Around 410 staff are being retained while administrators seek a buyer for Strathmore Hotels, the East Kilbride-based group that collapsed on 11 August owning eight hotels, six of them in Scottish tourism towns.
Interpath’s Alistair McAlinden and James Dewar took the appointment over Strathmore Hotels Limited, which had been under sustained creditor pressure for several months and faced a winding-up petition in July. All eight hotels continue to trade while the administrators assess the options.
Fort William accounts for two of the properties, the Alexandra and the Ben Nevis. Elsewhere in Scotland the group holds the Royal at Oban, the Salutation at Perth, the Nethybridge in Strathspey and the Ben Wyvis at Strathpeffer. Two sit in northern England: the Cairn at Harrogate and the Cumbria Grand at Grange-over-Sands. The Salutation, built in 1699, is said to be the oldest hotel building in Scotland.
McAlinden, who is head of Interpath in Scotland, said the hospitality sector “has faced a number of significant challenges in recent years, including rising operating costs, inflationary pressures, workforce shortages and changing consumer spending patterns”, and that Strathmore “has not been immune to these headwinds”.
He added: “Our immediate priority is to ensure continuity across the business. We recognise that this news may be concerning for employees, customers, and suppliers. However, we would like to reassure all stakeholders that it is very much business as usual across the portfolio, and we encourage guests to continue visiting the hotels as normal while we explore the best possible outcome for the business.”
The cost pressure he describes is quantified. UKHospitality Scotland analysis published in January found the average Scottish hotel faced a business rates increase of £68,007 over three years, with bills rising 21% from April 2026, driven by revaluation and the ending of the 40% relief. Its executive director Leon Thompson called the increases “staggering” and said they came “on top of increased costs of employment, energy, food and drink”.
For the Highlands, Argyll and Perth, the immediate question is ownership rather than closure: the hotels are trading, the staff are in place, and the outcome now depends on what the administrators can sell.
