The Forbes Arms Hotel, Rothiemay, Huntly, Aberdeenshire

The Forbes Arms Hotel occupies an attractive position within the rural village of Rothiemay, near Huntly in Aberdeenshire, enjoying a picturesque setting on the banks of the River Deveron. The location offers a peaceful country environment while remaining accessible to the wider amenities of Huntly, which provides supermarkets, shops, schooling, healthcare and rail connections on the Aberdeen to Inverness line. The surrounding area is well regarded for fishing, walking, field sports and tourism, with the hotel also well placed for the Whisky Trail and Castle Trail, making it an appealing base for visitors exploring the north east of Scotland.

The property comprises a traditional village hotel arranged over several levels, together with a separate cottage annex and useful outbuildings. Entry is via the main hotel entrance, where the public bar lies to the right-hand side, whilst to the left is a comfortable and characterful lounge bar providing a more rustic setting for residents and locals alike. The ground floor also accommodates a large commercial kitchen and dining room, supporting the hotel’s established food and beverage offering. On the first floor there is an en-suite letting room together with a private dining/function room, suitable for small gatherings, private events or ancillary business use. At top floor level there are two further en-suite letting rooms, while the attic space above the bar offers future potential for conversion, subject to the appropriate consents, and may be particularly well suited to owners’ accommodation.

In addition to the main hotel building, there is a separate cottage annex situated opposite, which provides further flexibility within the overall operation. This building accommodates an additional two letting rooms together with owners’ accommodation, creating an attractive live-and-work arrangement for owner-operators seeking a degree of separation from the main guest areas. There are also outbuildings presently used for storage which may, subject to planning and other necessary approvals, offer scope for conversion to additional letting rooms or other complementary uses.

The business is operated as a small rural hotel with six letting rooms in total, complemented by a popular bar and restaurant that serve both the local community and visitors to the area. The trading style is that of an easily managed country hotel, with an established food and drink offer and the benefit of an attractive riverside setting that distinguishes it from more standard roadside accommodation. Its scale and layout suggest clear potential for repositioning as a destination venue, particularly as a “restaurant with rooms”, capitalising on the charm of the building, the appeal of the surrounding countryside and the draw of leisure tourism in this part of Aberdeenshire.

Externally, the hotel benefits from a small parking area to the front together with a garden seating area that enhances the arrival experience. The immediate proximity to the River Deveron is a particularly attractive feature, adding to the ambience of the property and reinforcing its rural destination appeal. To the rear there is a delightful beer garden with direct access from the hotel, along with a larger garden and car parking area, providing valuable outdoor trading and guest amenity space. The separate cottage is positioned opposite the main hotel, completing a flexible and characterful hospitality offering with obvious potential for further development.