PICTURES: Milestone moment as Conon Hotel re-opens after labour-of-love revamp
AN historic Ross-shire village hotel that fell into ruin under previous owners has opened a new chapter after ambitious investment.
The Conon Hotel in Conon Bridge is a business reborn under new owners David Whiteford (35) and partner Joseph (34) who took ownership of the 1780-built premises in September 2020.
They have spent the past 21 months pouring energy and investment into restoring the dilapidated building’s fabric in a bid to transform it into a family hotel and gastro-pub popular with locals and visitors alike.
They hope to make the venue a valued community hub used by a host of local clubs and organisations.
“I don’t like to blow our own trumpet, but the feedback from everyone who has come to see the work has been fantastic,” Mr Whiteford, whose parents own Navity Farm in Cromarty, said.
“We set out to make it somewhere the whole community could be proud of and I hope we have achieved that.”
Mr Whiteford said his new team is fully trained and ready to go.
He said: “We are 100 per cent committed to catering for the knitting clubs, astronomy club, the football teams who can all come here to use and enjoy it. We have spaces here for everyone to feel comfortable in from the nice dining room to the pub with pool table and jukebox.”
Accommodation in the 10 refurbished bedrooms is available by direct enquiry to the hotel, with a booking system to follow.
There were delays along the way in “realising our dream”, Mr Whiteford said, but he feels they were more than worth it.
He said: “It has been a labour of love and I am sorry that it took so long to get it finished. But in the end everyone, from every agency, worked together to get the building signed off and completed.”
