GLENEAGLES GOLF RESORT TO OPEN LUXURY EDINBURGH TOWNHOUSE

The world-famous Gleneagles sporting estate is to launch a new boutique hotel in Edinburgh. The five star hotel brand in Perth & Kinross is to open its first ever city outpost at 37-39 St Andrew Square, which was originally home to the British Linen Company and later became the Bank of Scotland.

With architectural features designed by notable architects and sculptors including David Bryce & Alexander Handyside Ritchie, the iconic building has been re-imagined as the ‘Gleneagles Townhouse’.

It will include 33 bedrooms and two bars including a rooftop terrace, allowing guests to enjoy “spectacular” views over the city, according to the brand.

Gleneagles Townhouse will also be home to a members club with “exclusive private spaces” and on-site gym.

The Gleneagles resort announced in November it would close until February as Perth and Kinross moved into tier three of Scotland’s lockdown system.

The origins of the hotel resort date back to 1910. Donald Matheson, General Manager of the Caledonian Railway Company, was inspired to create Gleneagles while on holiday in Strathearn. He was so impressed by the local countryside that he conjured up the vision of a palatial country house hotel with a golf course.

The name’s origin is a blend of the Gaelic eaglais or ecclesia, meaning church, and refers to the chapel and well of Saint Mungo, which was restored as a memorial to the Haldane family which owns the Gleneagles estate.

Hollywood legend Bing Crosby is among the hotel’s most famous guests over the years.