due to open within days. The 11 June edition of the same paper tells us that the cocktail bar had now been completed and was already proving to be popular. The bar counter and rear gantry moved from the original bar to the new public one.  The cocktail bar featured oak panelling, a brick fireplace and electric lighting.  
​

It is likely that it was also around this time that the additional 'Lundin Links Hotel' lettering was added to the west-facing chimney stack. This lettering can be seen in the photograph above, which shows a bustling scene of pedestrians and a mix of vehicles at the hotel corner. The Murisets also undertook an extensive advertising campaign for the upgraded hotel, including adverts in publications such as The Sphere and The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News. Two examples of such adverts from the late 1930s are shown below. However, on 1 September 1939, World War Two began. The story of the hotel will pick up from there in the next post.

The previous post detailed the construction and 1900 opening of the Lundin Links Hotel. The arrival of such a palatial building in the district caused quite a stir. There was a ready-made audience for the hotel in the shape of golf-playing city dwellers of Edinburgh and Glasgow, many of whom were already familiar with the charms of Lundin Links. The year after its launch, the hotel was once again "decked with flags". This time the occasion was the return from the Boer War of Captain Jack Gilmour, of Fife and Forfar Imperial Yeomanry, son of owner of the Lundin estate, Sir John Gilmour. According to the 6 August Scotsman newspaper, "long streamers of the Gilmour colours - green and white - floated between the hotel and other buildings on the opposite side of the street". 

​The Dundee Courier from 6 August (extract below) tells of how a company of around seventy people enjoyed lunch in the hotel, presided over by hotel architect and then Captain of Lundin Golf Club, Peter Lyle Henderson. Captain Gilmour had recently become Captain-elect of Lundin Golf Club. His brother, Lieutenant Harry Gilmour, was also present at the lunch. He had also taken part in the Boer War and had returned home in March 1901, having been wounded in the head in October 1900.
​

The hotel with its function rooms and public spaces hosted many special events and dinners. Early examples included retirement celebrations, Largo Curling Club dinners and Largo Silver Band events. As the 1900s went on, Lundin Links continued its growth and development. Not only were new villas being built but new facilities were appearing as well, many of which would benefit hotel guests. In 1903 new shops were erected opposite the hotel on Emsdorf Street in the site of a row of old cottages. The pharmacy and newsagent in particular would have enjoyed the custom of the hotel guests, purchasing postcards, summer requisites, fancy goods and photographic supplies. Below is an example of a postcard purchased in Young's newsagent on Emsdorf Street by a hotel guest. Sent in the 1910s, and featuring the hotel on the other side, the message states "It is a very nice building and I am inside at a game of billiards".

In 1905 the bowling green opened and the tennis courts were completed in Lundin Links, offering additional attractions for hotel guests. And in 1910 the Montrave Hall was opened, following calls from locals and summer visitors for a larger hall capable of hosting a wide range of events and entertainment. The existence of the hotel and the influence of its regular visitors likely contributed to the creation of these facilities. Lundin Links was firmly established as a holiday destination.

As early as 1911, the hotel also acted as a venue for wedding receptions. Although most marriages were celebrated at home in this era, the existence of a smart hotel in the village offered an alternative to those who could afford it. One early example was the wedding reception for the youngest daughter of Andrew Peebles of Highclere. Dora Gwendolene Peebles married George Clark at Largo Parish Church and, after the ceremony, the guests proceeded to the hotel where Mrs Peebles hosted a reception. This modern couple also had 'going-away costumes' and left the hotel directly to go on their honeymoon.

Later in Sam Duncan's years as proprietor of the hotel, it appears that he spent increasing amounts of time in Edinburgh, while live-in managers conducted the day-to-day running of the hotel (including during the years of the First World War). Mangers included Miss Law, Tom Harris and Mrs Jean Sharp. When Harris was managing the hotel in 1920 a fire broke out in the kitchen and spread to the roof. According reports in the Leven Advertiser (14 October) "Mr Tom Harris and his staff...performed wonders in holding the outbreak until the arrival of Firemaster Burnett and his men". These men from Buckhaven Fire Brigade started to cut away the roof in order to check the further progress of the flames, saving the building. Below is the previous evening's Dundee Evening Telegraph report on the incident.

