Historic hotel that once welcomed famous authors to be converted into flats

IT IS a historic hotel that counts literary giants Robert Louis Stevenson and Charles Dickens as former guests.

The Royal Hotel in the centre of Bridge of Allan, Stirlingshire, hosted the young Stevenson and his family in 1862 and he played in the surrounding area, exploring caves and islets that would help inspire novels Treasure Island and Kidnapped.

Oliver Twist author Dickens, meanwhile, visited in 1867 for respite during a tour of book reading events.

Now, plans to convert the detached three-storey Victorian property into flats and houses have been approved by Stirling Council’s Planning and Regulation Panel, despite 17 objections, including one from Bridge of Allan Community Council.

The proposals would see 11 flats built within the existing hotel building and 12 townhouses erected on the hotel grounds.

The Royal Hotel was built in 1842 to help meet the growing demand for accommodation in Bridge of Allan, which was becoming popular as a mineral water spa and health resort.

It was under construction when the young Queen Victoria passed through Bridge of Allan on September 13, 1842, during her royal tour of Scotland.

Workmen on the scaffolding are said to have waved and cheered as she passed through the town.

And Stevenson was often taken to Bridge of Allan as a child, initially in search of a suitable climate for his weak lungs.

“Stevenson’s Cave”, beside the River Allan, is believed to be the inspiration for Ben Gunn’s cave in Treasure Island, while an islet in the river features in Kidnapped.

In the book the cave is described as a “large airy place, with a little spring and a pool of clear water overhanging with ferns”.

Historian Craig Mair, author of Bridge of Allan: A History, said:

“It’s a real shame.

“The Royal Hotel was built in Victorian times when Bridge of Allan was a flourishing holiday destination, known for its spa.

“Stevenson was brought to Bridge of Allan frequently and his family stayed in the hotel several times.

“Another literary giant who stayed at the Royal Hotel was Charles Dickens, who stayed there in February 1867, during a recuperative break from a sell-out tour of public readings from his books.

“During both World Wars, the Royal Hotel was requisitioned by the Army as a local HQ and had armed sentries posted outside.”

He added: “Recently it became the last hotel in the town, so I’m saddened that it is to become flats.”

In a letter to a friend in 1883 – the year Treasure Island was published – Edinburgh-born Stevenson wrote from France that he had fond memories of his time in Bridge of Allan.

He said: “I shall never forget the days at Bridge of Allan; they were one golden dream.”