Scotland's McMillan hotel group sold to Bespoke

The McMillan hotel group in Scotland has been sold to Bespoke Hotels for an undisclosed sum.

The deal includes North West Castle in Stranraer, Cally Palace Hotel and Golf Course (pictured) in Gatehouse of Fleet, and Fernhill Hotel in Portpatrick.

All employees at the hotels will continue in their roles and day-to-day operations will be unaffected.

The McMillan group was founded in 1962 and has been run by the McMillan family for three generations. It was put up for sale in October last year after the group said younger members of the family had chosen “different career paths”.

Douglas McMillan, managing director of McMillan Hotels, said it was “imperative” the family’s three hotels were placed in “safe hands”. He added: “Ultimately, we could not be happier with the outcome of our sale of the hotels and we very much look forward to seeing what the future brings for them.”

Cally Palace is a Georgian country house hotel set in 150 acres of land which features its own golf course.

North West Castle houses an indoor curling rink which hosts local and national events, while the Fernhill hotel offers views over the Irish Sea.

Thomas Greenall, CEO of Bespoke Hotels, said: “We are delighted to add such characterful hotels to our portfolio. The trio are intrinsic to the hospitality scene in South West Scotland, and we cannot wait to develop them further, building on their excellent reputation within the community.”

Bespoke is the UK’s largest independent hotel group and the deal takes its portfolio to 90 properties, of which 26 are in Scotland. It employs over 6,000 people and operates over 5,000 rooms.