New owners have submitted plans to transform Dalgarven House Hotel, near Kilwinning, with an outdoor sauna after reopening the venue.

An application for permission to construct a wooden sauna cabin – including installation of decking, and a 1.9m high privacy fence – was validated last week.

We reported last year how Spa Houses, run by husband and wife Lorna and Alan Carnegie, bought the hotel to add it to their impressive portfolio of luxury properties in Ayrshire.

Spa Houses run The Old Nunnery and the Wee Nunnery in Skelmorlie and the Golden Crown and King’s Landing in Tarbolton.

The Dalgarven site, complete with its 10 bedrooms, is now being marketed as having a private bar, drinks butler and spa.

The hotel is also focusing on weddings – offering the event parties the use of the entire hotel for their own guests for as many days as they would like.

Speaking to the Times, Alan said: “We are looking forward to re-opening Dalgarven House Hotel.

“We hope to expand the previous owner’s popular wedding venue with the addition of exclusive venue hire for other occasions.”

The proposals, available to view on North Ayrshire Council’s website, state: “The application, partly retrospective, seeks to enhance an underused, chipped area between the hotel and raised riverbank to create increased amenities for hotel guests, namely an area of composite decking, adjacent privacy fencing with gate and a glass balustrade for safety to replace existing rope barrier.

“This 6m x 3m x 2m high wooden and glass doored summer house, with built in two person sauna is proposed to sit outside the new fence, with access through the glass doors via a gap to be created in fence to the deck area.

“The elevation facing the car park and sides will be painted white to blend with fence and wall.

“It will also be used as a relaxation area for spa guests in the deck area.

“It is estimated that 2/40 existing parking spaces will be taken by the footprint of the summer house. (This is an estimate as car park surface is stone chipped and not marked.)

“Operation of this cabin, as with rest of deck area and in conjunction with existing licencing plan, will cease before 10pm.”