A hotel which is home to the Isle of Mull’s only public swimming pool is due to re-open this spring following a multi-million pound renovation.
The £2million project to upgrade the Isle of Mull Hotel and Spa at Craignure has secured up to £510,000 from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE).
Part of a wider £3 million refurbishment, the work will elevate the hotel and spa to four star status.
The hotel’s 55ft pool opened in 2008 after 28 years of fundraising. Prior to that Mull was the UK’s largest inhabited island that didn’t have its own swimming pool.
It was thanks to a partnership between the community and Crerar Hotels group, when the hotel provided its grounds for the pool and a donation in excess of £1 million, that the pool finally opened.
Facilities are shared between hotel guests and island residents.
This new renovation will increase the number of jobs at the hotel from 17.5 full time equivalent posts to 40.8 and is forecast to boost turnover by as much as 28%.
There will be significant improvements made to the guest rooms, public areas and grounds.
Once re-opened as a four-star hotel and spa, it is expected it will make a valuable contribution to economic recovery in the area’s tourism sector.
Morag Goodfellow, HIE area manager for Argyll and the Islands, said: “Tourism is hugely important to the economy of Argyll and the islands, and indeed the wider Highlands and Islands region. High value visitor accommodation is a vital part of the industry. It supports other local businesses, creates rural employment, and contributes to community resilience.
“The upgrade of the Isle of Mull Hotel will bring the facility into line with other hotels in the group and enable it to target the growing market of higher spend visitors. It will also create new jobs on Mull, including opportunities for younger people. We are very pleased to be able to support the project and look forward to the upgraded hotel re-opening.”
A total of 72 luxury bedrooms will be completed in the Isle of Mull Hotel renovation, public areas fully refurbished with a new restaurant and two bars being added. A new external balcony will provide panoramic views across Craignure Bay.
The hotel is due to re-open in late spring.