The new owners of iconic north-east hotel the Pennan Inn have declared that they “won’t give up” on the business, despite lockdown massively affecting their trade.
Roland and Monika Focht bought the famous three-bedroom premises back in spring last year.
Originally from Dahlum, Germany the couple fell in love with the picturesque village after a summer holiday there in 2014.
They purchased the Pennan Inn in April last year and moved there permanently along with son Dominik and dog Mia.
However, Covid has meant that the hotel has only been opened properly for 10 weeks since then.
The couple is not giving up hope yet, as they told the Scottish Sun that they are “here to stay.”
Mrs Focht said: “We are so helpless. We can’t do anything.
“The first year in a new business is the hardest, but the first year in a global pandemic is hard to survive.”
“But we won’t give up.
“We wanted to make our dreams come true but as soon as we sold our home in Germany, coronavirus hit the world.
“When we were open it was amazing and everything worked. We had one guest in December and eight in November.
“In August and September we were mostly booked out.
“We don’t regret a single moment. It may be the worst time to move but we are here to stay.”
The couple is relying upon government grants to keep the business afloat at the moment.
They have revamped the Pennan Inn, and have transformed the restaurant into a gallery.
A fogging machine has been purchased to keep the rooms Covid free and a professional cleaning firm has also been hired.
Pennan shot to fame after it featured in the 1983 film Local Hero starring Burt Lancaster.
It told of an oil tycoon’s bud to buy a tiny town to build a refinery and the reaction of the local residents.
Tourists flock to the village to take pictures in front of the iconic red phonebox at the front of the inn.