Luxury Self Catering Holiday Accommodation Business set in the Beautiful Moray Countryside

• Luxury self-catering holiday accommodation business set in the beautiful Moray countryside.
• Delightful farmhouse with separate 2 bedroom and 3 bedroom cottages.   
• Well-proportioned rooms, superbly appointed kitchens and spacious bedrooms.
• Benefits from setting in 2 acres of ground with development potential.
• Sound profitability whilst trading at slightly restricted level.

DESCRIPTION

Moray Cottages and Auchanhandoch Farmhouse represents an exciting business opportunity with the ability to develop further. The 3 detached 2 storey buildings are traditional rural buildings and benefit from being set in approximately 2 acres of land.  Both cottages and farmhouse are finished to an extremely high standard throughout, offering a fantastic level of comfort and luxury.  Renovated and updated since 2019, these attractive properties sit close to the lovely village of Dufftown, enjoying an elevated location with stunning views over fields, woods and local hills to the North East.

Each of the cottages has a substantial private enclosed garden with a seating area, ideal for dogs and families.  The cottages each have a kitchen / diner, lounge and spacious bedrooms.  These are truly delightful properties and the standard of finish cannot be over emphasised.

The business is presented to an exceptionally high standard and the quality of the finish can only be fully appreciated by viewing. The current owners’ ongoing investment has ensured that the buildings are presented to a high standard making Moray Cottages and Auchanhandoch Farmhouse a modern and highly desirable business.

REASON FOR SALE

It is the owners desire to retire from hospitality and a wish to move nearer family that brings this attractive business to the market.

TRADE

Moray Cottages is a wonderfully positioned trading entity with a highly attractive website (https://moray-cottages.com). This is supplemented by marketing on a number of portal websites which attract a wide range of customers and facilitates easy booking. Online reviews are excellent, resulting in a high level of repeat business. Bookings can be made on the owners website via SuperControl or on the portal websites.  The business operates on a flexible basis offering a range of booking formats with a minimum of 3-night stays.  Currently, it is operated 10 months of the year, closing in January and February. In addition, there are currently regular periods of non-trading to allow the owners to balance work and life. During 2023 they traded at part capacity due to the need to support an older family member. Thus, there is the opportunity to develop turnover for those who want to operate on a more full-time basis.   The short term let licence has been granted (23/01322/STLSL).

The current owners live on site in the farmhouse, new owners may wish to adjust that trading model, should they have personal accommodation elsewhere. It may also be possible to develop the existing outbuildings to create further self-catering accommodation.  The new owners would need to satisfy themselves that this was permissible.

LOCATION

The local town of Dufftown, approximately 2 miles away, is a historic Scottish town with a history of distilling whisky and is best known as the Whisky Capital of the World, thanks to its seven working distilleries. These distilleries in turn, attract whisky aficionados from around the world.  Dufftown produces more malt whisky than any other town in Scotland; this declaration puts the town on the famed Malt Whisky Trail.

The village has a thriving community, with two supermarkets, one pub, smaller shops and a farmer's market.  Primary education is available at Dufftown with Secondary schooling at Speyside High in Aberlour.  It hosts its own local Highland Games and takes part in the well-known Speyside whisky festival. On top of this, it is also home to the famous and internationally recognised Glenfiddich Distillery. The town is set in one of the most stunning areas of Scotland.  It is around 1-hour drive from both Aberdeen and Inverness cities (both of which have international airports) as well as a 30-minute drive from the coast and the Cairngorms National Park. It is a popular area for walking, fishing, hunting, nature and whisky enthusiasts attracting international tourists and trade. Dufftown is located on the River Fiddich, the town has a number of visitor attractions which draw in many tourists each year. The hills and coast are within a relatively short drive with an abundance of wildlife living within the region. Tourists also enjoy visiting the many historic sites and castles in the area.

