After nearly two decades, the owners of a popular Dumfriesshire bed and breakfast are retiring.
Mark and Morag Cuthbertson have owned Hightae Inn, near Lockerbie, since 2008, originally falling in love with the venue when they held their wedding reception there 14 years earlier.
As fate would have it, the business came up for sale as the couple were looking for a new challenge to their office-based jobs in Dundee – and it was an opportunity too good to pass up.
Mark and Morag Cuthbertson, and their dog Thomas, are retiring from Hightae Inn after 18 years.
The five-bedroom private licenced B&B has been listed for sale through local specialist estate agency C&D Rural for offers over £525,000.
Morag said: “I grew up in Lockerbie so we jumped at the chance to move home when my sister told me that the place we held our wedding reception was up for sale. It seemed like the stars were aligning as Mark and I were desperate for a change.
“We have loved every single minute of our time here and welcoming guests back year after year is such a satisfying part of the job, and it’s nice when they say they enjoyed their stay so much that they needed to return.
“Reading the wonderful reviews we receive on TripAdvisor and other sites is lovely to see, and being ranked so highly proves that we have provided a service which guests really appreciate.
“What is extra special about Hightae Inn to us is that Mark and I have been able to run everything by ourselves for the past 18 years, and this is a really exciting business opportunity for somebody who wants to run it by themselves, or with a partner.”
The Cuthbertsons have lovingly refurbished the property over the past two decades, but decided the time was right for a change.
Mark said: “I think the fact we have been here four times longer than any of the previous owners show how much we have loved being here. We didn’t plan on being here so long; the longer we stayed, the harder it was to move away.
“When we first took over, we would typically get people staying overnight while they were passing through the area but that quickly changed and people now stay longer and, more often than not, return.
“The next owners of Hightae Inn will have a really great life here. The village of Hightae is quite remarThe popular Hightae Inn, near Lockerbie.
kable and is on the main rail line to Edinburgh and Glasgow, and the South, so you have the best of both worlds.”
All five guest bedrooms at Hightae Inn include en-suite bathrooms, while a cosy, communal residents’ lounge is located on the ground floor leading to a large dining/bar space.
The property also comes with a commercial kitchen fitted with stainless steel fittings, range cooker, dishwasher and fridge freezer, in addition to a large walk-in chiller.
Externally, there is a large guest car park, private rear yard with access to the shed which houses a Biomass boiler, a garden area and a shepherd’s hut with wood burner offering potential for further accommodation space.
The Hightae Inn is a popular B&B.
More details about the property are available here. For more information, contact C&D Rural on (01228) 792299 or office@cdrural.co.uk.
