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Description

Attractive and long established traditional licensed village Hotel including a retail outlet adjacent to Castle of Mey, the late Queen Mother's home in Caithness. Includes 8 smart en-suite bedrooms and owners accommodation.

The Castle Arms Hotel is an attractive, traditional, all round Highland Hotel. It is both substantial and impressive with a commanding roadside location on the A836, the main coastal route in the north of Scotland. This former 19th Century coaching Inn now attracts a wide range of trade and benefits from a prime location almost opposite the main entrance to the Castle of Mey, the late Queen Mother’s highland home. This popular visitor attraction is now open to the public and draws thousands of tourists to the county annually, a true trading benefit to the Castle Arms. The Hotel has its own “Royal Gallery” which offers a unique photographic insight into the late Queen Mother’s life and involvement in Caithness. The business also benefits from its proximity to John O’Groats which generates regular passing and residential trade from those undertaking the trip from Lands End to John O’Groats or as it is fondly known from “End to End”.

With a well supported Local’s Bar, smart dining facilities and eight comfortable letting bedrooms the Castle Arms has a well established, balanced trade split fairly evenly across the traditional areas of wet sales, catering and accommodation. Also within the business is a small convenience store which is fairly well supported locally, and again, helps to attract additional trade to the Hotel.

Caithness itself is an area tremendously rich in opportunities for both the resident and the holidaymaker alike. Breathtaking cliffs are host to innumerable seabirds including the puffin, one of the ornithologists favourites. Beautiful golden beaches stretch for miles, none more so than nearby Dunnet Bay with its high dunes. Such is the setting that the area is well known as a destination for surfers and hosts many national competitive events. Small harbours to explore and sea excursions are available, whether to watch seabirds, wildlife or for angling. Nearby passenger ferries offer a choice of day trips to the well known Orkney Islands. Geneaology research, ancient Brochs or perhaps the local Camster Cairns are aspects that appeal to guests, whilst the excellent Caithness trout and salmon fishing is regularly reported in the Trout and Salmon Magazine. The rivers Thurso, Wick and Forss are all well known and are highly productive as are loch’s St John’s, Heilan and Watten . During the winter months the county is also a favourite with wildfowlers and several nearby sporting estates offer deer stalking together with the opportunity for both walked up and driven shoots, these activities undertaken outwith the Hotel’s tourist season. Staying on the sporting front there are several 18-hole golf courses within comfortable reach, namely Thurso, Wick or the links course at Reay.

During the summer months the Hotel is busy with tourists, enjoying a good volume of regular bookings. Strong local trade and passing trade add to these business volumes to complete the Hotel’s revenue stream. The Hotel’s Public Bar caters mainly to local trade and meals are served daily in the attractive Lounge Bar which benefits from an open fireplace.

The Hotel’s Dining Room opens into the Lounge Bar providing the opportunity for ceilidhs, weddings and other entertainment events. A number of cruise ships send their clients to view the Castle of Mey and afterwards the parties dine at the Hotel by reservation.

Only 10 minutes drive is the nearby town of Thurso which has a railway station, secondary schooling, hospital, supermarkets etc. Primary schooling, and many other facilities are more local.

The present owners bought the Hotel in 2000 and have enjoyed the rewarding and profitable lifestyle that accompanied their self-employment in the licensed trade. It is retiral that brings this business opportunity onto the market and whilst the Castle Arms currently achieves a good level of turnover, there certainly remains great scope for enthusiastic new owners to expand this.

The Property
Dating from the 19th century the Hotel is a substantial detached property of traditional construction. The original building has accommodation arranged over two floors under a pitched slate roof. Five of the bedrooms are located an adjoining single storey “wing”. There have been additions to the original building including an area of flat roofing to the rear of the property.

