Murray and Ellie Lamont have put the Mackays Hotel in Wick, Caithness, on the market. The award-winning hotel, situated on Ebenezer Place the world’s shortest street, has been in the family for 67 years and it is now for sale through Drysdale & Co.
The hotel was bought by Murray’s maternal grandmother in 1955, and Murray and Ellie took over the management of Mackays Hotel in 1983 and went on to purchase the property from the rest of the family in the 1990s.
Murray Lamont comments, “Our family is incredibly proud to have been the caretakers for our family-run hotel for 67 years. During that time Mackays Hotel has become an integral part of local community life here in Caithness. The hotel has gone from strength to strength, winning a number of industry awards and accolades and welcoming over 50,000 global visitors to the north Highlands and famous North Coast 500 each year.
“We’ve always prided ourselves on our warm Highland welcome to guests from across the world every single year and have some very happy memories from our time as owners of the hotel since the 1990s. We’d like to thank all our guests, staff, suppliers, local community and friends for their continued loyal support over the decades.
“We now feel the time is right to hand over the reins of Mackays Hotel to new owners who we hope are as passionate about Wick, Caithness and north Highland life as we are.”
Mackays Hotel has 30 en-suite modern bedrooms, and a selection of six self-catering apartments as well as providing exclusive events spaces for weddings, corporate events, meetings, private functions and other special occasions.
Mackays Hotel’s No 1 Bistro celebrates and supports the best local and seasonal Highland food and drink, including Mey Selections beef and lamb, Caithness Smokehouse and Scrabster Seafoods.
Buyers will also have the opportunity to develop the hotel’s grain store, which previously had planning permission for a new three-story extension with the potential to add further bedrooms.
The hotel is being marketed by Drysdale & Co in three lots. The three lots include the 30-bedroom Mackays Hotel, six self-catering apartments (supplementary letting accommodation) and a vacant Church building for separate negotiation.
Potential purchasers should contact Stuart Drysdale at Drysdale & Co on 07851 317 186 or email stuart@drysdaleandcompany.co.uk