A public house with 11 letting bedrooms in Stonehaven, which can trace its origins back to 1771, has been put up for sale by its owner, who is retiring after 20 years of successful trading.

Chartered surveyor DM Hall is marketing The Ship Inn, at Shorehead in Stonehaven.

Detailing his reasons for selling, Simon Cruickshank said: “Owning The Ship Inn has been a great experience and very rewarding but, at 66, I think it’s time for my partner Irene and I to spend a bit more time together and to go travelling.

“I also have a brother in New Zealand who I’d like to visit. Whoever is fortunate enough to acquire The Ship Inn will find it hard work but also a truly enjoyable experience and I wish them great success.”

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DM Hall described The Ship Inn as “a successful and profitable hostelry, with a complement of 25 local staff, full and part time, and up to 40 in the busy summer months”.

The chartered surveyor added: “The Ship Inn is formed in three distinct, interlinked sections comprising the original building which accommodates the lounge bar and six ensuite letting bedrooms; a modern extension which contains the highly rated Captain’s Table, a 38-cover restaurant which specialises in seafood, as well as a further five ensuite letting bedrooms; and an extension to the rear of the original building containing customer toilets, a utility room and a staff locker room.”

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DM Hall noted the price is “available on application”.

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It added that “trading information and accounts will be made available to the professional advisers of seriously interested parties following the completion of a non-disclosure agreement, which can be provided on request”.

Stuart Johnston, a partner in the Aberdeen office of DM Hall, said: “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to acquire what is widely regarded as a local institution as well as an excellent business in a prosperous, vibrant location, owned and traded very successfully by the same person, Simon, for the past 20 years.”

Mr Johnston, who is overseeing the sales process, added: “Scotland’s licensed trade certainly has its challenges but what Simon has done at The Ship Inn by investing heavily and consistently in refurbishment and high standards of maintenance and decoration is to create a fine property in walk-in condition with a first-class offering which is valued and appreciated by both the people of Stonehaven and its many visitors.”

The chartered surveyor said: “[The] lounge bar, with seating for 50 guests, fitted and finished in a traditional style with a nod to the nautical heritage of the building, offers a range of refreshments, with an open fire in winter, and a sun terrace overlooking the harbour where seating is provided for 32 around several fixed tables.”

DM Hall added: “Home to famous Dunnottar Castle, Stonehaven enjoys a large number of visitors thought the year who visit the town to enjoy its beautiful coastal setting and picturesque town harbour.

“The town also hosts a series of annual local events focused on the harbour, including an annual beer festival, a folk music festival each July, and the annual high point which is the Fireball celebration at Hogmanay. Stonehaven also boasts a dramatic, clifftop 18-hole golf course, Scotland’s only volunteer-managed Art Deco Olympic sized outdoor heated swimming pool and a popular holiday caravan site.”