With the sad loss of the Lundin Links Hotel building this week, due to a major fire, it feels appropriate to revisit the history of this iconic landmark. The next few blog posts will remember the hotel as it was intended to be - a place that people gathered for enjoyment and relaxation.  The above sketch of the brand new hotel appeared in 31 May 1900 Leven Advertiser and reminds us that when the hotel first opened its doors, travel was still primarily horse-drawn. The late Victorian era was a time of rapid development in Lundin Links. The late 1890s saw a row of shops built opposite the hotel site on Leven Road. Many new villas and boarding houses were springing up to meet demand for accommodation.

The old inn, which pre-dated the hotel, had been bought in 1897 by James McTavish, who had the vision of demolishing it and building a modern, up-market hotel to cater for the golfers and summer visitors that flocked to Lundin Links.  Construction of the new hotel was hindered when McTavish was declared bankrupt in March 1899.  Three individuals stepped in to save the project (with McTavish retained as manager).  The new investors (shown from left to right in the image below) were Samuel Duncan (McTavish’s father-in-law, a tailor from Edinburgh), Peter Henderson (the architect of the hotel), local man businessman William Bethune . All men were keen golfers and the hotel was conveniently close to Lundin Golf Club, of which Henderson was Captain at the time.

The 1899 photograph above shows the hotel part-built. At this point the roof was yet to be completed and the west side of the hotel was not yet up to its full height. The second floor arched window spaces were present but incomplete. Construction of the west-wing of the third floor was yet to be started. ​The hotel was eventually completed for the summer season of 1900, with specially-invited guests attending a preview of the premises in May. The East of Fife Record on 11 May surmised that the hotel "should secure a large clientele among the golfing fraternity". Indeed the guest list for the 24 May opening preview event included a fashionable crowd of golf enthusiasts including Edinburgh furrier John Gerrard, founder of luxury jewellers Hamilton and Inches, Robert Inches, and musician John Kenyon Lees, who had a 'Piano and Music Saloon' on Edinburgh's Frederick Street and was composer of 'The Golf Song Book'. 

The smartly-turned out party of locals and visitors can be seen in the photograph above, taken by William Drummond Young of Edinburgh (and featured in June 1900 Golf Illustrated magazine). All of this commotion and change must have been quite bewildering for the older residents of Lundin Mill. The Leven Advertiser piece recognised that one "cannot pass Lundin Links without being struck with the thorough way in which modern buildings have entirely obliterated the village, even to the name, Lundin Links, coming trippingly off the tongue of all save the older natives."

In fact the old inn had not been entirely demolished at the time of the opening of the new hotel and stood in stark contrast to the "new hotel resplendent in its fresh paint, flags and draperies." However, it was noted that the old "deserving institution" had to "give place to a building more suited to the wants of this growing and popular watering place". The modern design of the new hotel was an example of a fashion for red brick work coupled with half-timbering. The Leven Advertiser provided a detailed description of the interior, which included a flexible space on the first floor featuring a sliding partition. 
​

The varied facilities had clearly been carefully planned with the target clientele in mind and took advantage of the latest innovations. Other features included electric light powered by an oil engine, modern bathrooms (no longer was there a need to bring your own bath on holiday) and an extensive laundry at the rear. All work was carried out in the "most lavish manner" by the contractors, whose details are provided below. 

As well as a tour of the building and a dinner, the 24 May event involved musical recitals and many speeches, paying tribute to the many people involved in achieving completion of the venture. Among the speech-givers was local baker Andrew Thomson who gave reminiscences of the village and golf course as he knew the place 37 years ago. He was one of the six founders of the Lundin Golf Club back in 1868. In another speech, Sir John Gilmour speculated on the type of guests that might visit the new hotel. Aside from the golfing fraternity, he spoke of city-dwelling 'week-enders', seeking some sea air to put colour in their cheeks (see newspaper extract below). 
​