By Scott Wright

BALBIRNIE House in Fife has returned to the black, as its leader lamented the loss of the many EU nationals on its payroll because of Brexit.

The country house hotel, which has won a host of awards as a wedding destination, made a profit of £124,007 for the year ended April 30, new accounts show. It follows a loss of £76,491 the year before.

Balbirnie, a Grade A listed building in Markinch, moved back into profit as turnover climbed to 8.3% to £3 million, despite “some of the most challenging conditions ever experienced by Scotland’s tourism and hospitality sectors”. The hotel noted figures from VisitScotland which show the number of inbound visits to Scotland plunged by 35 per cent in the first quarter of 2019. Tourism sources told The Herald in August that the continuing uncertainty caused by Brexit has caused European tourists to holiday elsewhere this year. This has come as fragile economic conditions have led domestic holidaymakers to rein in hteir spending.

Balbirnie managing director Nicholas Russell expressed satisfaction with the results, but warned Brexit would continue to result in “accelerating costs” and uncertainty. He added: “The directors are also saddened to see the loss of ability to employ EU nationals, as a significant proportion of company employees have always previously originated from within the EU.”