The Commercial Bar is an archetypal business within Invergordon centre and is situated in a popular trading location. This traditional pub and music venue was a destination location for locals and tourists alike. The subjects are believed to originate from the 1800’s and had a long history as a public house. The current owners have owned the business for over 40 years operating this traditional facility successfully for the whole period until COVID struck. The property has 3 floors plus a spacious basement area. The business traded historically as wet sales and rooms.
REASON FOR SALE - The vendors purchased the Commercial Bar in the 1970’s and it is their desire to retire after many years in the hospitality sector that brings this excellent business opportunity to the market.
BUSINESS OPERATION - The Commercial Bar is located on the High Street in the heart of Invergordon. The business is being sold as vacant possession, though some trade content is on site.
Location
Ideally located within a high street setting, the Commercial Bar is approximately 20 miles north of the Highlands capital Inverness but is situated close to the towns of Tain, Alness and Dingwall. The recent creation of the Inverness and Cromarty Green Freeport is intended to greatly benefit all businesses in the future, making now the time to buy a business in the area. The population of Invergordon is around 4,000 but is within a broader catchment area for a population of approximately 20,000. With its seaside position, Invergordon boasts a strong community spirit and provides for a wide range of social and recreational facilities amongst which the Sports Complex, Arts Centre Naval Museum and Heritage Centre are prominent. The area is renowned for its popular links golf courses, the most famous in the region being Royal Dornoch some 30 minutes’ drive to the north. The town benefits from good schooling and child care provision at all levels and a full range of social care facilities.
Invergordon has a strong seafaring history and in recent years has developed a strong association with Scotland’s oil and off shore wind industries due to exceptional deep water berthing available in the Cromarty Firth. This deep-water harbour close to Inverness is the main reason that visiting cruise liners frequent the harbour. According to Melanie Newdick’s Facebook article, in 2023, it is expected that around 200,000 people from the cruise liners will visit Invergordon on foot. The presence of these liners introduces a significant number of visitors to the area, a fact not lost on the present owners. The Invergordon whisky distillery is one of the few that produces a “single grain” malt whisky. The area boasts many natural attractions in and around Invergordon. The bottlenose dolphins are a most popular attraction, as are the seals that bask on the shores of the Firth. The local waters are also home to a large number of migrating wildfowl and waders. Much of the marine life can be readily observed from the numerous sandy beaches along the coast line.
Accommodation
THE PROPERTY - The Commercial Bar was built in two phases, the original part of the building faces onto the High Street and is a 3-storey property with basement. The original building is a rendered stone building with a slate roof. There is some attractive stone banding and detailing around openings, which adds to the appeal of the property.
The rear development was undertaken in 1980, when it was constructed as lounge bar with rooms over. The 1980’s extension is a blockwork and timber framed cavity wall. There are some steelwork beams at first floor level to help keep the lounge bar open. A tiled normal truss roof covers the extension.
PUBLIC AREAS - The main access to the business is off the High Street directly into the public bar. Immediately behind the main door are steps, it may be felt that a lower internal platform would benefit the access to the public bar, so the new owners could locally or completely drop the floor to create level access from the pavement into the bar. This would also remove a few steps on both stairs that pass to the rear accommodation.
The Public Bar is part way through a renovation, this is mostly cosmetic. The current owners have exposed the attractive stone walls, fitted new lighting and intended to rebuild the lobby to the High Street. The need for skirting and other tidying details are still to be completed. It would not take much from this point to complete the works. The remaining areas on the ground floor are fully operational as they were when the bar shut at the start of COVID.
LOUNGE BAR - The lounge bar is a large and flexible open area, with a wood burning stove located in the centre of the space. The area is split to accommodate two different functions, the carpeted tables and chair seating and the hard finished dance floor. Currently the dance floor area is arranged with tables and chairs.
SERVICE AREAS - There is a basement below the public bar, the current owners had intended to lower the floor of the public bar and have installed square hollow section steel beams throughout the area under the public bar floor. There is still a good level of height below these beams which allows one to move about the basement level. The concrete basement floor has been painted with a flooring paint, making the area easy to keep clean. Within the basement the owners have the cellar, drink store, hot water storage cylinder and general store. The cellar beer chillers and two ice machines are located in the basement. Deliveries are received through a drop-hatch from outside the side of the building.
