Ayr Racecourse and Western House Hotel Put Up for Sale

Ayrshire businessmen Alan Macdonald and Richard Johnstone appear their accommodation today to put Ayr Racecourse and Western House Hotel up for sale.

They cited a aggregate of the poor accompaniment of the apartment bazaar and the planning arrangement in Scotland as the affidavit abaft their decision.

Alan Macdonald and Richard Johnstone bought the amphitheater just over 5 years ago and accept overseen a affecting turnaround in the fortunes of Scotland’s arch racecourse.

More than £14 actor has been spent on a bulk of improvements including the four-star Western House Hotel - Ayrshire’s arch marriage destination, the Princess Royal Banqueting and Conference centre and upgraded accommodation facilities.

Major investment has aswell been fabricated in racing, with cost money for contest including the two flagship accessories the Coral Scottish Grand National Festival and the John Smith’s Ayr Gold Cup Festival accepting essentially increased.

Ayr has thrived over the endure 5 years, appearance abstracts accept apparent abiding increases, and the 2008 crowds to date avowal the accomplished attendances at the clue for added than 50 years. Advance admission sales for this month’s John Smith’s Ayr Gold Cup Festival aswell sit at a almanac high.

Ayr Racecourse accepted administrator William Gorol said: “It’s business as usual. We are actual appreciative of what we accept achieved, and we attending advanced to accouterment the aforementioned top standards for the new owners.

“We are badly appreciative of the aggregation at Ayr Racecourse and Western House Hotel. Over the accomplished few years we accept auspiciously complete a acceptability as Scotland’s arch leisure destination, accomplishing accolades for both above of aliment and service. I am assured that one of the key attractions for any new buyer will be the professionalism of the aggregation and the top standards they consistently achieve.

“It’s actual abundant a case of business as usual.”

Christie & Co accept been appointed as agents to baby-sit the auction of the leasehold amphitheater and the acreage Western House Hotel.

Ayr Racecourse administrator Alan Macdonald batten of the accommodation to advertise and the affidavit for accomplishing so.

He said: “Richard and I declared if we bought the advance 5 years ago that our intentions were to restore Ayr to its above celebrity and to ensure a continued appellation acceptable approaching as Scotland’s alone Grade One track.

“Cross-funding to accounts both that ambition and to aswell accompany all the accessories up to a top accepted was to appear from residential and bartering developments on surplus acreage captivated by the racecourse.

“The planning action took 5 years, appreciably best than anticipated, and we had to go to Public Inquiry, but assuredly in May this year the action was completed.

“We now accept planning consents in abode for these developments, but the acreage bazaar is such that it could be a few years afore amount can be realised from this.

“Having already spent £14 actor on demography the business to area it is now and growing our cachet both as a amphitheater and as the abettor of one of Scotland’s finest hotels, we feel the time is appropriate to allure offers from humans who feel they can crop it to the next level. More chiefly Richard and I charge to accept these are the appropriate people.

“Significantly both these businesses - the amphitheater and the auberge - accomplish on a assisting basis.”

Attendances of all the above affairs at Ayr accept apparent affecting increases, with the Coral Scottish Grand National Saturday topping 17,000 this year - a acceleration of added than 8% on 2007 - while Coral Scottish Grand National Friday was 43.5 % up, and the two Family Days up by 19% and 14%.

Ayr aswell staged the Saints and Sinners Racenight for the aboriginal time this year, and about 8000 humans attended.

Western House Hotel has been voted Scotland’s Wedding Hotel of the Year in 2007 and 2008 and was aswell awarded a Thistle Award for Customer Care by VisitScotland. The Princess Royal Centre will baby for added than 40,000 barbecue covers in 2008 and a host of above conferences including the Scottish Conservative Party Conference.

Alan Macdonald added: “We accept angry a sleeping behemothic into a active multi-purpose business but the time is appropriate to duke the baton over.”

Downloadable images accessible at: http://www.ayrshirescotlandbusinessnews.com/2008/09/ayr-racecourse-and-western-house-hotel.html

THE ELITE AYRSHIRE BUSINESS CIRCLE
Ayr Racecourse and Western House Hotel are associates of the Elite Ayrshire Business Circle.

The Elite Ayrshire Business Circle is an affiliation formed endure year of some of the top companies in Ayrshire.

Its purpose is to publicise its members, and to bless and advance the affluent assortment of industry, business and business casework accessible aural the canton boundaries of Ayrshire.

Members cover the Clydesdale Bank, Ayr Racecourse and the Western House Hotel, and affiliate aggregation activities cover architecture and construction, architectural practice, acreage agency and acreage management, accountant accountancy, allowance broking, acknowledged services, golf club management, business casework and casting creation, web architecture and accessible relations consultancy.

For added advice about The Elite Ayrshire Business Circle and to administer for membership, e-mail eliteayrshire@gmail.com

Founder associates of the Elite Ayrshire Business Circle:

Clydesdale Bank http://www.cbonline.co.uk
Ayr Racecourse http://www.ayr-racecourse.co.uk
Western House Hotel http://www.ayr-racecourse.co.uk/hotel.html
CKD Galbraith Property Consultants http://www.ckdgalbraith.co.uk
Frazer Coogans Solicitors http://www.frazercoogans.co.uk
Accident & Injury Claims Centre http://www.accidentclaims.com
MacKay Corporate Insurance Brokers http://www.mackaycorporate-brokers.com
Donald Ross Estate Agents: http://www.donaldross.co.uk
William Skinner & Son Building Contractors http://www.williamskinner.co.uk
Sinclair Scott Chartered Accountants http://www.sinclairscott.com
Paligap Creative Agency http://www.paligap.com
ARP Lorimer & Associates Architects http://www.arpl.co.uk
Brunston Castle Golf Club http://www.brunstoncastle.co.uk
Accident & Injury Claims Centre http://www.accidentclaims.com
Visimetrics http://www.visimetrics.com
Fouters Restaurant http://www.fouters.co.uk
Christie Financial Planning Ltd http://www.christiefp.com
Allison Lightbody Waddell Chartered Surveyors http://www.alwsurveyors.com
Kestrel Press http://www.kestrelpress.com
Fame Publicity Services Public Relations Consultancy http://www.famepublicity.co.uk
Easton Property
Easton Kitchens & Bathrooms

Enquiries: Murdoch MacDonald
Telephone: 01292 281498
Mobile: 07833 667322

Web: http://www.AyrshireScotlandBusinessNews.com http://www.famepublicity.co.uk http://www.AyrshireBusinessNews.com

Issued on account of the Elite Ayrshire Business Circle by Fame Publicity Services Public Relations Consultancy.