• Substantial and attractive 5 - bedroom Highland guest house with café /
restaurant potential set on the stunning Moray Firth Coast.
• Located within the thriving town of Burghead, this easy to operate business
would ideally suit hands - on operators with hospitality experience.
• Trading profitably from accommodation, bar and food sales; this is an
attractive business providing an excellent trading platform and scope for
alternative uses.
• Comprises 5 well - appointed en - suite letting bedrooms with spacious open - plan
dining room / restaurant licensed for up to 70 customers.
• Owners accommodation to include a lounge, 2 large double bedrooms and a
family shower room plus an enclosed garden area and external storage.
**Description**
The Harbour Inn is a substantial and attractive Victorian property with modern
extensions. Prominently located in the village of Burghead, this easy - to -
operate business is central to the thriving community of circa 1650 people.
The subjects cover a deceptively large footprint offering spacious trading and
owners accommodation. The guest house enjoys a prime corner frontage with
strong signage and is offered in walk - in condition. Internally, the property
comprises 5 well - presented en - suite letting bedrooms. The restaurant / café
area radiates character and charm offering a true Highland welcome whilst
comfortably accommodating 70 customers. All public rooms and service areas are
in good condition. The property benefits from spacious owners accommodation
making it a true lifestyle and home business opportunity.
**Trade**
The Harbour Inn is a well - established business trading very profitably whilst
offering a comfortable lifestyle for proprietors. The business trades year -
round generating income from 5 en - suite letting bedrooms plus food & bar
service. The dining area is licensed for 70 customers and generates a regular
income from local trade plus the influx of visitors during the main tourist
season (April - October). The business trades on a restricted level currently,
which suits the personal preferences of the owners. Opening times are:
Monday: Closed all day
Tuesday to Friday: 5 pm - 11 pm
Saturday: Midday - Midnight
Sunday: Midday - 7 pm
The bar is a popular venue and draws in many customers, especially during the
summer, who stay at the local caravan parks and campsites plus other
accommodation in the area. In addition to serving meals on the premises, the
Inn also offers a takeaway menu which could be developed further. The 5
letting bedrooms are popular with both tourists and business travellers, who
normally stay on a bed and breakfast basis. The current proprietors provide a
simple dining bar menu which is popular but accept that new owners with a
penchant for catering could take the catering aspects to a higher level.
Within the town, the burning of the Clavie held on 11th January each year,
draws thousands of visitors to the village of Burghead to see the bringing in
of the New year. During this event, The Harbour Inn operates to full capacity
during its busiest night of the year by far.
The business generates a solid amount of trade through word of mouth but also
utilises a range of web - based platforms. Their own website is modern plus
there is a Facebook page. The Harbour Inn also features on a host of on - line
marketing websites which are used to promote the business plus a number of
community platforms. The business has a strong reputation which is reflected
on review websites such as TripAdvisor and .
**Development potential**
There is scope to remove the bar element of the business and instead turn this
into a dining room and lounge which would be utilised by Guest House / B&B
residents. Other potential uses could be café / restaurant with rooms.
Potential buyers would need to obtain relevant planning consents.
**Staff**
The extant operation employs a range of part time staff who assist with room
change - overs, bar work and kitchen support.
**Location**
The location of The Harbour Inn ensures that it benefits from the busy tourist
season and also profits from the regular local trade. The town is situated on
a peninsular which juts out into the Moray Firth which is famous for its
dolphins, seals and whales. The harbour has a long tradition as a fishing port
and is also popular with day visitors. The climate surrounding this part of
the Moray coast is famous for its unique mild weather. On the West side of the
town is a golden sand sandy beach which stretches along to the village of
Findhorn.
Burghead is centrally located for exploring the wider Highland region and
taking in its many attractions. Outdoor pursuits such as bird watching and
fishing also draw a great many visitors to the area who take advantage of the
abundance of wildlife. Within the Moray Firth sailing and other water sports
are undertaken. For the dedicated golfer there are a number of outstanding
championship quality golf courses within the immediate area, the most notable
being Castle Stuart, Nairn and Lossiemouth. Castles and distilleries offer the
more leisurely tourist ample places of culture, interest and history to visit.
