The Wetherspoons in Wick has been put up for sale.
The popular national pub chain had previously been saved from closure in January 2019 after a campaign from the Caithness community.
Owners Wetherspoons said the latest move was a commercial decision.
Closure of Wetherspoons in Wick
The pub will continue to trade while new owners are found
The news will be a blow to those behind a drive to regenerate the town centre.
Wetherspoon spokesman Eddie Gershon said: “ We can confirm that The Alexander Bain, Wetherspoon’s pub in Wick, has been placed on the market.
“The pub will remain trading as normal while the pub is for sale.
“We understand that both staff and customers will be disappointed with the news, however, it is a commercial decision, and on occasion, Wetherspoon does put some of its pubs up for sale.”
The Wick pub, named after the 19th Century Watten-born inventor Alexander Bain, opened at the former post office in May 2003.
The pub was previously saved from closure in January 2019, after a community campaign.
Wick’s Mackays Hotel also up for sale
It was announced earlier this month, that Mackays Hotel in Wick is up for sale,
The hotel will be sold 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.
Located on the famous NC500 coastal route around Scotland, the hotel – near the River Wick and the harbour – welcomes about 54,000 visitors during the year.