Planning for transformation of Highland hotel owned by one of UK's richest men given the nod

The hotel is run by the same company that owns Tanera, in the Summer Isles.

Plans to transform a Highland hotel owned by one of Britain’s richest men have been given the go ahead.

The Summer Isles Hotel, on the Coigach peninsula, just north of Ullapool, is owned by Scottish financier and philanthropist Ian Wace.

Closed last year for works, the building will now be restored to its original look after plans to demolish several modern extensions and renovate it were given the green light by Highland Council.

The hotel, which sits in Achiltibuie, looks out to sea to the Summer Isles archipelago, home to the isle of Tanera Mor, which is also owned by Mr Wace.

Achiltibuie on the Coigach coast in Wester Ross which overlooks the Summer Isles. | PIC: Robert Watt/geograph.org

Under his watch, Tanera, the biggest of the Summer Isles, has seen around 40 buildings restored or rebuilt for accommodation and communal spaces. Some 150 people are employed on the island, from chefs to gardeners, stable hands to blacksmiths, who are involved in developing the island and hosting guests of Mr Wace, one of the founders of Marshall Wace hedge fund.

The island and the hotel are run by Summer Isles Enterprises (SIE), which is funded by the Jagclif Charitable Trust, which Mr Wace chairs.

Ian Wace owns the Summer Isles Hotel and Tanera Mor in the Summer Isles archipelago

The plans will see the removal of the cellar extension at the rear of the hotel, as well as the toilet and bar extensions on the east side and the dining room extension on the west side. SIE will then oversee the building of a new ground-floor extension on the rear as well as a small plant room.

Walls will also be stripped and repointed with lime mortar and the former parapet of Westminster Bridge will also be used in the redevelopment.

Once the works are finished, the hotel will feature a dining room, lounge bar, kitchen, toilets, store and office facilities on the ground floor. The first floor will have three en-suite bedrooms, and two en-suite bunk rooms.

A design statement lodged with the application by agents for SIE said: “The restoration and redevelopment work will carry on the already successful undertaking that the applicant has done on the isle of Tanera Mor.

“Work undertaken on the properties and infrastructure on Tanera have not only enhanced the existing structures on site but also the environment in which they are sited.

“The underlying ethos of the applicant is a profound respect for the Highland and Island’s rich cultural and natural heritage.

“Work will be carried out to the highest standard, and wherever possible will use local expertise, labour and materials to add additional value to the existing community on the mainland.”

Highland Council planning officers said: “Since the proposal is to alter an existing facility and not to provide a new facility, the impact on the local community of Achiltibuie will be small.

“The renovation should, however, encourage the use of the hotel and provide an attractive facility both for visitors and the local community.”

In November last year, Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) issued SIE with a £600 civil penalty for releasing silt into Badentarbat Bay in Loch Broom.

It came after a complaint that significant amounts of silt were entering the bay due to construction works happening on the island. An inspection found island management had not properly assessed the site to ensure appropriate silt mitigation was in place prior to any heavy rainfall events.

Last year, Mr Wace donated £1.75m to the community of Coigach in Wester Ross, which helped them buy around 7,800 acres of crofting land on the Badentarbat Estate near Achiltibuie.

The transfer of the land, which is home to around 70 tenanted and owner occupied crofts, was hailed “a historic moment” by the Coigach Community Development Company (CCDC)for the peninsula.