Richard Bath heads to Lower Largo for a stay at the Crusoe to see what has changed at this boutique hotel next to the quay.
Once upon a dream, the Crusoe in Lower Largo was one of those destination places where lots of city folk went for short breaks. It might be golf in the East Neuk and St Andrews, the Fife Point-to-point, or just good old-fashioned amorous intent, but it was definitely on the radar of large swathes of Scotland’s town and city dwellers.
Yet somehow, that blip on the radar grew fainter until the Crusoe – named in honour of the coastal village’s most famous son, Alexander Selkirk – slipped silently into the mist. But when the company which owns the Ship in Elie and the Bridge Inn at Ratho took over the reins three years ago, the ocean liner was gradually turned around. This year the hotel was not only named as one of The Times’ five best hotels in Scotland, it was crowned Romantic Hotel of the Year at Scottish National Hotel of the Year Awards. Having previously eschewed a review (full disclosure: I know the owners) a visit was now a professional necessity.
The first thing that struck me was quite how picture box pretty Lower Largo is when the sun shines. Cheaper than nearby Elie, it has many of the same qualities that have made its neighbour so sought after: amazing sea views, lovely old housing stock, a sense of old world charm, and one of the best beaches in Fife.
Not only that, but despite the inevitable second homes, AirBNB and property inflation, there’s still a palpable sense of community. There’s a cricket club, sailing club, proper community boozer and a popular week-long arts festival each July, not to mention some properly good golf clubs nearby (most immediately Lundin Links to the west, Dumbarnie to the east). It’s less than an hour’s drive from Edinburgh and less than an hour and a half from Glasgow, there are regular buses and now that the station at Leven has been reopened, you can get there by train and a short taxi ride.
So that’s Lower Largo, but what about the Crusoe? If the town has changed little for the past 100 years, the same cannot be said about this lovely boutique hotel right next to the quay. Since Graham and Rachel Bucknall added it to their small portfolio of pubs a gradual rebuilding exercise has been underway, bringing it back to the standard that once made it so popular.
The most obvious asset of the Crusoe is its amazing position at the centre of the village, right on the shore and in the shadow of the disused railway viaduct which dominates the place. All of the rooms have sea views, and the lovely No.1 suite where I spent the night not only has 180 degree sea views, but a balcony where you can sit and take in some rays as you watch the nautical traffic move along the Firth (yes readers, during my visit it was that rarest of things this summer: sunny). As well as a very nice en suite bathroom, my billet also had a bath on the sea side of the room, from which I could relax and look out over the beach (fortunately for the good dog walkers of the village, it didn’t work vice versa). Handily, given that parking is a perennial issue in the tight streets of Lower Largo, the Crusoe also has parking for hotel residents.
Inside, the ground floor has a nice bar which is particularly popular with visiting golf parties, parents whose youngsters are graduating from St Andrews, and city folk looking for a temporarily more tranquil pace of life. If it’s sunny you can sit and drink outside, where bar food is also available.
We decided to have a pre-dinner drink in the by now fading sunshine, and after that to road-test the Crusoe’s first floor restaurant. All stripped floors, ancient stone walls and on-trend tongue and groove, we found that it’s a good place to relax and chew the fat. The food we chose was pretty much exactly the sort of calorie-rich comfort food what you want for a hearty weekend away: we started with a very enjoyable smoked salmon and crab roulade (£10.95) and a bowl of moules mariniere (£13) which was perfectly produced even if it could definitely have been bigger. Chris’s main course of freshly-caught mackerel with capers and shallots (£21.95) was spot on, while my venison ragu with tagliatelle (£21.95) was the sort of calorie-laden fare you need after a day on the links. We rounded off with affogato (£8.95) and ice cream from Arran (£6) and then a drink in the new first floor whisky snug which has stunning views over the beach and sea. The staff were attentive and the wine list pretty decent for a pub (the Primitivo was particularly good value).
The verdict? The Crusoe is making its way back to the being the venue it once was, with its new owners making the most of its natural advantages. I enjoyed my stay and will be back.
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