New owner of ‘iconic’ hotel in heart of Cairngorms park promises ‘special Highland experience’

A landmark Aviemore Hotel that has been under the same family ownership for three decades has changed hands.

Turas Hotels said it had concluded the private purchase of the Cairngorm Hotel on undisclosed terms, bolstering the company’s footprint within the Cairngorms National Park. The hotel’s new owner is promising a “special Highland experience” while retaining its current strengths and staff members.

The 32-bedroom Victorian-style hotel, which features a distinctive round tower, is situated across from the town’s railway station and has become a popular spot for food, drink and entertainment. Previous owner, WKW Partnership, opened talks with Turas Hotels five months ago due to imminent retirement and the sale process was overseen by specialist hotel property agent Christie & Co.

The 32-bedroom Victorian-style Cairngorm Hotel, which features a round tower, is situated across from Aviemore's railway station. Picture: Heartland Media/PR

Turas Hotels, recently rebranded from J and R Group, already boasts a strong track record within the national park as the owner and operator of the Boat Country Inn in nearby Boat of Garten. It adds the Cairngorm Hotel to a portfolio that also includes the Glen Mhor Hotel and Uile-bheist Distillery and Brewery in Inverness, the Seaforth Restaurant in Ullapool and McKays Hotel in Pitlochry.

Turas Hotels co-director Richard Drummond said: “The Cairngorm Hotel is an iconic building and Aviemore is now an all-year round destination within the A9 corridor. It fits exactly with the type of experience and location our group likes to offer. What we are acquiring is a solid business, well managed and well known, with an established team and that family feel which really resonates with our own approach.”

Current operations will run as they are, with the group looking to grow the business over time and to invest for the future.

Fellow director Jon Erasmus added: “We feel grateful that the Cairngorm Hotel owners came to us as people they could trust to look after the business, which has a really good reputation. It is tailor-made for us.

“As a group, we were missing that final piece of the jigsaw. We want to provide our guests with the whole Highland journey where they can stay, eat, drink and experience, in great locations.”

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