A ‘successful and profitable’ hostelry is up for sale in the affluent town of Stonehaven on the North-east coast of Scotland.
DM Hall is marketing The Ship Inn, Shorehead, Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, which it described as a historic traditional public house, with eleven letting bedrooms, whose origins go back to 1771.
With a complement of 25 local staff, full and part-time, and up to 40 in the busy summer months, The Ship Inn is formed in three interlinked sections, comprising the original building which accommodates the lounge bar and six en-suite letting bedrooms; a modern extension which contains the Captain’s Table – a 38-cover restaurant which specialises in seafood – as well as a further five en-suite letting bedrooms; and an extension to the rear of the original building containing customer toilets, a utility room and a staff locker room.
A lounge bar, with seating for 50 guests, fitted and finished in a traditional style nodding to the nautical heritage of the building, has an open fire in winter, while a sun terrace overlooking the harbour has seating for 32 around several fixed tables.
The property has come to market as a result of the impending retirement of its current owner, Simon Cruickshank, who 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.
“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.”
Stuart Johnston, of DM Hall’s Aberdeen office, 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 twenty years.
“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,” said Johnston.
“Price is available on application. Trading information and accounts will be made available to the professional advisors of seriously interested parties following the completion of a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) which can be provided on request.”
Stonehaven is about 16 miles to the south of Aberdeen, and his home to Dunnottar Castle. It enjoys a large number of visitors throughout the year who visit the town to enjoy its coastal setting and picturesque harbour. The town also hosts a series of annual local events, including an annual beer festival, a folk music festival each July, and the annual high point which is the Fireball celebration at Hogmanay.
The town also boasts a clifftop 18-hole golf course, Scotland’s only volunteer-managed Art Deco Olympic sized outdoor heated swimming pool and a popular holiday caravan site.