THE PROPERTIES

These attractive properties were bought in 2019, since then the owners have methodically renovated each of the properties, to bring them to the market in outstanding condition.  Access to the buildings is via the A941. Moray Cottages and Auchanhandoch Farmhouse are all 2 storey buildings which have been appointed to an extremely high standard throughout.  The buildings sit beautifully within the farm landscape. The cottages date from the 18th century and farmhouse from early in the 19th century but all now benefit from double glazing. All buildings on site are of traditional construction, stone walls with slate roofs and dormer details.  The front of the cottage buildings have been rendered and is finished in white masonry paint; some corbel details are present around some ingos.

Mill Cottage

Entering via the front door, the cottage’s ground floor rooms and the stair leading to the first floor are accessed.  The ground floor consists of a lounge, bedroom 3, toilet and kitchen / diner.  On the 1st floor there is bedroom 1 with ensuite, a bathroom (with a bath with shower over), and bedroom 2.  All rooms are ideally sized to suit the maximum occupancy of 5, supporting the excellent booking.com ratings. 

Stable Cottage

Entering via the front door, the cottage’s ground floor rooms and the stair leading to the first floor are accessed.  The ground floor consists of a lounge, toilet and kitchen / diner.  On the 1st floor there is bedroom 1, a shower room and bedroom 2.  All rooms are ideally sized to suit the maximum occupancy of 4, supporting the excellent booking.com ratings. 

Common to Both Cottages

Access to the cottages is via a dedicated paved path from their designated parking area into a lobby located centrally at the front of each cottage.  Throughout both cottages, the properties are immaculate with an attention to detail which is second to none. The beautifully appointed living spaces have attractive open fires and are equipped with lovely soft furnishings.  The living areas are finished with soft and luxurious carpets, while the kitchens and shower rooms are attractively tiled. For guest entertainment, there are LCD TVs, DVDs and WiFi/Bluetooth speakers plus a variety of board games and books.   The kitchens are beautifully finished, with high quality units and appliances.

The modern and fully equipped kitchens include an electric oven, electric hob, kettle, toaster, microwave, fridge, freezer, dishwasher, tumble drier and washing machine.  The kitchens contain more than ample floor-mounted storage units and workspaces making them ideal for home dining.

The cottages are beautifully finished, superbly well thought out and immaculate throughout and enjoy wonderful views over their own private garden to the rolling fields and hills beyond. 

OWNERS ACCOMMODATION

The farmhouse is currently used as the owner’s accommodation.  On entering the property, you arrive in a small lobby which provides access to a utility room, a toilet and the beautifully finished kitchen/ diner.  From the kitchen / diner, you enter the stair hall which allows access to a shower room on the lower floor (currently used as a store), the lounge and the stairs to the 3 first floor bedrooms, one of which offers an ensuite in a ‘Jack and Jill’ arrangement.  The farmhouse has been recently modernised to a fantastic level.  Throughout the property, the level of detailing is commendable, resulting in the high-quality building seen today.

GROUNDS

The grounds of the property are divided into 4 areas, so each building has a private garden and there is a significant vegetable garden behind the buildings.  Each garden is mainly laid to lawn, with limited planting around the perimeter.  The self-catering gardens are secure, making it ideal for families with dogs.   The garden area allows the guests to enjoy the peace and quiet of this rural countryside environment.  There is ample parking outside each building.  Access to the properties is via a gravel drive. 

To the end of Mill Cottage, there is a large store which could be converted into a 2 bedroom self-catering unit, should that be desired.  There is also a standalone building to the side of Stable Cottage, which could also have some development potential.  New owners would need to verify if this development is both allowed and possible.

SERVICES

The properties benefit from mains electricity and private water supply.  The properties all have oil central heating. Both self-catering properties have a log fire in the lounge area, which creates a lovely ambiance when lit.  The farmhouse benefits from a wood burning stove in the kitchen / diner and the lounge.  Drainage from each property is collected into its own septic tank with soak-away.  The property has internet access and Wi-Fi.