The £19.3 million development project to transform two 19th century Kintyre hotels is now complete, promising major economic benefits for the area.

U.S. firm, Southworth Development LLC, awarded GRAHAM Construction the £5.8m contract to overhaul the Royal Hotel in Campbeltown and the Ugadale in Machrihanish. The hotels flank the internationally acclaimed Machrihanish Golf Club and are expected to add £3m to the local economy annually.

The Royal Hotel had its official opening and open day last weekend following a complete redesign and rebuild, while the Ugadale has been welcoming guests – and been consistently fully booked – since late February.

Situated on the main road in Campbeltown, the four-storey Royal Hotel was originally built in 1898 and given a two-storey extension late last century. GRAHAM Construction stripped the old building back to its shell and rebuilt from within using sympathetic modernisation techniques, bringing the whole hotel up to four storeys.

Michael Graham, executive chairman of GRAHAM Group, said: "The refurbished Royal and Ugadale hotels showcase GRAHAM Construction’s collaboration with Southworth Development and serve as great examples of what can be achieved when modernising historic buildings.

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"The team has worked closely with Southworth Development and its design team throughout the project to retain the most interesting 19th century aspects of the buildings while updating the hotels with modern, open spaces and sympathetic features.

"These projects have been fascinating for GRAHAM Construction and the team is incredibly proud of the new-look hotels."

It took an average of 50 workers 50 weeks to entirely transform the five-star venue, installing around 70 tonnes of structural steel to form the new layout and over 15km of cable for comprehensive re-wiring.

A concrete staircase covering the length of the four levels had to be brought in through the roof in 12 sections. With each section weighing around 12 tonnes, a 150-tonne crane was required to set the stairs in place.

The GRAHAM team was also responsible for the creation of bay windows, which saw diamond rope being used to chop through 2ft thick stone walls before the old-style glazing could be installed.

The hotel now boasts 23 bedrooms with en suite facilities and salvaged period features, such as Victorian fireplaces; a public bar called The Black Sheep Pub; The Harbourview Grille; a new reception area and lift; and a rear extension to accommodate back of house areas such as cellars and chillers.

The Ugadale – an 1880 country mansion which has survived two major fires – had not welcomed guests for more than 30 years before Southworth Development LLC kicked off its grand plans.

GRAHAM Construction spent over 10 months renovating the building – stripping the interior back to its bare walls and carrying out major structural alterations – while retaining its most striking original features.

Ornamental arches and cornices in the main entrance were kept and refurbished while extensive restoration work on the stone and mahogany staircase allowed it to be retained as a feature in the new-look hotel.

The Ugadale now has 22 bedrooms, including four suites, all with en suite facilities; Serenity Spa, for use by guests and local people; a fully equipped gym; and back of house extension to the rear. The Kintyre Club on the ground floor is a restaurant and bar for hotel guests and club members. All proceeds from membership fees are distributed to Kintyre-area charities, with £6,000 being donated from the opening weekend alone.

(GK)