Latest news with #WatersideHotel
Daily Record
23-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
Ayrshire luxury hotels named among best in Scotland at prestigious awards ceremony
The Gailes Hotel & Spa in Irvine and the Waterside Hotel in West Kilbride were among the winners. Two Ayrshire hotels were among the winners at the eighth annual Scottish Prestige Hotel Awards in Glasgow. The Gailes Hotel & Spa in Irvine and the Waterside Hotel in West Kilbride, both owned and operated by the SimpsInns group, were recognised on the night. Scotland's best spa and golf hotel 2025 was awarded to the Gailes which was praised by judges for its 'exceptional facilities and service'. The Waterside was also highly recommended in the four-star hotel category. The Prestige Hotel Awards showcase and reward outstanding service across Scotland's hotel industry following a nationwide public vote. The awards welcome over 500 hotels and hospitality businesses across Scotland. The Irvine-based Simpson family is the driving force behind SimpsInns, which owns and operates a collection of award-winning hotels, restaurants, bars, spa, golf, and leisure activities along the Ayrshire coast, including The Gailes, The Waterside, and Loans Inn at Troon. Malcolm Simpson from SimpsInns, said: 'We're extremely proud to have been recognised once again as an industry leader and for offering some of the best hotel, spa and golf experiences in Scotland. 'This latest award success for two of our hotels is testament to the hard work of our amazing team, who continually go above and beyond to ensure every guest enjoys a fantastic experience with us and keep coming back. 'Continued investment has been a key strategy for the growth of Simpsinns over the last three years, with over £4 million invested across the group. 'We're committed to enhancing the quality of the guest experience across the group, including our newly refurbished restaurant at Loans Inn and the addition of 17 new bedrooms and sea view spa at The Waterside later this year.'
Press and Journal
02-05-2025
- Press and Journal
The Britoil Scandal: What happened to the Aberdeen couple behind the audacious £23m fraud?
The £23 million Britoil fraud took place 37 years ago, and much has happened in the lives of the key figures in the case – so where are they now? Alison Anders served 20 months behind bars and Roy Allen served a little more. Having begun their relationship when Allen cheated on his wife, Anders and Allen were to prove that their romance was not just a short-lived affair. They often wrote to each other from their cells at Saughton and Cornton Vale and, upon release from jail, the couple got married at Peterhead Registry Office on April 23 1993. There was a reception for family and friends at the Waterside Hotel in Peterhead. On the marriage certificate, Anders listed her profession as 'horticulturalist' – a nod to her time when she went on the run from the police and FBI and worked under a fake name at Jacobsen's florist in Oregon. The couple bought a house from a retired farmer in Maud and lived a peaceful life together – with one or two bumps in the road. Anders took a job as a £12,000-a-year tutor with Rehab Scotland but was sacked because she did not tell bosses about the fraud. Despite their past crimes, the couple were popular and had several friends in and around Aberdeenshire. One friend told us that Anders and Allen got a pair of Rottweilers to dissuade tabloid journalists from arriving on the doorstep. The friend, who asked not to be named, added: 'The fraud was never going to be a success for them. 'They realised subsequently that, in many ways, it was a good thing that the fraud failed as an effort. 'There were too many people along the money chain that they were relying upon. 'Those people would have done away with them at some point instead of simply passing the money on. 'I do remember Roy confiding in me that he and Alison, in fact, were lucky to be alive.' For all his failings, Roy Allen was thought of highly by those around him in his later years. The friend said: 'He was one of these people that, in company, you were always aware of his presence. 'He filled the room. 'Roy would phone and say 'if you're not doing anything, come round, I've got a bottle of malt – we can see what we can do with that'.' After graduating from Aberdeen University with a psychology degree, he became a lecturer at the same university and would always start lectures by showing students a picture of his dog. Roy Allen died after a short illness on October 2014, aged 62. By then, oil companies had become a subject of annoyance for some young people, and one student publication paid tribute to Allen after his death. The Tab's article began: 'As if we needed another reason to admire him, Roy Allen has been unmasked as a criminal mastermind.' It added that Allen was 'loved by many of his students' and 'regardless of his past, this lecturer and local icon will be sorely missed by both staff and students'. Hajdin Sejdija is still offering tips on how to become rich through property dealings. He could not be located despite extensive efforts. Jill Ruddell and Omar Hammoud did not wish to be interviewed for this series. One person known to them told us: 'In many ways, Jill and Omar were collateral damage in this story. 'They are good people. They did nothing wrong. 'In fact, they could have just stayed well and truly out of it – but all they wanted was for justice to be done. 'And their 'reward' for helping and doing the right thing was having their names mentioned in court, which wasn't great for them.' Alison Anders is working in the field of education in Aberdeenshire and still lives in Maud. We made several attempts to contact her over a period of several months and she did not return our messages. As for Detective Constable Hamish Moir, who cracked the case after several years of police work with his colleagues, he left Grampian Police in 1996 and, now aged 65, he is enjoying his retirement, living in the north-east. Words by Design by Trailer and promotion by and Editing by , and With thanks to and for helping with research.
