Apartments give new lease of life to Wick housing complex that was ‘going to rack and ruin’
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A disused sheltered housing complex in Wick has been given a new lease of life as a block of apartments that will be “a great asset to the town”.
The former Caberfeidh Court in Wellington Avenue was bought by the Caithness Collection of hotels, owned by brothers Andrew and Sandy Mackay, and redeveloped as Wick Bay Apartments.
There are 36 apartments, with almost half of them open now and the others due to become available in the coming weeks.
Andrew described it as the regeneration of a building that had been “going to rack and ruin”.
Caberfeidh Court was officially opened by the Queen Mother in August 1982 as warden-assisted accommodation. It closed seven years ago but had been running down prior to that.
The idea of acquiring it began when Andrew and Sandy were visiting their late mother, Irene, while she was a resident at the nearby Pulteney House care home.
“My brother and I were visiting our mam at Pulteney House and her window overlooked it,” Andrew recalled. “We were just chatting one day and saw it all boarded up.
“It was part of my brother's butcher delivery run and he was reminiscing about delivering here and what a great institution it was, a great place. And then we said we wonder how much it's up for, and we looked at it, and that's what it came from.”
They bought the building in February 2021. The project became “elongated” because of Covid, according to Andrew, who described the purchase and refurbishment as a “significant” investment.
“We bought it from Cairn Housing Association and they were really helpful,” he said. “They were really keen for it to have local ownership, and that helped us a lot in getting through the hoops.”
There are 26 studio apartments and 10 one-bedroom apartments and the accommodation is staffed 24/7. It is on two floors, with a lift at one end.
The complex is linked to the low-carbon district heating scheme operated by Ignis Wick Ltd.
All apartments have smart TVs and wifi access, while kitchen equipment includes air fryers, fridges and microwave ovens. East-facing rooms have views across Wick Bay.
“It is a very positive move,” Andrew said. “We've got 16 rooms open and operating and we've got 20 that are coming online in the next few weeks.
“It's the regeneration of a building that was going to rack and ruin. It's well-appointed, it's a great asset to the town, and we're hopeful that it will take off.”
Residents will typically be professionals who are working in the area for a limited time.
Andrew explained: “The idea is mid to long-term, so if you've got a three-week job up here it's for that, or if you've got a year's probation as a teacher it's for that.
“It's really to target the people that are not wanting the trappings of a hotel, who are wanting to relax and put their feet up and get a takeaway and just relax a bit more and not be fussed over. It's for them, really.”
The apartments may also be suitable for North Coast 500 tourists. “We wouldn't say no to a one or two-night stay if we had the availability and they wanted that style,” Andrew said.
Norbloc Construction was the main contractor.
“We kept it local as much as we could,” Andrew said. “Norbloc did the bulk of the work and we did a lot of the stuff in-house as well.
“We thought we'd have to replace the windows but our own in-house maintenance team managed to refurbish them.”
Calder and Barnes installed the heating and signage and helped with the windows. Plowman's Carpets provided all the floor coverings, while Fixm supplied the electrical goods.
The décor and soft furnishings were done by Andrew's wife Vicky and the head housekeeper, Angie Squires.
Outside, there is landscaping to be done and the car park will be extended. Electric vehicle charging points will be put in at that stage.
A Wick Bay Apartments website will be launched soon.
Andrew added: “The local people around here have been very helpful. It's on a dog-walking route and they were always looking out for us when we weren't there, when it was being developed.
“The local community has really got behind it.”
