Our History
A private home turned hotel
Rufflets was built in 1924 as a private home for Anne Brydon Gilroy, the widow of a successful Dundee merchant who traded in jute, a natural fibre used to make cloth. You can see her initials ABG engraved on the key stone above the door leading to the formal gardens.
How we got our name
Until 1924, the 10 acres of Rufflets grounds had been used for agricultural purposes. Records from 1642 show that the land was owned by the Priory of St Andrews, and was known as the "Ruch (pronounced ruff) Flets" which in the old Scots tongue meant 'rough, flat lands'.
It's a hotel
In 1952, the seven bedroom turreted mansion was bought by George and Margaret Cook and business partners, Anna and James Meldrum. The two women were sisters and the men, lifelong friends. The group sold their business and home, and ploughed their fortune and passion into turning it into one of Scotland's first and finest country house hotels.
Three generations later...with an addition
Today, Rufflets’ board comprises Mark Forrester, grandson of two of the original founders, his mother, Ann Murray-Smith, who took over the business from her parents in 1976, and Marco Truffelli, Italo-British hotelier, who partnered with them in early 2020.