£184,500 boost to Lewis visitor services

Services for visitors in North Lewis are being expanded by a £184,500 project to renovate a local hotel, bringing new restaurant and accommodation facilities to the area.

The scheme involving the Cross Inn has won support from Western Isles Enterprise.

Work has already begun on the project, which is due to take about four months, and will see extensive renovation work inside and outside the property, including the creation of six bedrooms, one of which will be on the ground floor and suitable for disabled visitors.

The Inn will be developed with a flexible internal layout allowing it to cope with weddings, business events, small conferences, meetings and other social functions.

Meals will be available all day and there will a promotional drive to attract local users as well as visitors.

The Inn is has been owned since last year by Allan Macrae and Maureen Forsyth who already run the Butt View store in Bragar, which they took over after a period working at the former Hugh Matheson store in Francis Street, Stornoway.

Mr Macrae said they were aiming at two-star status for the hotel at first, with the hope of getting three-star in the future. He said they bought the property because they believed it had great potential. Nothing comparable was available between Shawbost and the Butt of Lewis. Since taking over, they had been developing trade at the public bar section of the Inn while planning the expansion of its other facilities.

In recent years in the Ness area, there has been a marked increase in community group activity in the cultural tourism sector. The local arts and music centre Taigh Dhonnchaidh has developed a range of public events which attract people to the area. When members of the Morrison Clan from all over the  world came to the opening of the bridge to nearby Dun Eisdean this summer, they had to be accommodated throughout Lewis and Harris and there was nowhere in the Ness area big enough to allow them to eat together as a group.

To back the project WIE is putting in grants totalling £44,200 while the EU funded HIE Standards Scheme will provide £29,500.

It is hoped the development will create the equivalent of between three and four full-time jobs.

The support package from WIE also provided business planning assistance and support under the EU funded HIE Marks advisory service, to develop a marketing strategy -  the aim is to promote the Inn as a unique independent hotel, offering good hospitality and value for money. A website is to be developed to help attract visitors from off the island.

Mr Donnie Macaulay, WIE's chief executive, said the development of the Cross Inn would provide a valuable extra facility in addition to those already in the area, increasing local economic activity and supporting the work of other local  businesses and community groups.