‘I often say you’re only as good as your last match, or business wise, the last experience of the guests you’ve had to stay’.

THE FIVE -MINUTE INTERVIEW

WITH EILIDH SMITH, CAPTAIN OF GB MASTERS TENNIS TEAM, AND OWNER OF MORTON OF PITMILLY, RURAL HOLIDAY RESORT IN FIFE.

Hello, Eilidh. Thank you for inviting me to visit you in the East Neuk of Fife and hit a few tennis balls.

You’re welcome. While it’s a sunny morning with wonderful blue sky, we can have a knock-up on our indoor court.

You’ve got something of a double(s) life, can you explain?

Yes. My Mum, Elaine, and I are the owners of Morton of Pitmilly, near Kingsbarns. It’s a working arable farm of 150 acres with an 18th-century converted steading, and I run the holiday business here. However, I’m also the captain of the GB Masters tennis team and enjoy playing age group events.

It’s very competitive and involves travel and a lot of training, but it’s a brilliant thing to be able to do.

I’m very fortunate in having a fantastic team at Pitmilly who hold the fort when I’m away – looking after our holidaying guests and working hard during changeover days.

I understand you’ve been celebrating an anniversary at Pitmilly?

Yes, Mum and her then husband bought the farm in 1988 and decided to invest in making it a self-catering rural holiday destination. It was opened in 1990, so we’ve just celebrated 35 years, it’s been growing and each year we add something new. 

We’ve a loyal band of guests who have been bringing their children, grand-children and their dogs, since then. We’re proud of our recent Bronze Award from Green Tourism too.

When did you start playing tennis?

Age six. My Mum coached at Wormit tennis club, beside the Tay Bridge, so I spent lots of time at the courts. I was a good all-round athlete but really excelled playing tennis as a junior. I played at national junior level, competed in junior international events across Europe and played a year full time before going to uni.

What did you do before returning to Morton of Pitmilly?

I studied sports science at Loughborough University and then worked in high-performance sport in London. I moved back to Fife in 2007 looking for a new challenge and an opportunity for a change of lifestyle.

What have been the challenges?

Like many businesses, we had to fight for our survival during the pandemic. We introduced a converted shipping container at the farm as an outdoor servery off the back of all the restrictions and continue to operate this as an outdoor coffee bar in the mornings and host evening street food events from it in peak holiday season. Our guests and the local community out walking their dogs love popping by when they are peckish.

One of our more recent challenges is the rising price of energy. In the past few years, our bill has jumped from £45,000 a year to £150,000. That’s tricky for a small hospitality business to absorb.