Holidaymakers to the Skye and Lochalsh area can look forward to a higher standard of accommodation and facilities following the completion of a £170,000 renovation and upgrading project.

The award-winning Plockton Hotel - named after the palm-tree lined seaboard village made famous by TV policeman Hamish Macbeth - is owned by Tom and Dorothy Pearson and their son Alan.

It was first bought by the Pearson family in 1991 and since then has undergone a significant transformation, recently earning itself the title of Scottish AA Seafood Pub of the Year.

Originally a village pub with two guestrooms, the Pearsons wanted to place a greater emphasis on accommodation.

With the help of £70,700 of building grants and loans from Skye and Lochlash Enterprise (SALE), part of the Highlands and Islands Enterprise network, the hotel has expanded to provide a reception area, 14 en suite bedrooms, an improved kitchen, storage facilities and fire alarm system.

Now, as part of Phase II of their programme of improvements which are aimed at achieving a Scottish Tourist Board four star grading, the Pearsons are making further improvements including doubling the size of the kitchen to provide all-day catering,

Three bedrooms in the original hotel building, which are of a lesser standard than the others, are also to be extensively renovated. When the development is completed next Easter, the hotel will offer 15 bedrooms with accommodation for up to 29 people.

The equivalent of five full time jobs will be created, bringing the total to 16.

Mr Pearson said: "Having had experience in the catering industry while running a restaurant in Stranraer, we were keen to develop the food aspect of our hotel.

"An enlarged kitchen will not only improve the working environment for our staff, but will able us to offer meals and snacks throughout the day.

"Extensive internal alterations to the original building will mean a significant improvement to the existing bedrooms, providing our guests in the original hotel building with a more comfortable stay."

Robert Muir, SALE's chief executive said: "This project will have a positive impact on the area. It will help to promote visitor activity and satisfaction as well as tackling the problems of seasonality, thus encouraging longer stays and repeat visits.

"We are committed to raising the standards of accommodation and service in Skye and Lochalsh which can only have a beneficial spin-off for other businesses."