11/9/2018 | Restaurants

The Boathouse restaurant & campsite on the Isle of Gigha for sale

Specialist business property adviser, Christie & Co has brought to the market the leasehold of The Boathouse, a restaurant and campsite located on the Isle of Gigha, off the west coast of Scotland.



The family run, well established restaurant trades from a 300 year old boathouse, which overlooks the stunning white sandwashed shores and crystal blue seas of Ardminish Bay, featuring white washed stone walls and beamed ceilings. The fully licensed restaurant accommodates 28 covers inside with a further 40 covers available outside on the decking/beachside area, with ample parking to the rear of the property. With a very strong reputation locally and very well known on the west coast of Scotland, the restaurant offers the finest high quality fresh seafood and locally sourced meat and has gained recognition from the Michelin Guide four years running. 

The Boathouse is set in one of the most stunning locations Scotland has to offer, approximately two and a half hours from Glasgow and a short 20 minute ferry crossing to the mainland, sitting in a prominent and very location on the beach. The Boathouse is conveniently close to the island’s ferry port, connecting with the main A83 to Glasgow to Campbeltown road, and is very popular with locals and visiting tourists from the mainland on a daily basis due to the accessibility of the ferry from Tayinloan, operated with Caledonia Macbrayne. Situated at the bottom of the Mull of Kintyre, The Boathouse has become a must stop destination with passing sailing boats taking advantage of the of the newly installed pontoons and moorings which were upgraded in 2016. 

The business offers a range of opportunities for a new operator to build its trade, including utilising additional space on the first floor of the property, formerly the coastguard, to increase covers or capitalising on recently granted planning permission to build five glamping pods on the campsite, which is also included within the current lease agreement for the site. 

Set on the small community-owned island, The Boathouse is owned by the Gigha Trust and leased to the current owners husband and wife team, James & Sharon Clark, who have operated the business for two years, but have decided to sell in order to focus on their other businesses. Mr & Mrs Clark comment, “The Isle of Gigha is breath-taking – silver beaches and beautiful bays, clear blue seas, stunning views and amazing sunsets, lochs and gently sloping hillsides, as well as a plentiful variety of wildlife and birdlife. You can enjoy exploring the many archaeological and historic sites or welcome the peace and beauty of a walk or cycle. Whatever the time of year you can immerse yourself in the colours of Achamore Gardens that benefit from Gigha being low lying and influenced by the North Atlantic Drift resulting in the climate being drier and warmer than that normally associated with the west coast of Scotland.”

Josh Hill, Business Agent at Christie & Co is handling the sale and comments, "The Boathouse presents a unique and exciting business opportunity. As the business only trades from March until September, it would make a great lifestyle change for a chef or husband and wife team, given its picturesque location. What makes this business even more special is its very low operating costs, which are unmatched to most locations in the UK."

Christie & Co is seeking offers of £140,000 for the leasehold interest of The Boathouse.