By Ian McConnell
HIGHLAND Coast Hotels has acquired the 14-room Plockton Inn, which has been in the ownership of the same family for a quarter-century.
The acquisition follows the purchase of four hotels by Highland Coast Hotels last year. The group was founded in spring 2021 to invest in and develop hotels in the region.
Highland Coast Hotels chairman David Whiteford said: “We are absolutely delighted to be acquiring The Plockton Inn, one of the west coast’s best-loved hotels. It’s a daunting prospect to be picking up the baton from Kenny and Mary Gollan and Susan Trowbridge, who have nurtured and developed the hotel into such a landmark in this beautiful part of the world.”
Mr Gollan said: “After 25 years of ownership of the Plockton Inn, Mary, Susan and I are very sad to be handing over our wonderful hotel after all these years. It has been a source of huge satisfaction and pride to us, and we will be forever grateful for the unstinting support we have received from the local community, and our many regular guests from further afield.”
Since its launch in April last year, Highland Coast Hotels has acquired the Kylesku Hotel, as well as the Newton Lodge in Ullapool, on the west coast. It has also bought the Royal Golf Hotel in Dornoch and the Royal Marine Hotel in Brora, on the east coast.
All of these hotels are situated on or around the North Coast 500 route.
The taxpayer-funded Scottish National Investment Bank announced in January that it would providing £4.45 million of funding to Highland Coast Hotels to support the upgrade of these four properties, declaring this would "help to support more sustainable and community-led hospitality around the North Coast 500 tourist route”.
It added that the loan would be repaid from income generated by the hotels.
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