Work on Thurso's Premier Inn will resume when safe
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WORK on the multimillion-pound Premier Inn hotel in Thurso has been halted due to the coronavirus pandemic but will restart "as soon as it is safe to do so".
The update was given by Neil McDougall, project manager for Pentland Properties, which owns the nine-acre former mart site on which the hotel is being built.
"In line with the Scottish Government's advice on construction activity during the coronavirus pandemic, we have halted work on the new Premier Inn in Thurso," he said. "There is security in place to keep the site safe and secure while it is closed.
"We are continuing to monitor the official guidance from the Scottish Government and will reopen the site as soon as it is safe to do so, with social distancing and increased safety measures in place."
Mr McDougall added: "Whitbread [owner of the Premier Inn chain] is looking forward to bringing a new Premier Inn to Thurso. It will be its most northerly hotel in the UK, and the business is confident it will trade successfully and offer significant economic benefits to the town when the doors open."
Work got under way last July and was expected to take about a year to complete. It is hoped the hotel may be a catalyst for further development of the former mart area beside Ormlie Road.
Pentland Properties awarded the contract for the hotel to Morrison Construction, part of the Galliford Try group.
Whitbread received planning permission in November 2018 for a three-storey, 81-bed hotel and car park at the site.
At the time, some Caithness hoteliers and other accommodation providers claimed it would affect trade and result in job losses, while supporters said it will boost tourism and greatly improve an "eyesore" site. The development is expected to create around 30 jobs.
The Thurso Premier Inn is one of five hotels planned by Whitbread as part of an expansion programme in Scotland.
