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An “iconic” family-run hotel in the north Highlands has been brought to market for the first time since 1955.
Mackays Hotel is situated in Wick, Caithness, on Ebenezer Place, which is known as the world’s shortest street with a length of only six feet, nine inches.
It is located on the North Coast 500, features 30 en-suite modern bedrooms, supports around 30 local jobs and welcomes around 54,000 global visitors to the area each year.
Mackays Hotel also features a selection of six self-catering apartments as well as providing exclusive events spaces for weddings, corporate events, meetings, private functions and other occasions.
Located by the river Wick and Wick harbour, its No 1 Bistro offers local and seasonal Highland food and drink, including Mey Selections beef and lamb, Caithness Smokehouse and Scrabster Seafoods.
The hotel has been named ‘Caithness Business of the Year’ in the Highland Business Awards 2016, was the overall winner of the ‘Developing the Young Workforce’ category at the Highland Business Awards 2017, won an AA Rosette for No.1 Bistro at Mackays Hotel in 2014, and a Gold Tourism Award as part of The Green Tourism Business Scheme.
The site is currently owned and operated by Murray and Ellie Lamont, the third generation of the Lamont family to have been caretakers for the hotel for over 67 years. Murray and Ellie took over the management of the hotel in 1983 and went on to purchase the property from the rest of the family in the 1990s.
Murray Lamont, current owner of Mackays Hotel, said: “Our family is incredibly proud to have been the caretakers for our family-run hotel for 67 years. During that time Mackays Hotel has become an integral part of local community life here in Caithness.
“The hotel has gone from strength to strength, winning a number of industry awards and accolades and welcoming over 50,000 global visitors to the north Highlands and famous North Coast 500 each year.”
He added: “We’ve always prided ourselves on our warm Highland welcome to guests from across the world every single year and have some very happy memories from our time as owners of the hotel since the 1990s. We’d like to thank all our guests, staff, suppliers, local community and friends for their continued loyal support over the decades.
“We now feel the time is right to hand over the reins of Mackays Hotel to new owners who we hope are as passionate about Wick, Caithness and north Highland life as we are.”
Mackays Hotel is being marketed by Drysdale and Co in three lots. The three lots include the 30-bedroom Mackays Hotel, six self-catering apartments and a vacant Church building for separate negotiation.
