Historic hotel put up for sale

Drysdale & Company has announced that it is acting for Old Churches House Hotel, situated on Cathedral Square in Dunblane, which is for sale at offers over £850,000.

The two storey property, which overlooks the historic Dunblane Cathedral, is contained within several interconnecting historic terraced houses which were originally developed from derelict cottages in the 1960s.

In 2013 the current owner, Alex McKie of The Fusion Group of Companies, purchased the property, which had latterly been used as Scottish Churches House, an ecumenical centre visited in its time by Terry Waite, Pope John Paul II, and Her late Majesty The Queen, and created Old Churches House Hotel, which has gone on to become an award winning Hotel.  

With eleven en-suite bedrooms, including an accessible room, the hotel has a restaurant for 50, bar, various meeting rooms, an events space The Fraser Suite, and the Secret Chapel- discovered in the 1960s in thick undergrowth in the grounds to the rear of the property. Following its full restoration by Fusion, the Secret Chapel is now a part of Dunblane’s “heritage quarter” visitor attraction scene, and provides a unique space for intimate wedding and naming ceremonies.

Seven offices are also included within The Old Churches House complex, let out with up to a three month notice period.  Whilst the full service hotel is currently closed, the business is trading as a Guest House.

“This historic, award winning property, with its prominent position within Dunblane town centre, now presents an excellent opportunity for an experienced hospitality operator to acquire the Hotel and put their stamp on it,” said Stuart Drysdale of Drysdale & Company. “There is significant potential for re-development here if running it as a Hotel is not the intention however, with a pre-planning application lodged, and responded to positively, to create seven residential properties within the terraced property, and to the rear of the original building.”

Alex McKie said: “We, at Fusion, have thoroughly enjoyed our tenure of Old Churches House, surely one of the quirkiest and most historic small Hotels in Scotland which has taken its place ably beside Dunblane’ s many other attractions – the Cathedral, Andy Murray’s Gold Postbox, The Leighton Library, and Dunblane Museum. The building was rescued from ruin and given a new use, with the renovation of the Secret Chapel a particular highlight for us all.

“The time has come for us to sell, and we wish any new owner all the very best in taking on Old Churches House, whether as a charming Hotel that is that little bit different, or as a very lucrative development opportunity. Dunblane is an affluent, sought after residential area which enjoys great transport links across the entire Central Belt.”

stuart@drysdaleandcompany.co.uk Tel 07851 317 186.