16-05-2025
- Business
- Press and Journal
Closed Portsoy hotel could be turned into mansion worth £700k after sudden closure
A historic Portsoy hotel could be turned into a massive dream home months after its sudden closure.
Durn House lies on the outskirts of the picturesque coastal community.
It's part of the Durn Estate, which dates back to the 16th century, with the B-listed building itself erected in the 1700s.
The historic hotel even has connections with the Battle of Culloden, the Scottish Crown Jewels and Queen Victoria.
And it retains much of its period charm, such as a spiral staircase leading down to the basement and a large entrance hall with an open fireplace.
The current owner purchased the building back in 2006, and carried out refurbishments for six years.
Durn House had been operating as a hotel and restaurant for several years.
However the business closed suddenly in 2024.
Owner Sandra Anne Scrudis plans to turn Durn House from an eight-bedroom hotel and restaurant back into a house.
According to planning papers submitted to Aberdeenshire Council, she lives in East Peckham in Kent.
The forms state: 'Looking to change the use of this property back to residential.
'Current use is commercial as an eight-bedroom hotel and restaurant. The building is currently vacant and the business has stopped trading in mid 2024.'
Blueprints sent to the council show the layout of the four-storey building, suggesting that there are no plans to make any 'internal changes'.
And it appears efforts are already being made to sell it as a house.
Durn House is currently on the market for offers over £685,000.
Sales agent Knight Frank describe it as a 'charming 18th century Georgian guesthouse offering a business or private home'.
You can see the new plans on the Aberdeenshire Council website.
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