Argyll hotels close as holiday firm collapses
Three Argyll hotels are among seven across Scotland forced to close after their owners called in administrators.
Two hotels in the Arrochar area are affected, along with the 127-room Bay Great Western Hotel in Oban.
The Tarbet Hotel, with 69 rooms, and Arrochar’s Claymore Hotel also closed their doors last week when parent company Specialist Leisure Group (SLG) called in administrators due to the impact of COVID-19, with the loss of around 2,500 jobs across the country.
Other hotels affected include the Bay Caledonian Hotel in Fort William, the Bay Waverley Castle Hotel in Melrose, the Pitlochry Hydro Hotel, the Bay Highland Hotel in Strathpeffer and the Portpatrick Hotel. SLG owns Glasgow-based travel agent Caledonian Travel and Wallace Arnold Travel and coach holiday brands Shearings and National Holidays.
SLG chief executive Richard Calvert described the situation as ‘heartbreaking’.
‘This is a terribly sad day for employees, customers and commercial partners of the Specialist Leisure Group and its subsidiaries which have entered into administration,’ he said. ‘The effects of COVID-19 on our 117-year-old company and the wider travel industry have been devastating.’
According to a survey carried out by the Federation of Small Businesses, more than one third – 36 per cent – of Highlands and Islands businesses that have shut down operations during the coronavirus outbreak fear they may never reopen.
The collapse of SLG follows the news earlier this month that East Kilbride-based David Urquhart Travel is to wind up its coach tour business ‘in an orderly manner’ over the next few months due to the impact of the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic on travel and tourism.
The move does not affect David Urquhart Sky Travel, which will continue to operate as normal.