Traditional 4 Bed Guesthouse located in desirable village of Fort Augustus

• Beautifully maintained and presented guest house located in desirable Fort Augustus.
• Excellent roadside trading location.
• Delightful 4-bedroom trading property.
• Benefits from high quality 2 bedroom owners accommodation.
• Ideal home and life-style opportunity.

DESCRIPTION

Lorien House B&B is a charming traditional 3 storey building located in the lovely village of Fort Augustus in the heart of the Scottish Highlands.  This extremely desirable property is ideally located close to the Caledonian Canal to capitalise on this lucrative tourist attraction.  The subjects comprise of a beautifully finished 4-bedroom guest house including lovely 2 bedrooms, owners accommodation on the lower ground floor complete with utility area with potential to convert to a kitchen, living room and 2 bedrooms, one of which is ensuite. The exceptional standard of the accommodation and service is demonstrated by being nominated winner of the 2023 TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Award.

Whilst currently running at a restricted capacity of approximately 50%, historically the Bed and Breakfast business was fully operational demonstrating that there is scope to considerably improve results should new owners wish to increase the level of trading. 

REASON FOR SALE

The vendor has operated Lorien House Bed and Breakfast since it was purchased in 2016.    A change in personal circumstances has resulted in this attractive business being brought to the market.

TRADE

Such is the prominent position of the building; it is an easy-to-locate premises for both those who have booked via the internet and for the casual passer-by seeking accommodation. This profitable business is currently operated on a purely bed and breakfast basis.

Due to personal circumstances, the current owner has actively restricted the letting of B&B rooms. The business currently does not trade over the main winter months; however, the business does open in February. Guests can find the business through its very well presented website as well as a number of on-line booking agencies such as TripAdvisor and Booking.com.  The business enjoys excellent review ratings – being 5/5 on TripAdvisor and 9.7/10 on Booking.com.

LOCATION

Loch Ness is an extremely popular tourist attraction, visited by record numbers of tourists each year.  It is a large freshwater loch in the Scottish Highlands extending approximately 23 miles southwest of Inverness. It takes its name from the River Ness, which flows from the northern end of the loch. Loch Ness is best known for alleged sightings of the cryptozoological Loch Ness Monster, also known affectionately as "Nessie”, and as a result there are a variety of local attractions and services to enjoy.  These include, Urquhart Castle, The Great Glen Way, the Caledonian Canal, Nessieland and the Loch Ness Exhibition Centre.  Fort Augustus offers outstanding facilities including supermarkets, bank, chemists, bars, hotels, restaurants, fish and chip shops, and good selection of retail outlets. The property is within commuting distance of Inverness and almost equidistant from Fort William and Inverness. Inverness is the main business and commercial centre in the Highlands, and is approximately 60 minutes’ drive away offering extensive shopping, leisure and entertainment facilities, along with excellent road, rail and air links to the south and beyond.

LORIEN HOUSE BED AND BREAKFAST PROPERTY

Lorien House B&B is an attractive substantial property of traditional white render finished wall construction with a tile roof over. On entering the building, the ambience is inviting and warm. The building is currently painted white, making it look smart, clean and attractive. The well-maintained accommodation is on three floors and is in lovely decorative order throughout. The main access is to the ground floor, assessed directly from the street, with owners access to the garden via the rear lower floor door onto a timber deck area.  High quality fixtures and fittings are included as part of the sale. The property is double glazed throughout with a white PVC finish.  Extensive redevelopment work since purchase, and the ongoing detailed routine maintenance undertaken by the vendor, means this property is truly in walk-in condition.

PUBLIC AREAS

The guests enter the building at the ground floor level through the partially glazed front door, which leads into the guest lounge. From here the guests can access reception, their bedrooms on the ground and 1st floors and the breakfast room.  The lounge a large cosy and comfortable room set around a wall mounted electric stove, creating a relaxed and inviting atmosphere for guests to enjoy the peace and quiet that Lorien House B&B has to offer.  Room 1 is on the ground floor with rooms 2, 3 and 4 located on the 1st floor, accessed via a staircase from the lounge.

Room 1 is on the left at the back of the building with an ensuite.  Upstairs room 3 is located above room 1 with great views of the canal and Loch Ness.  Room 2 a lovely dual aspect room overlooking the front garden with outstanding views to the hills of the eastern side of the Great Glen, as does its dedicated shower room.  Bedroom 4 is a large dual aspect room with great views of the canal and Loch Ness.  All the bedrooms are beautifully finished with a tasteful modern feel.

Ground Floor

Room 1 – Double room with shower ensuite

First Floor

Room 2 – Twin room with dedicated shower room

Room 3 - Double room with shower en-suite

Room 4 - Double room with shower en-suite

Rooms have modern fixtures and fittings and are tastefully decorated. In-room facilities include flat-screen TV, towels and toiletries.

OWNER’S ACCOMMODATION

The scale of the owner’s accommodation is a great feature of this property.  The owner’s accommodation is accessed through a door from the entrance hall and then down stairs.  Located on the lower ground floor, it should be noted that this is the ground level to the rear of the property.  Access to the garden is located at the bottom of the stairs.  There is a spacious lounge and a roomy double bedroom, both with a terrific outlook to the rear garden.  The vendors accommodation also includes a large bath and shower room, an ensuite guest bedroom and a large walk-in store.   The kitchen for the property is located on the ground floor adjacent to the guest breakfast room.  The kitchen is well equipped and has an excellent amount of worksurface, making it ideally suited to provide the guests’ breakfast.  The property has a good level of general storage.  The accommodation is perfectly suited to a couple or a couple with a child.  There is internal secure access between the two floors allowing the owners full access to the guest area.  This property has a truly delightful living space and would make a fabulous home.

GROUNDS

Lorien House B&B has parking for 5 cars across the front of the property.  There is a path from the pavement to the front door.  To the side of the property there is a path with some steps leading to the rear garden, accessed through a gate. 

There is a timber deck across the whole width of the house, providing a great position from which to watch the sunset. The garden also features a large grassed area ending in a low wall, behind which there is a paved section and garden shed.  The paved area provides all day sun bathing opportunities.

SERVICES

The property benefits from mains electricity, water and mains drainage. There is oil-fired central heating, and a range cooker; LPG Hob and electric ovens are used for cooking. Lorien House B&B is compliant with the fire regulations. Wi-Fi is available throughout the property and is connected to the local Openreach network within the street.