A Scottish hotel group has announced the expansion of its senior management team, with a number of key appointments ahead of the summer season peaks.

Crieff Hydro Family of Hotels, which operates sites including Crieff Hydro and Peebles Hydro and dates from 1868, has appointed Gavin Edwards as head of learning and development, while Ryan Gourlay takes on a new role as IT technical manager.

With more than a decade of experience working in a variety of senior learning and development roles within Scotland’s hospitality sector, Mr Edwards joins the Crieff Hydro family from Glasgow-based Klarent Hospitality, where he spent over four years supporting the progression of the workforce at hotel groups such as Hilton and Mercure.

With a focus on employee retention within the wider Crieff family, his role will see an overhaul of the group’s onboarding process, while building on the already successful internal training schemes and employee development programmes currently on offer.

Mr Edwards said: “I’m very excited to be joining the Crieff Hydro Family of Hotels at a crucial time for Scotland’s hospitality sector.

“It’s no secret that the industry is facing recruitment challenges and that’s why building a strong portfolio of excellent career progression opportunities for our team is so important to us.

“The service industry sets itself apart from any other sector when it comes to progression. You can join at entry-level and advance relatively quickly into a senior management role compared to other industries due to the soft skills you acquire.

“It’s vital to illustrate these pathways for the team from day one, so establishing a fantastic onboarding process to allow people to feel welcomed, knowledgeable and inspired in their role from the get-go is crucial.”

Mr Gourlay joined the Crieff Hydro family in 2014 as an IT support technician  after being made redundant following his previous role as an IT apprentice at Microspec Computer Ltd in Falkirk.

He said: “There’s a big emphasis on on-the-job training here, which helps you get to the nitty-gritty of how the cogs in the Crieff machine work together. It’s a great place for career development.”

Niall Kelly takes on the role of IT operations manager working alongside Mr Gourlay. He said: “I joined as an IT support technician and was given fantastic support, guidance and advice when it came to building on my skills and stepping into a senior role. Now, I’m in a position to help support other people in my team who are keen to follow a similar path, and that’s extremely rewarding.”

Stephen Leckie, chief executive of Crieff Hydro Family of Hotels, said: “It’s great to welcome Gavin to the business, whilst promoting Niall and Ryan from within the portfolio, and we are certain that these key appointments will bring continued success to the Crieff Hydro Family of Hotels.

“We are proud of the fantastic employee culture we have created across our portfolio of hotels, and with the appetite for staycations remaining strong, there has never been a better time to pursue a career in Scotland’s hospitality sector.

“Our commitment to providing fantastic employee development opportunities and clear pathways of progression sets the Crieff Hydro Family of Hotels aside from the crowd. We’re all about creating unforgettable memories for our guests – and the only way we’ll do that is with a fantastic team at the helm.”

Pub giant reveals Glasgow expansion plans

JD Wetherspoon has revealed it will create 40 new jobs with expansion of a long-established pub in Glasgow.

The pub giant said the jobs boost will come with its £1.4 million project to expand The Sir John Moore, which has been a fixture on Argyle Street since June 2002. Redevelopment work starts at the pub, located a short walk from Central Station, today, with the outlet closing on Monday August 7 until early October to allow the major works to take place. It will reopen to the public on Sunday October 3.

Paul Sheerin: Scotland must seize huge manufacturing opportunity

Last month saw the official opening of the hugely impressive flagship building for the National Manufacturing Institute for Scotland (NMIS), representing around £40 million of an overall £75m investment for the future of both manufacturing in Scotland and the benefits our sector can bring to wider society.

The teams working within NMIS would rightly remind us that as important as the headquarter facility is, NMIS has in fact been operating since 2019, delivering more than 150 research and development projects to over 140 organisations.