An Aberdeenshire hotel run by a charity has received a “morale-boosting” award amid growing concerns about the industry’s future.
Douneside House, a country house hotel in Tarland owned and managed by The MacRobert Trust grants body, won the Restaurant of the Year in the 2020 Scottish Hotel Awards.
The awards were due to take place at the weekend at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Edinburgh, but organisers held a virtual ceremony instead over the internet.
The Douneside House restaurant, which received a complete refurbishment in 2019, is led by head chef David Butters and came in for special praise.
Director of the hotel, Gillian Currie, said: “As with many industries, this is a really difficult and uncertain time for the hospitality sector across the country.
“It is wonderful that the Scottish Hotel Awards decided to go ahead with the awards, albeit virtually, as it has been a fantastic morale boost for all those involved.”
The building closed to all guests in accordance with government guidelines on March 22.
Across the UK, 80% of hotel workers have been placed on furlough schemes and there are fears that many owners will have suffered such losses they will be unable to reopen when they are allowed to.
All profits from Douneside House, as well as the trust’s wider estate, goes to good causes.