MONACHYLE Mhor, Mhor 84 and Calair Cottage, a collection of retreats in the picturesque Scottish countryside, has benefited from more than £1.7 million in investment from The Cumberland Building Society.
The Mhor Estate is owned by 53-year-old chef and hotelier, Tom Lewis, whose portfolio consists of a boutique hotel, a roadside motel, a self-catering cottage, a retail concept store, and a bakery business, Mhor Bread in Callander.
Tom’s mother purchased Monachyle Mhor, the main hotel, in 1983, where it was operated as a small B&B before Tom acquired it in 2005, making the decision to expand its services.
The re-financing of the Mhor Estate has been granted to help future-proof and grow the business, with some £980,000 allocated to major infrastructure works at the main hotel, including investment in a hydro-dam, harnessing the power of local waterways to generate electricity.
£475,000 of the investment is being used to support Mhor 84, a motel, restaurant and bar on the A84 road up to the Scottish Highlands. The remaining funding has been split between Mhor Bread and Calair Cottage, a self-catering accommodation beside the Balvaig river. The investment will see Mhor Bread expand its artisan bread business to a takeaway service.
Stuart McNaughton, commercial relationship manager at The Cumberland, said, “We first started working on the re-finance for Tom around a year ago, and we really took the time to get under the skin of the business and understand the vision and direction in which Tom wanted to take it. Based on the business performance to date and Tom’s passion and success in hospitality, we were really pleased to be able to help re-finance the Mhor Estate.”
Tom Lewis, owner of Monachyle Mhor, added, “Mhor holds a special place in my heart and my family’s history. From its humble beginnings as a small farm guesthouse B&B under my mother’s care to the flourishing establishment it is today, it has been a labour of love.
“I am grateful to The Cumberland for recognising the value of preserving this legacy and supporting our ongoing growth and development to ensure Mhor is top of the list when visiting Scotland, future-proofing its popularity for those who love stylish, rural places to stay, eat and make memories. Together, we will continue to provide exceptional experiences for our guests and showcase the beauty of Scottish hospitality.”
