Lochside location offers a shore thing
● Established Loch Linnhe holiday let business is an opportunity to tap into popularity of the UK’S staycation trend
A timely opportunity to capitalise on the current ‘staycation’ boom, brought about by Covid-19 travel restrictions, has arisen with the sale of a well-established holiday rental business on an attractive lochside location near Fort William.
With increasing numbers of UK holidaymakers foregoing the confusion and risk of jetting off to foreign parts, a trend which looks certain to continue, this could be the perfect time to secure healthy returns from a premium short-term lettings site.
The Cuilcheanna Cottages business, brought to market by Bell Ingram for offers over £625,000, comprises four self-catering cottages and two caravans, and enjoys a prominent position by Loch Linnhe in the popular Highland village of Onich.
Proximity to Fort William means that the site can be easily located by tourists, drawn by unspoilt views of the loch and Beinn a’bheithir.
Guests have Onich’s café, hotel, pub and restaurants on their doorstep, and easy access to the Ardnamurchan Peninsula and the nearby coastal town of Oban, which offers them frequent car ferries to the Hebridean islands of Mull, Iona, Colonsay, Islay and Barra.
Set alongside the holiday lets is a five-bedroom family home, which gives potential buyers the opportunity to live and work on site.
Bell Ingram describes the property as having “stunning views” and being “tastefully decorated”, and has set a price of offers over £420,000 for the home.
Andrew Fuller, an agent for the property management company, says: “This is a unique opportunity for buyers looking for a lifestyle
change that is commercially viable.
“With the popularity of touring holidays, such as the North Coast 500, the rental model in Scotland has changed over the last few years. We are now seeing tourists opting for shorterterm lets, as opposed to the traditional one or two
week stays, resulting in the opportunity to increase net revenue from a holiday-let property.
“With Cuilcheanna Cottages being situated in such a prominent position on Scotland’s stunning west coast, there is an opportunity to make a healthy income from this venture.”
Swallow Cottage was the first holiday let established on the site. It is a traditional barn conversion and has twobedrooms with ensuites, one specially equipped for people with mobility issues, an openplan kitchen-dining area with a double-height design, and a lounge area with its own mezzanine.
Included in the sale is an adjoining barn, which has the potential for conversion to additional accommodation, and there is an adjacent area set aside as a laundry room, which would be a good incentive to offer tourists looking to enjoy the many outdoor activities in the locality.
The three remaining cottages – Ash, Birch and Rowan – are single-storey with two bedrooms and built on an elevated position with extensive views across the loch. Each has an open-plan lounge-kitchen living space and have recently had their interiors and roofs renovated.
This means any buyer looking to continue the holiday rental business can hit the ground running.
As well as the holiday cottages, two static caravans are located in the grounds, offering additional accommodation that has proved popular with visitors. For more information, contact Andrew Fuller on 07717 203082 or e-mail andrew. fuller@bellingram.co.uk