Achnagairn House owners acquire eight new properties
The owners of five-star exclusive-use venue, Achnagairn House, have acquired eight new properties on the Achnagairn estate in Kirkhill, near Inverness.
The properties range from four to seven bedrooms each. Gillian and Michael Lacey-Solymar add the lodges to their current portfolio of luxury venues, Perfect Manors, which already includes Achnagairn House, Cortes House in Aberdeenshire and Perfect Sunshine, a five-star villa in Antigua.
Work on the properties began in 2008 with several million pounds spent on their development by the previous owner. However, with the downturn in the economy, they have stood empty for almost three years after the developer behind the project went into administration.
Gillian Lacey-Solymar said: "We are thrilled to breathe new life into this development and add these new properties to our portfolio. They triple our capacity from 24 bedrooms to over 70."
"What's wonderful is how every century Achnagairn House makes its mark. The current mansion was built in 1812, its stunning ballroom added in 1912, and now, just over 100 years later, we are adding these beautiful new lodges. Not only is this exciting for us as a hospitality business, but we feel very proud to be able to reintegrate a core part of this historic estate."
"To bring the lodges up to the quality of the main house will require considerable investment," added her husband Michael. "By the time the development is complete, the Achnagairn estate will have had over £7m spent on it, making it one of the most significant new entrants to the hospitality sector in the Highlands. We intend Achnagairn to be one of the preeminent venues in Scotland. Not only does it boast one of the most beautiful ballrooms in the UK, but its gorgeous grounds, close proximity to Inverness, and now, 70 luxury bedrooms, make it unique."
Regional director of VisitScotland, Scott Armstrong said: "We warmly welcome news of the proposed investment at Achnagairn House. Tourism is essential to the wider Highlands economy and strategic, sustainable investment in high quality developments, such as Achnagairn, is vital in helping to position the region as a ‘must visit' destination well into the future."
The properties will come on stream, lodge by lodge, over the next few months.
