Kilfinan Hotel, Tighnabruaich, Argyll and Bute, PA21

Particulars of Sale
The Kilfinan Hotel is an historic small, rural hotel in a bucolic West of Scotland setting close to the eastern shore of Loch Fyne. An inn and hotel has been on the site for over 300 years. The Hotel is a very distinctive detached heritage structure of white washed stone and projecting dormer windows at first floor level and is all under slated roofs. To the rear there is a dedicated owner/managers property, which has a white painted harled exterior and under a slated roof. Many of the period features of the heritage structure have been sensitively preserved and include open fireplaces, detailed cornices, corbels and plaster work. The Kilfinan Hotel represents a unique lifestyle changing opportunity to operate a flexible, seasonal multi-stream tourism business, whilst living in one of the most beautiful areas of Scotland. There is also considerable potential to develop the property to extend or convert it solely into private residence and reconfigure its footprint to best suit future requirements. The current owners presently operate the Hotel as a intimate guest house country retreat, including offering resident guests evening meals. The business operates seasonally between April and October, as is common across the West Coast of Scotland, and receives considerable trade from the North American market, who are drawn to the area by Clan/family connections. The size, scale and facilities of the property means it can be operated in a variety of formats as a business – ranging from a full boutique hotel to self-catered apartments - which other similar properties do not afford.

Planning & Regulatory Status
Whilst the Hotel is of significant historic character, no aspect of the property is listed or subject to known restrictions for planning/development purposes.

The ability to alter the usage and nature of some or all of the property has already been actively explored by the current owners with the Local Authority, and subject to planning there is considerable opportunity to reconfigure and develop the site in a variety of directions.

Ground Floor

Twin leaf outer storm doors to coire matted entrance vestibule, glazed entrance door with side screens to broad welcoming reception hallway with feature glazed cabinetry. Twin leaf multi glass doors to cosy resident’s lounge with corner bar, working open fireplace with brass slips, slate hearth and timber mantle, timber strapping detail to half heigh and plate rack, public bar with dedicated exterior door, corner bar, open fire set in stone fireplace and hearth, timber and mirror mantle, timber picture rail and hardwood floor, door from hall to rear south facing beer garden. Hotel reception/office, twin leaf multi glass doors to residents breakfasting and dining room (24 covers) in two sections, one with open fire set in stone hearth and timber mantle, picture rail and timber strapping detail. Convenient serving door to stainless steel commercial kitchen in three sections, service/pass and wash up area, gas cookers, fryers and broad overhead extractor, steps to prep, dry goods and refrigeration room, with ‘goods in’ door. Inner corridor leading to 50 guest function room with dedicated outer door, hard wood floor, painted wood panel to three quarter height, decorative only feature fireplace with raised grate, stone arch and timber mantle. Ladies and Gents W/C, laundry room.

First Floor

Broad period staircase with window at half landing, wood turned banister and white painted ornate steel spindles, upper hallway leading to guest bedrooms 1 to 8 all with tiled en suite bathrooms, most with fitted bedroom furniture in vanity style, bedroom 6 offering space as a family room and other bedroom currently used as a storeroom. Linen store and ironing room.

Owner/Managers House

Ground Floor

Self-contained owner manager house of entrance reception hall, under stairs store, dual aspect sitting room with twin leaf French doors to gardens, warming multi fuel stove set in timber fireplace with Westmoreland slate slips and hearth, fitted kitchen with open plan breakfasting and dining area.

First Floor

Staircase to upper hallway, bathroom with corner bath, bedrooms 1, 2 & 3. Connecting door to Hotel first floor and Hotel fire escape.

Outbuildings

Plant room with oil burner and large capacity hot water tank, former chiller store, cellarage with beer keg stores, lines, coolers and Co2. Wine cellar and general-purpose stores. Large 4 bay poly tunnel.

Gardens & Grounds

Guests car park adjacent, off road private parking to northern side of hotel, an area of semi ancient native woodlands, gravel surfaced and close board fenced beer garden, steps to lower gardens to grass breaking to stream which runs through the grounds. Steeper grounds on the western side of the stream to woodlands and cropped rhododendrons and ferns

Services
UV lamped and filtered private water supply; SEPA-registered private septic tank drainage; oil fired central heating, supported by open fires; LPG cooking in commercial kitchen
The property benefits from full-fibre broadband, with a mesh wifi network installed across the Hotel.

Note: The services have not been checked by the selling agents.