Burghead enjoys a very good geographic location and is an ideal coastal base
from which visitors can continue their odyssey of the Cairngorm Mountains,
Inverness, Culloden Battlefield and Loch Ness; all within an easy day trip.
The City of Elgin (Population c25, 000) and Forres (population c5300) are only
a 15 - minute drive away and Inverness (the Highlands Capital) is a 50 - minute
drive. All these locations offer a vast array of shops, social and welfare
facilities and amenities. Both Forres and Elgin have a main line railway
station and Inverness Airport is 29 miles distant.
There is a gp practice, chemist, hairdressers, post office and general store
within the town. The Headland Trust opens their Information Centre during the
summer offering regular referrals for accommodation and food. Nursery and
primary education are available within Burghead. For secondary education, free
transport is provided to either Lossiemouth High School or Elgin Academy.
Moray College is located in Elgin or the University of the Highlands and
Islands is situated in Inverness.
**Reason for sale**
The Harbour Inn was purchased in 1994 and it has offered the vendors a
successful lifestyle. It is their desire to retire from the hospitality trade
that brings this highly attractive business to the market.
**The property**
Of traditional stone construction, The Harbour Inn is a late Victorian
property with more modern extensions to the rear aspects. The business
presents a charming end - terrace property extending over 3 floors under a
pitched slate roof. The property has an attractive frontage and is presented
in very good condition, being considered as a turn - key operation for new
owners.
**Public areas / letting bedrooms**
The property has a centrally located entrance from street level giving access
to the open - plan bar area. The character and charm of the property is evident
in the attractive public areas and is reflective of the property throughout.
The café / restaurant / bar area can accommodate about 70 covers on a range of
free - standing tables and chairs. Set to the centre of the bar is the large
servery, which dominates the whole area and therefore provides ample space to
facilitate excellent service on busy nights. Within the bar there is a juke
box, gaming machine and darts lane. The bar is serviced by ample ladies and
gents W. C. s plus disabled facilities. The breakfast room is set to the first
floor and has 4 tables to seat 8 guests.
The Harbour Inn has 5 letting bedrooms which are accessed on the first and
second floors. All rooms are functional with quality furnishings and
facilities, and some benefit from stunning seaward views over the harbour. The
bedrooms are all presented in good decorative order with modern en - suites and
are configured as follows:
Room 1 - Double bedroom with en - suite shower room
Room 2 - Double bedroom with en - suite shower room
Room 3 - Double bedroom with en - suite shower room
Room 4 - Double bedroom with en - suite shower room
Room 5 - Family room with double and 2 single beds with en - suite shower room
**service areas**
The business benefits from a functional semi - commercial kitchen set to the
first floor which is well provided for by way of facilities and equipment.
There is a ‘dumb - waiter’ which sends meals to the restaurant / bar on the
ground floor. Within the kitchen there is ample storage units plus a breakfast
bar for owners use. There is adequate general storage throughout. The cellar
is located off the bar on the ground floor and has a keg drop from the main
road, for ease of deliveries.
**Private accommodation**
An attractive feature of the sale is the private owners accommodation which is
accessed from the rear aspects of the building at street level. The owners
have a roomy lounge plus a dining area off the lounge. The owners utilise 2
large double bedrooms plus there is a family shower room. This accommodation
would be ideal for family use.
**Grounds**
The Harbour Inn is a substantial property and benefits from a prime roadside
trading position. There is ample on - street parking plus additional parking
within the town. To the rear aspects is a private garden which is set to
gravel areas and patio paving. Surrounded by a high stone wall, this area
offers a private space for the owners. There are outbuildings accessed from
the garden which are used for general storage etc.
**Services**
The subjects benefit from mains electricity, water and drainage. Heating is by
way of central heating and hot water system. Lpg gas is used for cooking. The
business has a modern fire alarm system. The building is double glazed
throughout.

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