The four-star Lands of Loyal hotel in Alyth, Perthshire, has been sold for close to the £1.6m-plus guide price.
The red sandstone property, which has served as a hotel since 1945, is an Historic Scotland Listed Building Category C. It was built in the early 19th century as a mansion house by the Ogilvie family on their Airlie Estates.
It occupies four acres of grounds on the south slope of Loyal Hill with views across the Vale of Strathmore and the Sidlaw Hills.
Architectural features include the neo-Tudor porch and the oak-panelled central reception hallway (with vaulted ceiling, central cupola, open fireplace and winged staircase) that is believed to have been modelled on the interior of the famous Mauritania steam ship.
Although it serves as the hotel lounge, the hallway doubles as a function room for up to 100 guests attending meetings and weddings.
The hotel offers 17 bedrooms, of which 14 (to sleep 34 guests) are in the main hotel and three (to sleep nine guests) are in the converted coach house annexe.
Three adjoining and interlinked rooms provide dining areas – the 32-seat Yellow Room, the 32-seat Blue Room, and the 20-seat Middle Room (which is also used as a meeting room).
Other facilities include an 18-seat lounge bar with bay windows, a snooker room, a two-bedroom private flat in the main building, and a one-bedroom ground-floor flat in the annexe.
The hotel made a trading profit of £189,897 on a £796,698 net profit in the year to 31 July 2007.
Lands of Loyal is the third country house hotel to join the portfolio owned by David and Verity Webster, who also own Castle House hotel in Eassie, Glamis, and Raemoir House hotel in Banchory.
The Edinburgh office of Colliers Robert Barry sold the freehold on behalf of the Howell family, which has owned the hotel since 1990. The family will now focus on its other business, the nearby Strathmore Golf Course
By Angela Frewin