The Guildhall & Linen Exchange

We have 19 en suite rooms (two of which are for those with disabilities), all with unlimited free Wi-Fi, which continues throughout the hotel and pub. They are doubles, twins and family rooms. All of our guest rooms are en suite, with plasma-screen Freeview TV, built-in USB ports, complimentary bottled water and tea- and coffee-making facilities. We serve breakfast from 7am until noon, with our full food menu until 11pm daily. We provide a 24-hour reception desk.

We are a superb historic building, in the middle of the city centre. Situated in the centre of Dunfermline, this building (built between 1805–1811 by Archibald Elliot as a guildhall and linen exchange) had its foundation stone laid in 1807, yet the money ran out before the building was completed. The eye-catching spire was paid for by public subscription and erected in 1811. Five years later, the premises were converted into the Spire Inn and, in 1845, became the county buildings, including the sheriff’s court, police station and eventually the job centre in 1993. J D Wetherspoon refurbished this in 2012. Its symmetrical classical design and 42-metre spire make it a local landmark.

Dunfermline achieved city status as part of the 2022 Jubilee celebrations and was once the capital of Scotland, and the birthplace of Andrew Carnegie. It hosts the hidden gems of the town from St Margaret’s Cave to romantic walks. The ‘auld grey toun’ of Dunfermline is at the heart of Scotland’s history, and the royal and monastic past dominates the town.

There are a wide number of historical venues, such as the royal palace, a 12th-century abbey (the final resting place of Robert the Bruce and the burial site of 11 other Scottish kings and queens), the restored 15th-century Abbot House and the cave in which St Margaret bathed the feet of the poor. King Malcolm Canmore established his court, after the death of Macbeth, at the now-ruined fortified tower in the heart of Pittencrieff Park (a five-minute walk from the hotel).

Dunfermline was the birthplace of James I in 1394, Charles I in 1600 and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie in 1835. Carnegie’s birthplace, a humble weaver’s cottage, has been preserved and extended to include a museum of his life. Carnegie Hall is situated at the heart of Dunfermline – a beautiful Art Deco theatre which hosts a diverse programme of entertainment and is only five minutes’ walk from the hotel. This is the birthplace and memorial to Andrew Carnegie, the weaver’s son who made a fortune from the furnaces of the American steel industry and who gave his fortune away to benefit humanity. There is an Andrew Carnegie Birthplace Museum, where you can find out what life was like in 19th-century Dunfermline and what it was like to emigrate to America with just a few possessions. Learn how Andrew Carnegie became the richest man in the world and the father of modern philanthropy. Explore the museum’s interactive displays, weaving demonstrations and children’s activities. There is also a café and garden, museum shop and an events space.