# How Three Arches Came about - from an A91 sign to Reformer studio

Sometimes a new chapter begins with a carefully thought-out business plan. Sometimes it begins by driving along the A91 and noticing that a sign is still there.

I had first visited Three Arches about three months earlier for a Christmas wreath-making workshop. I remember thinking then what a beautiful and unusual space it was. The owners had refurbished the building with such care, retaining its character while creating a light, peaceful and welcoming interior.

Then, 6 months later, I was driving along the A91 and noticed the sign was still up.

That was the moment.

I already knew the building, I loved the location, and I couldn't stop thinking about what the space could become. It seemed far too special to simply become another set of offices.

A Reformer Pilates Studio Near Cupar

The location felt perfect for what I had in mind.

Three Arches sits in the countryside near Cupar, while also being accessible from St Andrews, Dundee and the surrounding Fife communities. It gave me the opportunity to create something very different from a conventional gym or town-centre fitness studio.

I wanted to create a dedicated Pilates and Reformer Pilates studio where the quality of the teaching mattered just as much as the surroundings.

Within around four months, that idea became a reality.

Three Arches Pilates & Wellbeing opened its doors with professional Reformer Pilates equipment, experienced teachers and a growing timetable of Reformer Pilates and complementary classes.

More Than Just Reformer Machines

Beautiful Reformers and a beautiful studio are only part of the story.

My own career in health, fitness and sport spans more than 17 years and has included working as a gym membership manager, personal trainer and within a sporting governing body, alongside a background in high-performance sport.

Over the years, my work increasingly moved towards Pilates, movement quality, rehabilitation-focused exercise and helping people understand how their bodies move rather than simply asking them to exercise harder.

That experience has shaped what I want Three Arches to become.

Our Reformer Pilates classes aren't about putting someone on a Reformer machine and simply moving through a sequence of exercises.

Good Pilates teaching should involve observation, correction, progression and an understanding of the person in front of you. The Reformer is an incredible piece of equipment, but the springs can provide assistance and feedback as well as resistance. Sometimes the aim isn't to make an exercise harder. It's to help someone perform it better.

Bringing Pilates Back to Its Foundations

As Three Arches develops, one thing is becoming increasingly important to me: the fundamentals of Pilates must not get lost simply because Reformer Pilates has become popular.

Breathing. Posture. Alignment. Deep core control. Precision. Concentration. Understanding how and why we move.

These principles matter whether you're lying on a mat or working on a Reformer.

That's why we're continuing to develop our timetable with classes and sessions that complement our Reformer Pilates programme, including opportunities for clients to step away from the Reformer and revisit the basic Pilates principles on the mat.

The better we understand our own bodies, the more we can get from the equipment.

Building Something for Cupar, St Andrews and the Wider Community

Three Arches is still at the beginning of its story.

We're building our timetable gradually, listening to our clients and developing the studio around what people genuinely want and need.

Whether you've practised Pilates for years, are curious about trying Reformer Pilates for the first time, or simply want to move better and feel more confident in your body, we want Three Arches to be a welcoming place to learn.

It still feels slightly surreal that noticing that sign on the A91 eventually led to a fully equipped Reformer Pilates studio.

But perhaps some opportunities simply refuse to be ignored.

If you're looking for Reformer Pilates near Cupar, St Andrews or Dundee, we'd love you to come and experience Three Arches for yourself.

And if you've already visited us, please consider leaving us a Google review. For a new independent studio, every review helps other local people find us on Google and Google Maps — and helps our little Three Arches community continue to grow.

Three Arches Pilates & Wellbeing Reformer Pilates, Pilates and wellbeing near Cupar, St Andrews and Dundee.