Orasay Inn, Lochcarnan, Isle of South Uist, HS8 5PD

DESCRIPTION
Orasay Inn is a beautifully appointed detached property, built in 1980s and subsequently extended to add a conservatory and then 2 more bedrooms in the 1990's. The business is located on de-crofted land at the north end of South Uist in the beautiful rural area north of Lochcarnan, that provides a tranquil and peaceful place in which to relax and enjoy your stay. The rear of the building looks south east with stunning view to Mountains of South Uist, Skye and the Small Ilses.

The inn is well-known and enjoys an outstanding reputation for the quality of the provision offered. With a great standing as evidenced on various review sites, there is no doubt that the purchase of the Orasay Inn offers an exciting opportunity. The business currently trades year-round, with the majority of trade occurring during the main tourist season (April to October). This spacious inn offers guests a high standard of accommodation in both the bar and restaurant areas. The 9 en-suite letting bedrooms are all individually finished to a beautiful standard. There is also the option to purchase a croft tenancy which covers 35 acres of rough grazing bordering the property and part of the nearby shoreline. The opportunity to relax in a comfortable outside space makes the most of the beautiful location. The opportunity to relax in a comfortable outside space makes the most of the beautiful location.

REASON FOR SALE
Having built the property in 1981 and developed the business in 1987 as a restaurant and then into an Inn in the 1990s to the successful level it is today, the owners now wish to retire.

PROFITABILITY
The business's profitability levels are improving, back towards pre-COVID levels. The vendors have continued to invested in the property while still achieving excellent profitability levels.

LOCATION
South Uist is the second largest island in the Outer Hebrides. The west coast comprises mile upon mile of high quality sandy beaches with machair behind, whereas the east coast is mountainous and rugged. To the south there is a causeway connecting South Uist to Eriskay and the north a similar causeway connection to Benbecula and ultimately North Uist. The main village on the island is Lochboisdale only 20 miles away. Traveling about a mile and half from the main A865 takes you into this striking region of the island.

To the north is the island of Benbecula which has an airport at Balivanich only 10 miles distant. This airport has regular flights to a number of the mainland airport, Glasgow direct and Inverness via Stornoway. This commercial hub also provides many services, such as a post office, hospital, primary school plus several shops and cafes. It also is home to the Islands main secondary school, which also doubles as a community centre containing a swimming pool, cafeteria, sports facilities, a small museum and a library.

There are ferry connections to Barra in the South and Lewis and Harris in the North. Ferry services run from Lochmaddy on North Uist to Uig on Skye and from Lochboisdale on South Uist to Mallaig and Oban. There are reduced fares under the road equivalent tariff system. There is currently a scheme offering a 50% discount on flights to the mainland for Outer Hebrides residents. The Outer Isles are known for their fine scenery and superb beaches that are virtually unrivalled anywhere in the UK. The Hebridean Cycle Way is an on road route which is 184 mile long and runs from one end of the archipelago to the other. It passes the by the Inn a mere 1.5 miles distant. The Hebridean Walking Way is an off road route of some 156 miles which pass less than a mile from the inn.

Activities available locally include golf, sports centre and riding school. Benbecula Golf Course is set on the grasslands between North and South Uist. The golf course has 9 holes / 18 tees and is located in a beautiful setting with views out to the Monach Isles. To the south Askernish Golf, an 18 hole course is nestled in the machair, an attraction in itself. The Uist riding school is located at Balivanich and is available for locals and visitors alike. The Island is attractive to naturalist, budding archaeologists and for those with an artistic bent there is Uist Sculpture Trail and the Art Centre in Lochmaddy. Water sports such as paddle boarding has become very popular.

TRADE
The business currently has a reliable and local team of staff, who are used to working throughout the inn, turning their hand to whatever is required. The business operates all year except closing for a few days here and there to allow the owners some down time. Over the winter months the restaurant and bar operate for residents, who tend to be commercial people. Not open over Christmas and the New Year. In addition to meals provided for residents the Inn provides a takeaway menu, where orders are made before 5 and last pick-up at 6:30, most uptake is at weekends.

THE PROPERTY
The Orasay Inn is a prestigious detached villa, originally built in the 1980's as a dwelling with rendered blockwork and a tiled roof. A number of extensions and some internal reorganisation occurred in the 1990's to form the Inn in its current layout. To the front there is a walled seating area offering a very pleasant environment during cooler days and to enjoy the sun and views. There is one main guest entrances to the building, to the left hand side from the car park into the reception area and the other to the right hand side directly into the owner's accommodation. There are other entrances directly into the conservatory on the south east side of the property and the kitchen all providing functional benefits.

The owner's accommodation is private with a locked door between it and the restaurant.

GUEST LOUNGE
The guest lounge is located to the right as you enter the inn through reception and adjacent to the conservatory. This area is set with 6 No. 2 / 3 person sofas, making it the ideal place to adjourn too after a fine meal. The LPG fuelled stove with flame adds to pleasant ambience making the area ideal to enjoy a relaxed coffee and liqueurs.

