Local businessman Alan Russell has bought the highly-popular Longniddry Inn at East Lothian.

With an annual turnover of £1m, it is one of Scotland’s busiest inns, routinely serving between 250 and 300 diners on Saturday evenings and having to turn away up to 400 diners a week due to lack of space.

It is located on the A198 coastal road in the centre of the commuter village of Longniddry, with easy access to Edinburgh by rail and road. The surrounding coast and countryside have the nearest extensive sandy beach to Edinburgh and a number of renowned golf courses.

The inn – originally a blacksmith’s forge and three cottages – now offers a 100-seat restaurant, a 50-seat bar, and a 75-seat function suite with planning permission to convert an adjacent space into an Orangery extension.

The site also provides a three-bedroom staff cottage and a large car park.

New owner Alan Russel operates the local Adnmiston Manor and Coronation Restaurant and has, in the past, owned the Woodside hotel in Musselburgh and the Old Smiddy in Pencaitland.

The Edinburgh office of Christie + Co sold the leasehold of an asking price in excess of £250,000 on behalf of Linda and David Tweedle.

By Angela Frewin