The Isle of Skye Guest House has just opened with forward bookings of more than £200,000 for what looks like a busy season ahead.
The Fusion Group of Companies owns and operates a portfolio of hospitality businesses across Scotland and has invested more than £250,000 in its first property on the island, The Isle of Skye Guest House.
And just last week Kate Forbes, the local MSP for Skye, Lochaber & Badenoch lent her support to the new venture while visiting the island.
The Finance Minister met owner Alex McKie of Fusion and said: “It is great to see investment in Skye. The hospitality industry is an absolutely essential part of Skye’s economy, and it’s heartening to see hoteliers with vision and commitment. I wish the operators of The Isle of Skye Guest House well with their endeavours.”
Formerly MacKinnon House, having been built in 1912 by Major Archie MacKinnon, the House is respected as an ideal example of a Scottish country house hotel. Overlooked by the magnificent Sgurr na Coinnich mountain range, it is one of the very first stop offs after the Skye Bridge.
Phase One of the refurbishment given to the property has seen accommodation in the main house, consisting of nine en-suite bedrooms, opening for bookings, with its first guest coincidentally being a Mrs MacKinnon! Brand new en-suite bathrooms have been installed, along with re-wiring, reconfiguring several room layouts, and installing modern IT, including wifi, with new Televisions in all bedrooms.
The completion of Phase Two, scheduled to complete this month, will see the six bedrooms in the separate garden lodge open for guests, with a further final phase, likely to be Summer 2022, see Fusion seek planning approval for 34 two bedroom lodges for let, alongside a custom built Club House. The House has five acres of ground surrounding it.
“Our thanks go to Kate for coming along to meet us in person and see what we have done to the property which she obviously knows well,” said Alex McKie. “We are delighted to be open and trading. With another record staycation year predicted on Skye and other Scottish islands, we have hit the ground running here with £200k of forward bookings already secured for the rest of the year 2022 through our reservations specialist partner, Accommodation Services.
“Accommodation Services, which is a separate business under the Fusion banner, is extremely proactive in marketing our Fusion owed properties– which include Old Churches House, Dunblane, Logierait Lodges Pitlochry, and Royal Gardens Apartments in Stirling – along with others for which we run a contracted Reservations Department on behalf of owners, managers and stakeholders.
“Having employed several local people in housekeeping roles at Isle of Skye Guest House, which can be live in positions if they so desire, we are cracking on with Phase Two to complete an upgrade of the Garden Rooms.
“We also hope to secure planning for the new Lodge Park and Club House which will create even more jobs, and provide an alternative to Hotel Accommodation for up to 120 guests,” he said. “Some people prefer their own space, and with Skye being such an outdoor play area guests can be up very early in the morning to climb and explore.”
Alex finished by saying: “This is a truly beautiful environment with Skye Guest House fortunate enough to have five acres of ground. We are aiming to create the new lodge park with net zero impact if we can.”
https://www.isleofskyeguesthouse.co.uk
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