A Scottish Schloss
19th century Borders hotel is undergoing a surprise translation, writes Paul Drury
WHEN is a Scottish castle not a castle? When it’s a Schloss, of course. There is delight all round in the Borders that the Roxburghe Hotel and Golf Course has passed to new owners.
The 300-acre venue, near Kelso, was on sale at offers over £3.25million, which seems something of a bargain, considering the 19th century property alone consists of 22 rooms, a restaurant and a bar.
However, eyebrows have been raised over the name by which the Dusseldorf-based 12.18 Investment Management firm wants its new place to be known… SCHLOSS Roxburghe.
Any student of German will tell you the word Schloss conjures up images of a castle or palace. But there already is a Roxburgh Castle, even though it is a ruin.
To confuse matters even more, both sit in the grounds of Floors Castle, the largest inhabited castle in Scotland. Pity the poor tourist who has driven over from Munich, asking a local for directions to the ‘castle’.
Certainly, the new owners cannot be faulted for their ambition. There is a £30million expansion plan for the hotel and golf course.
The blueprint consists of 57 additional rooms, to be housed in a separate extension to the hotel. Sixty new lodges will be built on the surrounding estate, which will be made available for sale to private investors on a ‘sale and lease-back concept’, which will allow SCHLOSS Roxburghe to attract even more holidaymakers.
If the German company says the new-look hotel and golf course will be ready for a grand reopening next year, you can guarantee it will be delivered on time.
The Duke of Roxburghe said: ‘The plans which the new owners have for major investment in the Roxburghe are very exciting indeed. We wish 12.18 every success with the new development and the operation in future, and I have no doubt that it will become one of the most outstanding resort destinations in Scotland.
‘I would like to pay particular thanks to all the staff who have worked with great dedication to deliver exceptional standards of service to our guests over the years.’
Steven Fyfe, associate director in the hotels agency team at Savills, said: ‘It was important we secured a buyer who could invest in the future of the hotel and golf course while respecting and maintaining the Roxburghe’s Scottish heritage.’
According to research by Savills, investment activity in the Scottish hotels market in the first quarter of this year totalled £105.85million – an increase of 90.3 per cent on the previous year.
With Gleneagles owned by another private investment firm and Turnberry owned by the present occupant of the White House, buying into Scotland’s leading golf hotels would appear to be a stroke of genius.