The Hot Scots Power 40: Calum Ross, Loch Melfort Hotel, by Oban
Ranking: 32
Calum Ross is proprietor of Loch Melfort Hotel, a three- star, two AA Rosettes property near Oban. He is chairman of British Hospitality Association Scotland, a BHA board member, a prominent member of the local community and champion of the Scottish hospitality industry.
Calum Ross - Career guide
Calum Ross has been proprietor of Loch Melfort since 2008 when he undertook an extensive refurbishment of the 50-bedroom property. Since then it has since achieved VisitScotland gold star status.
He began his working life in the food and drinks industry, in sales and marketing for Caterplan, Best Foods, and Unilever, culminating in his role as chief operating officer for Foodsolutions Latin America. He left this Brazilian-based job in late 2007 to "pursue the dream of returning home to open a hotel."
In April 2012 Calum was elected chairman of Argyll and The Isles Strategic Tourism Partnership. Ross is also a director of BHA UK; a director of the Scottish Tourism Alliance; chairman of the Arduaine Garden Support Group and vice-chair of the Oban and Lorn Tourism Association. Ross was elected a Fellow of the Institute of Hospitality in 2008.
Calum Ross - What we think
Calum Ross says that he is keen to "make a contribution above and beyond" and this is obvious from the work he has undertaken at the hotel and in the area.
For example the hotel is next door to the historic Arduaine Gardens. When the National Trust for Scotland said it had a funding shortfall for the gardens, Ross helped set up fundraising and offered to sell entrance tickets at off-peak times (to save NTS costs). "We wanted to create awareness of the garden in an attempt to secure an asset for the future but also more potential customers for the bistro, and ultimately the hotel," he told Caterer.
Outside Oban, Ross is known for his work with the BHA, and is a vociferous member of the Scottish Tourism Alliance, keen to see the implementation of the Tourism Strategy 2020.
