Major change for hoteliers

Veteran operators move into Pitlochry hotels market

THE former owners of The Royal Ettrick Hotel in Edinburgh have made the move to the picturesque Perthshire town of Pitlochry to take over The Pine Trees Hotel.

Major James Barlow and his wife Anne, who sold their hotel in the capital to a residential developer last year after operating the business for 20 years, purchased the hotel and three additional properties, which are all located within ten acres of gardens and woodland close to the main four-star Victorian mansion hotel.

The property was built in 1892 and is said to have been recently renovated with a “high-quality finish throughout”.

The hotel has 20 bedrooms, a lounge and a bar and garden restaurant, which majors in Scottish produce.

Also included in the sale were a Coach House with a further six apartments and Gate House Lodge, a self-contained three-bedroom property, as well as a separate private residential building which sits adjacent to the main hotel and is described as perfect for owner’s accommodation.

Stuart Drysdale, director at Christie & Co, who handled the sale, said: “The Pine Trees Hotel presented a terrific opportunity for a new owner to take on a well-established business with scope to increase daytime food and beverage sales, as well as the potential to build on the wedding trade.

“[The couple] were looking for a new challenge but were also keen to look at businesses that were performing well, so that they could hit the ground running and build on a solid reputation.”

The hotel and residential property was sold from an asking price of £2.4 million.