DESCRIPTION
Skye’s the Limit Tea Room and Skye Accommodations are located in a highly prominent position within Uig benefitting from a stunning trading location with glorious views across the bay. This attractive property has a significant footprint and dates from circa 1974. The property is ideally situated to meet the high demand for accommodation on Skye and particularly for those wishing to stopover before venturing onto the Outer Hebrides. The business currently trades during the main season, closing historically in November for refurbishments before reopening the following March. New owners may choose to change this trading pattern to allow the opportunity to capitalise on low-season local, ferry and passing trade. The business has adopted a simple operating model which is ideally suited to a hands-on owner operator.
The property boasts 3 well-appointed letting rooms with owners’ accommodation over. The tea room and associated service areas occupy the balance of the ground floor. The business has a character and charm which is well received on review websites. There are 2 large external utility areas to the rear of the property which are used for servicing the rooms.
TRADE
Skye’s the Limit Tea Room and Skye Accommodations have a well-established trading history, operating above the VAT Threshold with a turnover of circa £187,000 (Net of VAT) providing an adjusted net profit of circa £70,000 as at March 2020. Full accounting information will be made available to seriously interested parties subsequent to formal viewing.
Tea Room
The Tea Room is one of a limited number of establishments where food can be purchased in Uig, resulting in demand for this service. This makes the tea room a great business opportunity. Being able to offer both internal and external seating has provided flexibility when dealing with the current trading uncertainty placed by COVID in a very positive manner. The tea room offers hearty meals, light bites, baking, soft drinks, coffees and teas, which is ideally placed to suit passing trade.
B&B Accommodation
The bed and breakfast business operates within the house, with a choice of a continental breakfast or traditional full Scottish breakfast. This is popular with couples, groups, families and the lone traveller. The 3 bedrooms provide single, double and twin accommodation which suits a wide variety of guests. The B&B business utilises portal websites plus has an effective website (www.skyeaccommodations.com) which has a link to an automated booking platform.
The Caravan Accommodation
There are 6 static caravans located to the rear of the property. There is dedicated parking for each caravan on the property, all accessed via the drive located to the left-hand side of the building. The caravans have been let on a daily or weekly basis.
STAFF
Staffing levels currently comprise a full-time live-in manager, a full-time live-in chef / handy man and 4 part-time staff. The existing trading model sees the current owner operating a remote management function only. New owners may wish to take a more hands-on approach by living on site which could negate the need for the full staffing complement.
REASON FOR SALE
The current owner has operated the business since 2018, but due to a change in family circumstances now wishes to focus on other business interests, hence the decision to sell this profitable lifestyle opportunity.
THE PROPERTY
Finished with rendered block built around the 1974, the property is a detached dwelling under a pitched tile roof. The property exudes a lovely charm and sits well within the local area. The main entrance to the B&B is accessed up a couple of steps from street level leading directly into a reception hallway. For less able guests, ramped access is available through the tea room. All letting rooms are well-appointed and attractively furnished. The vendor has maintained the facilities to a consistently high level of refurbishment.
Tea Room
The food preparation and cooking area is efficiently located immediately to the rear of the counter facilitating professional customer service. This compact workspace comes complete with extraction facilities, major appliances and food preparation areas. In addition, the business is being sold with a full range of refrigeration units, storage facilities and food preparation aids.
The cosy and immaculately presented tea room has capacity for 26 covers internally, utilising small square tables with colourful and comfortable chairs. The tea room has an external decked area next to the tea room door with capacity for 16 covers, there is a further 24 covers available on picnic bench seating located on the grass, adjacent to the deck.
B&B Accommodation
From the reception hallway, a hall leads directly to the B&B bedrooms. Access to the tea room is also provided from the hall. There is a good level of in-room facilities within the letting rooms to include; float screen TV, Wi-Fi, tea and coffee, toiletries and towels. The B&B accommodation is set as follows:
Single room with dedicated bathroom located across the corridor
Double room with en-suite shower room
Twin room with en-suite shower room
The Caravan Accommodation
Caravans 1 and 6 have been recently renovated to a very comfortable standard, moving away from fixed seating to a more relaxed arrangement. Caravans 2 and 5 are currently being renovated. The caravans are set out with double bedroom, twin room and an open plan lounge / kitchen / dining area. The caravans come complete with a TV, iron, hair dryer and outdoor eating area. The site has been completely rewired in the last 2 years with all caravans having new electric cookers and fires installed.
The caravans are advertised on the business website, plus caravan No 1 is advertised on booking.com. The refreshed internals certainly bring the standard of accommodation to a high level. This improvement adds to the potential future business opportunities.
OWNERS / STAFF ACCOMMODATION
The dedicated owner’s accommodation occupies the whole of the first floor. This comprises a comfortable and well sized lounge with cooking preparation area, small office area and large double bedroom with ensuite shower room.
EXTERNAL
The owner’s access is via the drive to the right-hand side, where parking is available. There is a small 2-person caravan located to the rear of this drive which acts as a utility area. Behind the small caravan is a converted single garage which is now used as a store, the up and over door has been blocked up and a modern single external PVC door installed. There is also a small utility store behind the building. The property grounds are mainly laid to grass. The property extends to circa 0.75 acres.
SERVICES
The business benefits from mains electricity, water and drainage. The central heating throughout the building is oil-fired. LPG is used for cooking within the tea room kitchen. The property is fully double glazed and is fire safety compliant. The caravans are electrical heated and have small stoves in lounge.
