THE HISTORIC islands of Orkney have consistently been crowned Scotland’s best place to live in recent years, and now a rare opportunity has arisen to acquire a lifestyle business in the old Viking haven of Stromness.
DM Hall Chartered Surveyors is bringing to market for £1.35m a brace of hotels in the islands’ second busiest town – hostelries which are popular with locals and tourists alike and which are integral to the social infrastructure of the close-knit community.
The 18-bed Ferry Inn commands a view of the marina and the port where the Northlink ferry pulls into the network of flagstone streets, lanes, piers and slipways. The Royal Hotel nestles on Victoria Street, among traditional shops and houses.
Stromness has been shaped by the sea as a whaling and fishing port, and is now the heart of the diving industry, with easy access to the haunted hulls of the wartime wrecks in Scapa Flow.
The town is a base for touring the Heart of Neolithic Orkney, a World Heritage Site comprising the Ring of Brodgar, Skara Brae, the Stones of Stenness and Maeshowe.
Both hotels have been refurbished and their en-suites have been upgraded and redecorated.
They have modern business systems which include cloud-based EPOS, room and table reservations and online accounting systems. As well as established online travel agent and direct selling websites, their own website can be found at orkneyislandhotels.com.
The Ferry Inn is a detached traditional harbour-side inn with 12 individually styled rooms, some with striking views to the front, and an additional six en-suite rooms in the Harbourside House annex across the street. Its nautically themed restaurant can host 85 people.
The Royal Hotel provides complementary accommodation to that found at the Ferry Inn and brings balance to the portfolio. It has a public bar, very popular with locals throughout the year, a lounge bar to the rear and separate dining room serviced by a well-equipped commercial kitchen.
These areas are all presented to a good standard in keeping with the style of the property and afford a warm and welcoming environment.
The 10 en-suite letting bedrooms are all located at first and second floor. Decorated to provide comfortable surroundings in which to relax. The first floor also has a popular function room which can host up to 120 guests.
Interested parties should contact Margaret Mitchell on margaret.mitchell@dmhall.co.uk. Offers over £1.35 million are invited and competition is likely to be intense so expressions of interest should be submitted as a matter of some urgency.
