Staffa House is a beautiful and substantial Guesthouse located in Fionnphort on the idyllic Ross of Mull in Southwest Mull. Overlooking the Sound of Iona, this beautifully finished property is a few minutes’ walk away from the Pier where local services depart daily for Iona and Staffa. A great business in a stunning location where the property benefits from full renovation by the current owners and is in fantastic walk-in condition. The current setup offers an independent and easy-to-operate proposition, making this a true lifestyle business.
The property comprises 4 attractive letting bedrooms, all of which are ensuite, together with one bedroomed owner’s accommodation including kitchen, spacious lounge and shower room to the rear of the ground floor. The guest accommodation benefits from a spacious lounge and delightful bright conservatory which is used as a breakfast and dining area.
The extensive five star reviews for this business on both TripAdvisor and Google demonstrate the owners desire to provide a comfortable and relaxed stay with attention to detail that is second to none.
The Property
The property is clearly signed on the main route to the Iona Ferry, with private parking to the front of the property. This is a charming traditional two storey detached house set over 2 floors with traditional slate roof. It sits in a beautiful position overlooking fields, the beach and the water of the Iona Sound, together with a gorgeous view of the Isle of Iona. This substantial attractive building is painted a fresh white with green accents.
The trading accommodation of the business comprises 4 comfortable ensuite letting bedrooms, a storage room/office, utility room, guest lounge and conservatory used for dining. There is a ground floor guest bedroom to the left of the main door with the other 3 bedrooms being located on the first floor. The owners’ accommodation is set to the rear of the property comprising a delightful dual aspect lounge, kitchen, large owners’ bedroom and well finished shower room. The owners’ accommodation benefits from separate access through a porch on the left-hand side of the building. The galley style kitchen is beautifully finished and extremely well appointed. It is equipped with a large heated plate, dishwasher, a fridge and one fridge freezer as well as a gas/electric cooker. The cream units, wooden worktop and attractive checkered floor create a lovely space in which to prepare meals. This area is supplemented by the adjacent utility room which contains two washing machines and a tumble dryer together with further useful storage.
The property is finished to an exceptionally high standard throughout. All of the rooms are tastefully finished, comfortable and inviting. The guest lounge is a spacious yet cosy room and leads into a light and bright conservatory where meals are served. The conservatory opens onto a small, decked area where the stunning views can be enjoyed.
The four letting bedrooms benefit from fully refurbished ensuite shower rooms with waterfall showers.
There are currently 5 bedrooms, 4 of which are let to guests and one which is used by the owners. However, the layout offers a great deal of flexibility in how these rooms might be utilised in the future, e.g. one could let three rooms on the first floor and retain the downstairs bedroom as a second bedroom for owners’ accommodation.
All guest rooms at Staffa House are finished to an excellent standard and very well equipped featuring high quality furniture, toiletries and a complimentary hospitality tray with a range of teas, coffee and biscuits. In addition, all the bedrooms have unlimited access to superfast broadband provided from a starlink satellite dish which also serves the office and owners’ area. All guests have full access to the guest lounge and conservatory.
Location
Situated on the Isle of Mull on the West coast of Scotland, Staffa House is located in the lovely village of Fionnphort which is the principal port of the Ross of Mull. This historic village has a strong fishing history, the current industry there being based primarily on crabs and lobsters which are mostly exported to Spain and France. The busy ferry port provides regular sailings to both Iona and Staffa. The famous Isle of Iona, known as the ‘Cradle of Christianity’ in Scotland is the home of Iona Abbey which is visited by religious pilgrims and tourists alike. Iona is steeped in religious history and is a huge draw to the area with an estimated 130,000 tourists each year. As well as the Abbey and local marble quarry the island has a total of 9 beaches within walking distance of the main area on offer. Iona also offers an abundance of marine and wildlife and is home to The Columba Centre, a museum that exhibits ancient artefacts from the area and traces the history of St Columba.
The Island of Mull itself attracts a large number of visitors annually offering sensational Scottish scenery with the most beautiful bays and sandy beaches. Interesting geology, exceptional historical interest, and diverse wildlife makes Mull a dream location as well as offering scenic walks, golf, fishing and horse riding.
The Island of Mull is one of the most accessible Inner Hebridean Islands with car and passenger ferries arriving daily from the mainland, being reached by a 45-minute vehicular ferry from Oban. Services from Lochaline on Morvern and Kilchoan on the Ardnamurchan peninsula are also available. A local bus service covers the Island including Fionnphort, and there is a small airstrip at Glenforsa suitable for private aircraft. A main line train service operates from Glasgow to Oban, with most trains connecting with the ferry.
Accommodation
The bedroom accommodation is configured as follows:
Iona: First floor premier bedroom to the front of the property with king-size bed and separate seating area. The bathroom has superior heritage style fittings and a large walk-in shower cubicle.
Erraid: First floor double bedroom with a high quality ensuite shower to rear of property with garden views.
Lunga: First floor double bedroom located to front of property with a high quality ensuite shower and views over Tor Mor and the Sound of Iona.
Eorsa: Ground floor bedroom with superking-size/twin beds located to front of property with high quality ensuite shower and views over Tor Mor and the Sound of Iona.
Grounds
The grounds to the rear are pleasantly laid out with shrubs and small trees to the perimeter, the bulk of the rear is area is laid to lawn. The owners have a vegetable patch to the rear for both their business and personal use. The grounds to the front and sides of the properties are more formal in layout.
Terms
PRICE - Offers in the region of £549,000 are invited for the heritable property and business goodwill. Trade contents (excluding personal items) are by negotiation and stock at valuation.
OFFERS - All offers should be submitted in writing to ASG Commercial Ltd with whom purchasers should register their interest if they wish to be advised of a closing date, should one be set.
SERVICES - The property benefits from mains electricity, mains water and mains drainage. Gas cooking is available via bottled gas cylinders. The space heating and hot water is provided by a modern oil central heating system which allows guest areas to be switched off in winter. There is Wi-Fi throughout.
ACCOUNTS - Full accounting information will be made available to interested parties subsequent to viewing.
SHORT-TERM LETTING LICENCE - The business has applied for a licence under the Licencing Scotland Act 2005, and a copy of the operating plan is available to interested parties, which details operating practices. Whilst the licence was applied for in good time, a backlog at the local Council has means that the application is still pending.
EPC RATING - The EPC rating for the BnB is ‘D’
TITLE NUMBER - The title number for the BnB is ARG14091.
RATES / COUNCIL TAX - The BnB has a rateable value of £6,800 as at April 2023, property refence number 01/04/A35280/0400 and benefits from 100% discount under the Small Business Bonus Scheme for eligible businesses.
WEBSITE - The vendors utilise their web site https://staffahouse.co.uk to take bookings. Staffa House has exceptional ratings with a TripAdvisor rating of 5 stars and a Google rating of 5 stars.
PLANS - An indicative plan is available upon request from the selling agents ASG Commercial.
FINANCE & LEGAL SERVICES - ASG Commercial Ltd is in touch with several lenders who provide specialist finance to the hospitality trade. We will be delighted to discuss your financing requirements with you and make an appropriate introduction. We have access to a large team of legal experts who can act in all legal matters arising.
Specification
- Outstanding bed and breakfast business on the Isle of Mull
- Beautiful position overlooking the Sound of Iona
- Fully renovated turnkey business
- Fantastic reviews
- Profitable businesses with scope to increase trade
- High quality ensuite letting bedrooms
- Excellent 1 bed owners’ accommodation