Friday January 2nd 2026
Peebles Hydro
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Paul Kelly
A distinctive roof porch entrance at a Borders spa hotel is set to be replaced after it was damaged during Storm Eowyn.
A planning bid has been submitted to Scottish Borders Council which would see the distinctive cupola replaced at Peebles Hydro.
It is said to have been left “unstable and a danger to the public” after nearly half of its glass panels came out and smashed during the storm in January 2025.
“Repair work would also be carried out to the hotel’s entrance where the main columns are said to be in need of “urgent attention”.
The Peebles Hydro first opened in 1881 after three years of construction work.
A major fire in 1905 destroyed the building but it was rebuilt using reclaimed materials.
The category B-listed building became part of the Crieff Hydro group in 2014.
A supporting statement for the work to repair the entrance and replace the damaged cupola said it should “seamlessly match” with the surrounding parts of the building.
The report adds: “The Porte-Cochere of the B- Listed Peebles Hydro Hotel has been under a constant cycle of maintenance throughout its use.
“The pressures of keeping the hotel open at all times has meant that these repairs have been done in a patchwork way with the result that some of the principal structural elements are affected by rot.
“Whilst it is hard to determine the extent of the problems it is clear that three or four of the main columns are in need of urgent attention.
“To make matters worse, the glazed lantern/cupola over the Porte-Cochere was severely storm damaged during Storm Eowyn in late January 2025 leaving the remainder of the structure unstable and a danger to the public.
“The integrity of the main structural elements of the lantern (interlinked glazing bars) were compromised by the storm damage and so the remaining structure and glazing was removed to protect the public.
“During the storm, almost half of the original glass panels had fallen to the ground and smashed leaving the remainder in a perilous position.
“There is no doubt that the Porte-Cochere has been an integral part of the hotel entrance for most of its life.
“Repairs to the existing Porte-Cochere structured are to carried out using a combination of concealed steel shoes and patched in engineered timber formed to match in exactly with existing profiles. Once the repairs are complete and the structure is redecorated, the repairs should seamlessly match in with the existing features and mouldings.
“A new cupola is to be installed on top of the existing kerb to the former cupola. The new cupola will have the same number of glazed panels and be the same diameter as the original but will be conical in shape rather than a hemisphere.”
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