The ground floor houses the male and female public toilets for both bar areas. These are in more than acceptable condition, so could be put back into service with little work. Behind the Lounge Bar and connected to the Public Bar, by a private corridor, is a large secure staff kitchen / office area. Having the two bars connected via a private corridor is a great advantage, allowing staff to easily migrate between both as required. Accessed from the inter-connecting private corridor, there is a staff toilet.
FIRST ACCOMMODATION
Above the lounge bar there is a suite of 8 rooms; 7 letting rooms plus kitchen, and common shower facilities. These rooms were rented out on a B&B basis to commercial workmen employed locally. The facilities are in good condition, though have not been used for a while and there is no trade content still on site. New owners may wish to adjust how these rooms are configured, a single flat, ensuite rooms etc. The area is certainly flexible and development potential is a real option.
FIRST FLOOR FLAT - This spacious flat consists of a lounge, kitchen / dining, utility, 3 bedrooms (2 with ensuite facilities) and a bathroom with separate shower. The flat is accessed via the central stair. The room dimensions are measured at the widest point and should be verified by the buyer on site. The kitchen, utility, entrance lobby and rear bedroom are all at a slightly lower level than the accommodation to the front of the building. The rooms are all well-proportioned and generous, making it a desirable flat. This flat would be ideal for either a short term let or long term let or owner’s accommodation.
Entrance Lobby 1.6m x 2.1m
Utility 1.6m x 2.8m
Kitchen 3.8m x 4.6m
Rear Bedroom 3.1m x 4.9m
Main Hall 7.4m x 1.3m
Bathroom 2.9m x 2.6m
Front Bedroom (west) 3.9m x 3.6m
Lounge 4.0m x 5.2m
Front Bedroom (east) 4.0m x 5.0m
SECOND FLOOR FLAT - This is the smaller flat consists of a living / kitchen, utility, 2 bedrooms and a bathroom with shower over the bath and associated circulate space. The flat is accessed via the central stair. The room dimensions are measured at the widest point and should be verified by the buyer on site. The kitchen, utility and entrance lobby are all at a slightly lower level than the accommodation to the front of the building. The rooms are all well-proportioned, making it a desirable attic flat. This flat would be ideal for either a short term let or long term let or owner’s accommodation.
Utility 1.6m x 2.7m
Entrance Lobby 1.6m x 2.1m
Living / Kitchen 3.8m x 4.4m
Bedroom (west) 3.8m x 4.2m
Bathroom 2.4m x 1.4m
Bedroom (east) 4.1m x 4.2m
Main Hall 4.5m x 2.5m
Store 1.6m x 2.0m
Terms
BUILDING / BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
The rear area over the lounge bar could be developed into a flat, possibly owner’s accommodation. There appears to be a structural wall passing across the middle of the area (see separate plan), thus allowing some or all of the other walls to be removed. The purchaser would need to satisfy themselves that this was possible.
The rear area over the lounge bar could be developed into rooms with ensuites. There are currently 7 bedrooms which could possibly be reconfigured to provide 4 ensuite rooms. The purchaser would need to satisfy themselves that this was possible. By capitalising on the new Freeport opportunities.
SERVICES
The business benefits from mains electricity, mains gas, water and drainage. The premises trading aspects were fully compliant with Environmental Health and Fire Regulations, due to the works this will need to be revisited at the appropriate time.
PRICE - Offers in the Region of £360,000 (Freehold) are invited for the heritable property complete, any stock and trade contents (according to inventory), excluding personal items.
RATEABLE VALUE - The rateable value of the property is £15,000, details can be found on the SAA web site for property reference 03/23/380284/5. The first floor flat has a Council Tax rating of B, reference 03/23/380281/4 and the second floor flat a Council Tax rating of A, reference 03/23/380283/8.
EPC RATING - The property has an energy rating of ‘tbc’.
Specification
- Public Bar, lounge Bar, 2 flats and 7 potential letting rooms in the heart of Invergordon town centre.
- Strong trading location on the High Street and close to the main pedestrian access route from the port.
- A substantial property footprint with some development potential, subject to consents.
- Excellent historic performing business from bar and rooms sales, providing an easy to operate business model.
- Would suit a hands-on couple with the vision and drive to complete the development works.