A HOTEL group based on the Isle of Skye has added a third property to its portfolio as it looks to capitalise on the Hebridean island's popularity as a tourism draw.
Sonas Group, which owns the island's award-winning Duisdale House and Toravaig House hotels, has bought the Skeabost Hotel for £650,000. The 14-bedroom property is based in Portree and comes with a 23-acre golf course and access to eight miles of river for salmon fishing.
Sonas has been backed in the acquisition by Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), which co-owner Anne Gracie said had provided a "good percentage" of the purchase price at a competitive rate.
The company, owned by Ms Gracie and partner Ken Gunn, is currently renovating the one-time hunting lodge, while continuing to welcome guests.
Ms Grace said the renovations at the hotel, which last changed hands for £2.4 million in the mid-2000s, are 50 per cent complete, and are focused largely on updating furnishings and the general cosmetic appearance and maintenance of the building.
The hotelier, who used to own a guest house on Skye and work for English Country Cottages, said trading while renovating is a challenging process. But she explained that the hotel had to be brought up to a higher standard for the current season.
Ms Gracie, a former director the Highlands of Scotland Tourist Board and Skye and Lochalsh Enterprise said: "We're busy renovating up at Skeabost and we already have a full hotel at the same time. Things have been a bit more challenging than we would normally have hoped for, but needs must when we have got the bookings there.
"The fact is we have taken over a going concern and we just have to honour the bookings that are there and work our way through the renovations."
Ms Gracie, who saw the Duisdale pick up the independent hotel of the year prize at the recent Catering Scotland Awards, is aiming to establish Skeabost as a wedding destination. The Duisdale handles 35 weddings a year and weddings also take place at Toravaig House, but the hotelier said Skye continues to lack a big venue for such functions.
Ms Gracie said: "We've done three big ones already in seven weeks at Skeabost, so I think it will become a serious wedding venue once again."
Along with weddings, the operators are aiming to replicate the strong reputation their other hotels have for food, service, and the individuality of their rooms at Skeabost.
And there are plans to achieve synergies by marketing the three hotels as a group. Ms Gracie said: "We've only been there seven weeks but we've made huge inroads already. We can actually see it becoming on a par with other two hotels, and going into the same category as Duisdale."
The latest investment by Sonas comes with Skye riding high as a tourism attraction. While Ms Gracie said the island is well-established on a tourism "triangle" alongside Edinburgh and Loch Ness, she said it has become even more popular since the Ryder Cup and Commonwealth Games brought Scotland to more tourists' attentions last year.
She said: "That has given us massive focus, because already this year is even more buoyant than last year."
Iain McFee of RBS said: "The Sonas Group is a well respected brand within the hospitality sector thanks to its work with its flagship development, the Duisdale Hotel.
"Anne leads a strong management team and this strategic plan will provide the business with opportunities for growth and continued investment."
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