Ackergill Tower joins five-star set
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THE new five-star status of one of the most exclusive properties in Caithness will enable it to market itself to the world as a luxury venue.
Ackergill Tower has been rebranded as a five-star hotel to become one of the few properties across Scotland to be given the biggest accolade in the hotel industry.
The castle, which has been under the ownership of Mike and Carol Clare since December 2009, has been transformed from a private property available to hire into a luxury hotel.
Clarenco Scottish regional general manager Andrew Jamieson said its new status is a tribute to all the staff who have put in so much hard work to make it become a reality.
"I couldn’t tell you how many five-star hotels there are in Scotland but there are not very many," he said.
"There certainly aren’t a lot in the Highlands but this new status puts Ackergill Tower among the best hotels in the UK.
"To achieve this status is a credit to the whole team here as we have not brought in many new faces which makes it even more of a fantastic achievement.
"They have worked so far to make sure its meticulous standards have not fallen once and helped raise this property to star level."
The owners have spent over £2 million in refurbishing Ackergill Tower since purchasing the property three years ago.
Its aim to achieve five-star status has been the result of an ongoing six-month project and Mr Jamieson said the Tower has now placed itself on the world stage.
He said together with the obvious benefits it will bring the business, the brand is sure to be a boost to the local economy.
"For a small county such as Caithness, it can only be a good thing for the economy that they have such a prestigious business within it," he said.
"Hopefully this will bring more tourism not just to our hotel but to the region as a whole because it will hopefully have an knock-on effect.
"There isn’t anything like it in the world as it is based in an area of rugged countryside and when our guests open their doors, they practically fall into the North Sea.
"In any part of the world, five star is the ultimate ambition that every hotel strives to achieve."
Despite a large amount of its custom still being based on exclusive use of the castle, the hotel can cater for up to 32 guests with 17 bedroom suites.
New developments include the Summer Palace, a stunning new wedding and events space with a show-stopping glass roof, and the Ackergill Stables, a conversion of the existing stable block into self-contained cottages for guest hire.