CONSERVATORY / RESTAURANT / BAR
To the rear of the building there is a conservatory which can accommodate 24 covers. This is a delightful area in which to enjoy your breakfast and evening meal. The bar is located to the side of the restaurant, making it easy to serve drinks to the tables. The conservatory is freshly and pleasantly decorated with comfortable tables and chairs. The conservatory can be used for functions. To the side of the conservatory there is an accessible toilet, which can be made available to residents.

Adjacent to the conservatory is a deck area overlooking the views, accessed through patio doors with access into the grounds. The deck is lovely area to enjoy a drink with the backdrop of the setting sun.

The bar area is located to one end of the restaurant and provides plenty space to house a well-equipped bar. This area also provides local storage for bottled drinks. This area benefits from direct external access for ease of deliveries. The main spirit / alcohol store is located elsewhere within the property.

LETTING ACCOMMODATION
Entry to the guest accommodation is to the left at reception. In total, the inn offers 9 individually decorated letting bedrooms which are all light and inviting. Each is well-equipped with attractive furniture and equipment. All rooms have comfortable beds and are centrally heated. The in-room services include a desk, TV, free WiFi, hospitality trays, complimentary toiletries, hairdryers, and WC. Ironing boards, irons and a trouser press are stored centrally. The en-suites are presented to a high standard throughout. The letting rooms are configured as follows:

Room 1 - Single with shower en-suite, heater towel rails
Room 2 - Single with shower en-suite, heater towel rails
Room 3 - Deluxe Double/Twin with shower en-suite, wheelchair accessible, heater towel rails
Room 4 - Deluxe Double/Twin with shower en-suite, wheelchair accessible, heater towel rails
Room 5 - Twin with shower en-suite
Room 6 - Standard Double with shower en-suite
Room 7 - Standard Double with shower en-suite, heater towel rails
Room 8 - Standard Double/Twin with bath / shower en-suite, heater towel rails
Room 9 - Standard Double/Twin with shower en-suite, heater towel rails

The rooms booking are made through the web QBook platform.

OWNER'S ACCOMMODATION
The spacious owner's accommodation is a separate area located to the south west end of the building. The accommodation comprises a large double bedroom, ensuite bathroom, walk in wardrobe, kitchen and a comfortable lounge / dining area.

SERVICE AREAS
The inn benefits from an appropriately sized commercial kitchen. The kitchen is fully equipped including a gas range stove with oven under, friers and microwave, all with an overhanging canopy connected to a grease filtered extraction system. There are separate prep and a wash up areas. Within the wash up are there is a commercial dishwasher. The kitchen is commercial in it scale with ample work surface, servery areas and storage areas. The kitchen is access directly from outside and from the main reception hall. There is also a direct connection into the bar area of the restaurant, making service simple.

Throughout the building there is good level of distributed storage for linen and cleaning materials and hoovers etc. The inn has its own laundry, located in the bedroom wing. There are also staff welfare in this area.

There is an attached single garage which is used a storage and houses the LPG boiler.

GROUNDS
To the rear of the Inn there is seating on the 2 decked area, accessed from the breakfast / bar area. Two of the bedrooms also benefit from a deck area, assessed through patio doors. These seating areas benefits from all day sun with views south and east towards the Small Isles and Skye, making it a very pleasant place to enjoy some downtime.

The car parking and delivery spaces is finished with stone chips. This area of the inn provides off street parking for more cars than they have rooms while still having plenty of the space for delivery trucks manoeuvring. There is one main entrance from the car park into the property. There are a number of other entrances for staff and guests. To the rear of the property is the main delivery entrance to the kitchen and bar, with bin storage.

To the side of the property there are two LPG tanks within their own area. The grounds are mainly laid as grass, with mature shrub beds mainly around the perimeter. There are a number of wooden bench seats located on the gravelled area to rear of the property, again providing further locations to enjoy the fantastic views.

SERVICES
The property benefits from mains electricity, LPG heating and hot water, LPG stove, LPG gas for cooking, mains water and dedicated septic tank drainage. The inn complies with environmental health requirements, has a fire alarm system and is Wi-Fi enabled throughout.

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT OPTIONS
There are a number of development options available to the purchaser that could be considered should they wish to enhance the profitability of the inn. This non exhaustive list suggests where the opportunities may occur:

* Open the restaurant to non-residents
* Open for light bits, Coffee and tea during the day
* Combine the single rooms into a spacious double room
* Open over Christmas and New Year
* Develop the takeaway trade

• There is also the option to purchase a croft tenancy which covers 35 acres of rough grazing bordering the property and part of the nearby shoreline.
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  RECENT INVESTMENTS
  Over the last few years, the current owner has invested extensively in the inn.