An iconic Caithness hotel which sits on the world’s shortest street is for sale.
Mackays Hotel in Wick is up for sale for the first time in 67 years, after owners Murray and Ellie Lamont gear up to pass on the reins.
The 30-room hotel is on Ebenezer Place, which is just 6ft 9ins long – making it a quirky stop for visitors.
Mr and Mrs Lamont are third generation owners of the hotel, after taking on the management in 1983 and then buying it from the rest of the family in the 1990s.
Since then the hoteliers have won several industry awards, including Caithness Business of the Year at the 2016 Highland Business Awards.
Located on the infamous NC500 coastal route around Scotland, the hotel – near the River Wick and the harbour – welcomes about 54,000 visitors during the year.
As well as the rooms, there are six self-catering apartments as well as space for weddings, functions and corporate events.
There is also a whisky bar and bistro, which serves locally sourced produce.
‘The time is right to hand over the reins of Mackays Hotel to new owners’
It employs around 30 people.
During lockdown, the building became a focal point in the community.
The Lamont family worked with Royal British Legion Scotland to provide Caithness veterans and pensioners with regular hot meals and company whilst self-isolating at home.
Mr Lamont, the grandson of the original owner: “Our family is incredibly proud to have been the caretakers for our family-run hotel for 67 years.
“During that time Mackays Hotel has become an integral part of local community life here in Caithness.
“We’ve always prided ourselves on our warm Highland welcome to guests from across the world every single year and have some very happy memories from our time as owners of the hotel since the 1990s.
“We’d like to thank all our guests, staff, suppliers, local community and friends for their continued loyal support over the decades.
“We now feel the time is right to hand over the reins of Mackays Hotel to new owners who we hope are as passionate about Wick, Caithness and North Highland life as we are.”
The hotel is being marketed by Drysdale & Co in three lots. This includes the 30-bedroom Mackays Hotel, six self-catering apartments and a vacant church building for separate negotiation.