An Arbroath couple have been forced into a scramble to find an alternative venue for their upcoming wedding after being left in the lurch by the sudden closure of an Angus golf and country estate.
“Gillian at the Queens Hotel also helped us greatly and offered us a great deal for our evening reception, so in the end all has turned out well.
“We have been very lucky to find such good venues at such short notice, and only had to change the time of the wedding from 3pm to 2pm. Unfortunately the change means some of my family may not be able to attend, since travel from Arbroath to Dundee could be too difficult for them.”
A notice posted on the front door of the hotel by Letham Grange directors Neil Rimmer and Paul Rodgers says they hope the legal issues will be resolved but the hotel and the golf courses will remain closed until the litigation is concluded.It is understood 10 members of staff have lost their jobs. Some have been there for over 13 years.
Taiwanese businessman Dong Guang (Peter) Liu has sought to take possession of the property, claiming it is his, and legal proceedings went through all levels of the Scottish courts system and to the House of Lords.
Letham Grange Management Company Ltd was appointed to run the hotel following the outcome of the original liquidators’ litigation with Mr Liu in February 2009 and invested £300,000 to modernise it after years of stagnation resulting from the long-running and highly complex legal tussle over ownership.
Refurbishments include upgrading bedrooms, opening a new brasserie and bar, and improving drainage on the Old and Glens golf courses. There is now further litigation and the directors have failed to secure investment to keep trading.
Joe Cargill (30) and Christine Wong (27), who have been together for two years, were due to get married at Letham Grange on April 1 and feared they might have to postpone their wedding when the estate closed with immediate effect a fortnight ago because of a fresh legal contest over ownership.
The closure left their plans in tatters and the couple out of pocket after putting down a deposit last summer when they booked the venue.
Luckily they have just managed to find a new venue in Dundee although some family members will not be able to make it.
Mr Cargill said he has had no contact from the company responsible for the hotel since the closure. He said they had been having ongoing difficulties with the hotel since booking.
“We decided on Letham Grange almost immediately when we were initially looking for a venue, since it is such a beautiful venue, and is close which meant my whole family could attend,” he said. “Some of my older relatives are not very mobile now, so travelling is difficult for them.
“The reception was also to be in the hotel, in the Angus suite, a perfect size for the numbers we expect for the reception and was to be easy to move from the ceremony to the reception. We paid a deposit last summer, dealing with the manager, who at the time was a woman called Nora.
“After not hearing from them for a few months, we contacted them again, to find out that Nora was no longer working there, and had not left any paperwork regarding our wedding plans.’Heard nothing'”After apologies, we were dealing with a receptionist, who assured us everything would be fine. In November, we started emailing to find out what was going on, since we had heard nothing.
“By December we were starting to become anxious, since we had no replies to emails and could not get an answer on the phone. Eventually, on December 20, I finally managed to get in touch with Lynn, the new manager, who assured me that everything was fine and the receptionist we were dealing with had simply left and not passed on any of the emails.
“Again we were assured that everything was fine, and the rumours of the hotel closing were untrue, and being spread by disgruntled ex-employees. Again we heard nothing, until Friday, January 21, when again we heard a rumour of the hotel being closed.
“My fiancee immediately called the assistant manager, only to have the rumour confirmed, and be told that all staff had been laid off, and there was nothing they could do.
“We still have had no contact from the company responsible for the hotel, and had to find a new venue for our wedding, on April 1 this year. We have found a new venue, and will be married aboard the RRS Discovery in Dundee, and will have the reception in the Queens Hotel.
“Finding new venues was very stressful for both myself and my fiancee, but luckily Debbie and Lisa at Discovery Point were very helpful, and even offered a discount after hearing about what we had been through.