Golfing town's prized loos sold

The toilet is in a prime site

The property market in Scotland has reached a new high with a public toilet being sold for almost £200,000.

The toilet block in historic St Andrews has sold at auction for about four times the guide price.

The stone block, in the Fife town's City Road, has been sold to a mystery developer from the west of Scotland who plans to convert it into a house.

Fife Council put the block on the market, along with other properties, after closing it to the public.

Golfing mecca St Andrews already boasts the most expensive street in Scotland - overlooking the Old Course.

An unexpected bidding war broke out when the toilet block went under the hammer at a property sale in the Quality Central Hotel in Glasgow.

Three rooms

The listed stone building, which still boasts its male and female toilets, attracted about 15 potential buyers.

The three-room building is located in a prime site near the town's historic West Port, is on one level and originally had a guide price of £50,000.

It has three doors onto the street and was described by the sellers as being in need of extensive renovation.

About 15 bidders showed interest

Auctioneer Shaun Vigers, director of SVA Property, said: "It was a hugely successful sale. We try to give some sort of guide as to what each property is going to get but we hadn't sold any public toilets for at least 10 years so we had no comparison.

"There were lots of different ideas for it, people were talking about food use, a gallery, retail and office use.

"But I think we were helped by the fact Fife Council planning department indicated they would not be averse to considering a scheme for residential conversion."

The property was one of two public conveniences among the Fife Council properties being auctioned with a similar block in Kirkcaldy fetching £38,000. In total, the sale netted the council about £750,000.