Vandals hit Dunfermline hotel above Amorist Restaurant

The hotel is located above the restaurant Amorist on Dunfermline’s High Street and is expected to open in February 2024.

The culprits broke in through a side entrance on Douglas Street and wreaked havoc by smashing windows, damaging walls, and breaking six antique hanging chandeliers worth between £100 and £200 each.

Antique chandeliers were damaged during the break in (Image: Submitted) Building tools were also stolen and the fire extinguisher was emptied.

Owner Nihat Oymak, also known as Oscar, said: “This is not acceptable, I don’t know where this City is going. We’re trying to do something nice and people like that come and ruin it straight away.

“They brought a camping stove and put wood on top of it to try and make a fire at the back of the building. It’s a nightmare with these people.”

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 9.15pm on Saturday, 9 November, 2024,we received a report of a break-in to a premises on Douglas Street, Dunfermline. Enquiries are ongoing.”

Plans for the hotel were revealed in 2021, with Oscar anticipating that it would create ten new jobs.

He said: “We had the planning in 2022 and it was all smooth. We applied for the building warrant, which takes time, but it’s all accepted now.

“The reason for the delay is that in February 2023 we had a terrible earthquake back home in Turkey, and I had to stop all work on the hotel.

“My priority was to support my family because we lost a lot of people, including my dad. I managed to build a house for my mum, and my priority was to support the family.

“Now we’re back at work, and we’re hoping to open the hotel in the beginning of February.”

The hotel will have 18 rooms in total, with 6 six on each floor. Rooms on the top floor provide views of Abbey and across the river Forth.

The view to the left from the hotel's top floor. (Image: Submitted) Oscar added: “I think there’s a demand for it in the city. People are starting to choose here over Edinburgh because a night in a hotel is cheaper."

In 2023 Dunfermline welcomed an impressive 656,660 visitors, generating £124.1m in economic value.

Oscar continued: “Most hotels in Dunfermline are really busy, and I always wanted to open one in this building.

“I always thought that Dunfermline could be the best town in Scotland, and now I still think that it could be one of the best cities.”