Public Areas
The main Hotel door enters directly into the Reception Hallway to the right of which the large reception desk is found. Straight ahead is the welcoming Lounge Bar, complete with open fireplace, beamed ceiling, attractive seating and smart, fully pine panelled bar. Off the the Lounge Bar is the main Dining Room which has the advantage of a purpose built wooden dancefloor and large panoramic double glazed picture windows overlooking the courtyard garden, these two large rooms readily combining to accommodate a function booking or similar. Both the Lounge Bar and Dining Room have separate doorways leading into the Gallery, a bright room in which over 60 large photographs of the Queen Mother are on display together with additional momentos. It is also at this end of the property, from the Gallery, that guests access the 5 ground floor bedrooms in the accommodation wing to the rear of the building. There is a second entry door at the front of the building with offers access directly into the Gallery.

Turning to the left from the Reception Hallway leads to the Public Bar via an internal corridor. The Public Bar also has a second entrance set to the side of the building, leading in from the car parking area, removing the requirement for non-residents to use the main Hotel entry.

Set to the rear of the building is the small Shop which also has direct access off the car park.

Off the Reception Hallway stairs lead to the remaining 3 Letting bedrooms together with the further en-suite accommodation currently used by the resident owners.

The Public Bar is well patronised. It offers a wide choice in beer and spirits from an attractive, well stocked wood panelled servery with modern downlighting. The Bar has an attractive fire surround and living flame gas fire together with a pool table and darts board.

The premises have a beneficial layout, in that, the Public Bar Servery and the Shop Servery are arranged on a back to back basis providing for ease of service and staffing economy.

Letting Bedrooms
The Hotel has 8 letting bedrooms, to sleep 22 guests (The Family Pentland Suite, 4 triple, 1 twin and 2 double). These are comfortable, attractively furnished and benefit from central heating, colour television and tea / coffee making facilities. All of the bedrooms have en-suite facilities.

Private / STAFF accommodation
The present owners currently occupy a large en-suite bedroom on the first floor of the Hotel.

Service areas
The Hotel has a good-sized commercial kitchen with adjoining wash-up area. There is good fridge and freezer capacity and storage space for dry goods etc. Within the accommodation wing to the the rear of the building is a substantial area used for additional freezer space and as a toolshed etc. One boiler room is located to the rear of the building, housing the boiler which services the ground floor bedroooms, a second boiler is located inside off the kitchen, this heats the rest of the building.

An administrative office is conveniently located behind the reception area. There is a beer cellar and further wine and spirits store.

GROUNDS
The Castle Arms Hotel is a substantial property enjoying a prime site immediately adjacent to the main A836. To the rear of the business are extensive grounds of around 5 acres. These are mostly laid to grass with a good mix of pine and native Scottish trees. There is offroad parking for approximately 20 cars in the main car park which is set immediately to one side of the business. To the rear of the Hotel is a smart courtyard and garden which has bench and table type seating, especially popular during better weather.

Services
Mains electricity, water and drainage. Gas fired central heating. Propane gas.

Licences
The Hotel has a licence in accordance with the Licensing Scotland Act 2005. A copy of the Operating Plan will be made available to genuinely interested parties.

Trade
Accounting information will be made available to genuinely interested parties subsequent to formally viewing the Hotel.

Price
Offers over £265,000 are invited for the heritable property complete with goodwill and trade contents (according to inventory), excluding personal items. Stock at valuation.

Finance & Legal Services
ASG Commercial is in touch with several lenders who provide specialist finance to the hospitality trade. Paul Hart (Head of Commercial Sales) will be delighted will be delighted to discuss your financing requirements with you and make an appropriate introduction.

We have a large team of legal experts in-house and can act in all legal matters arising to include Conveyancing and Licence Transfers.

Directions
John O’Groats 4 miles, Castletown 5, Thurso 8, Inverness 96 miles.
From Inverness head north on the A9 to Thurso. From Thurso take the main A836 coastal road heading east signed for John O’Groats. The Hotel is on the right hand side of the road in the village of Mey.

Viewing
All appointments to view must be made through the vendors selling agents:
ASG Commercial
York House
20 Church Street
Inverness IV1 1ED
Tel: 0845 4500790
Fax: 01463 711083

Offers
All offers should be submitted in writing to ASG Commercial with whom purchasers should register their interest if they wish to be advised of a Closing Date.