Local Authority

Argyll & Bute Council
Kilmory, Lochgilphead
Argyll
PA31 8RT
Tel:


Council Tax
The owner/manager’s house is presently a band D and the amount of council tax payable for 2024/2025 is £1,479.20. No Scottish Water charges are applicable.


Business Rates
The Hotel has historically benefited from 100% business rates relief owing to size and rural location. The current owners are presently in the process of challenging and correcting the property’s latest proposed valuation, which was conducted as part of the 2023 Scottish business rates valuation exercise, which failed to account for a variety of factors and trading conditions of the business. The current owners are confident of continuing the business’s receipt of 100% business rates relief and will happily provide further information on the latest status of this process.

Please note that new owners also have the ability to immediately seek alteration to a property’s business rates valuation and should the nature of business/property change in the future further alternations to the property’s business rates valuation can also be sought.

Situation

The Kilfinan Hotel is situated in a delightful rural location at the northern edge of the pretty little leafy hamlet of Kilfinan. Kilfinan is located on Argyll’s Cowal peninsula, along the eastern shore of Loch Fyne on the B8000 Shore Road, which connects Tighnabruaich and Kames, in the south to Otter Ferry, and Strachur to the north, skirting along the Loch’s shore. Kilfinan sits above Kilfinan Bay, which is excellent for wild swimming and where there are regular sightings of porpoises, seals and otters, Canada geese, Graylag geese and more, and all just 10 minutes’ walk from the property. The situation is of great natural scenic beauty and always attracts seasonal holiday makers to the area. Kilfinan is a delightful mid Argyll hamlet consisting of only 12 homes and a working farm. As well as the Hotel it has a church and community village hall. Kames and Tighnabruaich villages have local shops, cafes, restaurants and services that easily cater for most everyday needs and requirements. Dunoon offers a further and fuller range of shopping, educational and professional services as would be expected of a regional market town, and Inveraray to the north is major tourism destination. The nearest local primary school is in Tighnabruaich, while the secondary schools are the award-winning Dunoon Grammar and Tarbert High School. Glasgow is approximately 56 miles (via the Dunoon Ferry) and offers a full range of higher and further educational services as well as all the cultural, retail and professional services normally connected with a major city.

The local area offers much in the way of outdoor pursuits, including cycle routes, challenging hill climbs, walks and several golf courses. The recently established Cowal Way stretches from Portavadie in the south west and travels north eastwards for 31 miles through some of the most dramatic and picturesque sea and landscapes in the West Coast of Scotland. Sea, river and loch fishing are also available in the area, as are a number of commercially run shoots. Some of the local estates also allow stalking by arrangement. For sailors, the sea lochs of the West Coast of Scotland offer safe anchorage as well as spectacular coastal sailing. Specifically there are local marina and chandlery services at Portavadie, Tighnabruaich and Dunoon. Portavadie is 7 miles away to the south and is a modern state-of-the-art marina and leisure complex. It hosts a health spa with fitness and conditioning suites, as well as stunning indoor and outdoor pools and hot tubs. The marina is fast gaining a reputation among the sailing communities as a must-visit destination.


Travel Directions

From Glasgow city centre leave in a westerly direction on the M8 motorway. Continue for 21 miles to arrive at Port Glasgow. Follow signs Greenock and Gourock on the A770 for 8 miles to reach the Western Ferry terminal at McInroys Point. Take the ferry to Hunters Quay Dunoon. Leave the terminal and turn right on the A815 through Sandbank. After 3.5 miles turn left on to the B836. Travel for 11 miles before turning right on to the A886. Travel for 1.5 miles then turn left onto the A8003. Travel for 7 miles to reach Tighnabruaich. Proceed south through Tighnabruaich through Kames and continue in a westerly direction on the B8000. After a further 1.3 miles to reach Millhouse, turn right and continue on the B8000 continuing for a further 5.8 miles to find reach Kilfinan. The Kilfinan Hotel is situated on the left-hand side.

Alternatively, from Glasgow proceed in a westerly direction on the M8 motorway for about 15 miles taking junction 30 onto the Erskine Bridge. Turn left off the bridge on the A82 and continue for about 25 miles to reach Tarbet. Continue to the left at Tarbet onto the A83 and proceed through Arrochar for a further 13 miles. Turn left onto the A815 and travel for about 9 miles to reach Strachur. Turn right onto the A886 and continue for 3 miles before turning right onto the B8000. Continue on the B8000 for 16 miles to reach Kilfinan, the Kilfinan Hotel is the first property on the right-hand side as you enter the hamlet.."
" "
"