North Coast 500: Highland community brings boutique hotel to beauty spot in shadow of much-loved mountain

A community-owned estate is bringing a new boutique hotel to a beauty spot just off the North Coast 500 driving route.

Assynt Foundation, which owns 44,000 acres around Lochinver, will lease Glencanisp Lodge to the east of the fishing town. The property sits in the shadows of the much-loved Suilven mountain.

Glencanisp Lodge near Lochinver sits on the track leading to Suilven Mountain. The property will soon re-open as a boutique hotel. | Alison Campsie

The new tenant will be hotelier Nick Dent, whose businesses include Shieldaig Lodge, at Loch Gairloch, The Broadford Hotel on Skye, Forss House Hotel in Thurso, and the Kirkwall Hotel on Orkney.

The deal with Mr Dent has thrown a lifeline to Assynt Foundation, which is made up of 260 local members, as it faced serious financial difficulties. The foundation bought Glencanisp and Drumrunie estates from the millionaire meat tycoon Vestey family 20 years ago.

Lewis MacAskill, chairman of the Assynt Foundation, at Glencanisp Lodge. | CLS

The 14-bedroom former shooting lodge, which was formerly run by the foundation as holiday accommodation, but closed since 2019, will be fully refurbished and is due to re-open to visitors by January next year.

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Lewis MacAskill, chairman of the Assynt Foundation, said: “To be honest, six years ago the foundation was on the verge of bankruptcy and was in danger of going bust.

“The foundation ran Glencanisp Lodge as a BnB and as self-catering accommodation for a number of years, and while a number of locals were employed and the lodge was kept busy, the foundation lacked the necessary hospitality expertise and this venture lost money over a sustained period of time.

“By late 2019, it became apparent that insolvency was looming. Covid was starting to loom over us and we decided the safest course action was to close the lodge in November 2019. The lodge has remained closed since then.”

Five proposals to re-open the hotel were lodged after a new operator was sought, with Mr Dent’s bid regarded as “head and shoulders above the rest” given his track record. The trust said it had to go with the “best bid” given its financial situation.

Several old outhouse buildings around the lodge will be converted into staff quarters and a launderette. Up to 20 year-round jobs will be created, which will make the lodge one of the largest employers in Assynt.

In a second partnership, the Assynt Foundation will work with The Woodland Trust to develop a landscape management plan across the 44,000-acre estates, including the regeneration and creation of native woodland. The partnership will be funded from both public and private sources .

Linsay Chalmers, development manager of Community Land Scotland, which promotes and supports community land ownership, said: “The foundation should be proud of the partnerships they’ve secured, and the local jobs and economic development which are intrinsic to them.”