The owners of a former Perthshire hotel have invested more than £800,000 to transform the building into a luxury country manor.
The 18th century McArthur Manor was previously known as Altamount Manor before Nicholas Lungley and wife Cynthia took over the business in 2017.
They have spent the past six years renovating the property.
It has been transformed into an exclusive use property that can cater for up to 35 guests.
As well as welcoming tourists, the Blairgowrie venue also hosts weddings and corporate groups.
Mr Lungley said: “We gutted the place and turned it into a luxury exclusive use house.
“You can come with family, friends or your business and have the whole place to yourself.
“It has all the amenities of a hotel – all the rooms are ensuite, we’ve got a big function space and a commercial size kitchen.”
Turning Perthshire property into luxury McArthur Manor
He explained the operation when the hotel was run as a hotel was “a bit of a mess”.
“A hotel is very challenging with having a full bank of staff at all times,” Mr Lungley added.
“We closed the hotel and we had the idea of making it an exclusive place to go with your favourite people.
“Bit by bit as we got money in, we put it back into renovations. We were very hand to mouth and six years later, we’re just about there with the refurbishments.
“As we got guests in, we learned what people wanted and renovated with them in mind.”
McArthur Manor: What’s inside?
Inside McArthur Manor, there are 15 en suite bedrooms across three floors, a breakfast and dining space split into two adjoining rooms and two kitchens.
It also includes its own bar, from which guests can pull their own pints if they buy a barrel on arrival.
The Blairgowrie property also includes a function space for up to 100 guests.
Its courtyard features a walled garden and BBQ area.
At the front of the property is half an acre of lawn, a patio with seating for 32 and a bandstand.
Price ‘comparable with a hotel’
All that comes at a price, though. The property costs around £4,600 to book out for a weekend.
However, Mr Lungley insists that is not a “top-level” price.
He said: “That sounds like a lot but when you split it between 35 people it’s really not that much per head.
“It’s comparable to a hotel but you have your own country manor house.”
Since taking over the property, Mr Lungley has had to deal with a number of challenges – including the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mr Lungley said a lack of funding forced the business to close during the pandemic.
He said: “We had a few micro weddings, but we were pretty much shut down.
“It was difficult for us. We were in a bit of a pickle because we weren’t eligible of funding.
“It was a challenge, but we’ve come out the other side.”
Future plans for Perthshire business
But with those challenges now in the past and refurbishments completed for now, Mr Lungley wants to invest in marketing the Perthshire property.
He also hopes to see a surge in business.
“Previously we’ve needed gaps in the diary so we could do some renovation work. We don’t need those gaps now.
“We’re ready to put more into marketing what we offer because there’s not many places that do what we do.
“You can have a luxury country manor with all the amenities of a hotel, but with a bespoke package tailored to you.”
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