9 December 2009: Hamilton Hall

Hamilton Hall opened its doors as the Grand Hotel in 1895.  Its founder Thomas Hamilton is said to have commissioned the building – which is positioned adjacent to the Royal and Ancient Golf Club – immediately after his application for membership to the Club was rejected.

Hamilton Hall has taken on many different roles in the past century, from being requisitioned by the Army in the Second World War to being turned into halls of residence for students of St Andrews University. After lying empty for a number of years, it was announced last week that the building has been bought by the US magnate Herb Kohler – who also owns the Old Course Hotel.  The intention is to renovate Hamilton Hall in consultation with locals

The original building was designed by Glasgow architect James Milne Monro.  Monro received many commissions for hotels, including the Callander Hydropathic and the Royal Hotel at Campbeltown.  Monro's practice also created extensions for the Dreadnought Hotel in Callander and other hotels in Oban, Stranraer and Grantown-on-Spey.  Under the leadership of Monro's son Charles and later his grandson Geoffrey, the practice went on to design 126 branches of Marks & Spencer, including their first purpose-built store in Scotland on Argyle Street in Glasgow.

RCAHMS holds a number of the original drawings for Hamilton Hall as part of the Monro & Partners Collection.