The Machrie Hotel & Links
The much-anticipated renovation and expansion of The Machrie Hotel & Links has been completed. Operated by Campbell Gray Hotels, The Machrie sits on seven miles of glorious, pristine beach, which guests can access via a private footpath.
The Machrie Hotel has been closed for the last few years while work was carried out and now boasts 47 individually designed guestrooms, suites and lodges, some of which have their own kitchens and outdoor terraces. The original building has been carefully restored to its former glory, with the existing architecture blending with new additions to create a striking structure. The interior is a mix of Scottish and Scandinavian design that makes for warm and inviting spaces.
Commenting ahead of the reopening, Gordon Campbell Gray, Founder of Campbell Gray Hotels, said:
“I cannot tell you how thrilled I am to be opening our first hotel in Scotland. As a Scot I have often thought of this day and for it to be on the stunning island of Islay (The Queen of The Hebrides) could not be better. The scenery, the wildlife, the coastline, one of the finest Links courses in the world, coupled with the people and of course its positioning in The Inner Hebrides makes it the perfect place to stay and to explore other nearby islands.”
Having previously worked on a number of Campbell Gray Hotels, Peter Young Design was tasked with overseeing the interior design of the hotel including all the bedrooms and public spaces. Speaking to Premier Hospitality about the project, Design Director Peter Young explains:
“With the public areas we’ve brought in a lot of warmth, colour and comfort. The whole hotel, all the bedrooms and public areas are built around the views. You’ve got amazing views of the bay and golf course on one side and mountains on the other. Design wise internally there are some big, high ceilinged spaces. We wanted to stay true to the Scottish roots and had a lot of the furniture made locally in Scotland. One room is called The Stag Lounge, which is a huge room with very large panel details and 6ft fire place. Although the spaces are big, they still feel very cosy place and sill have spectacular views.
“It’s been a tremendously exciting project and we’ve worked very closely with the owner and Gordon Campbell Gray. Every bedroom is different and the amount of bespoke furniture that has been developed is enormous, creating a very individual and unique hotel. It is tremendously rewarding because it looks fantastic and we are all really thrilled.
“It’s lovely to see the residents of Islay coming back to this well-known landmark.”
Senior Designer Piers Phillips gave an overview of the work:
“There are 29 existing bedrooms and 18 new that form part of the extension including 2 rooms that used to be part of manager’s cottage. There are also 8 rooms and suites in a separate building to the main hotel.
“There is also a duplex suite called The Ben Hogan Suite, named after the famous golfer, which has the bedroom and en suite bathroom on the lower level and on the upper level is the sitting room, kitchen and dining area to make the most of the incredible views over the 18th green and Laggan Bay beyond . You can really hide away from the rest of the hotel if you wanted to; it’s your own little bubble. Both floors have large, corner panoramic windows so you see the Atlantic Ocean and golf course on one side and on the other side the highlands.”
The accommodation offering is completed by 8 lodges, which have been flexibly designed to cater for both families and four ball golf pairings. The lodge suites include living and kitchen areas plus outdoor dining space.
Peter continued:
“The restaurant is stunning with amazing views overlooking the 18th green, the golf course and the sea with a south-west facing terrace affording sunset views over the Atlantic. The bar features an impressive collection of whiskies, most of which are from Islay’s nine distilleries that are one of the island’s main guest attractions and offer guided guest experiences. It is also possible to arrange tutored tastings at The Machrie.”
The restaurant specialises in the very best that Scotland has to offer from the land, the sea and the air and our chef is a passionate believer in using the very best ingredients which can be sourced locally.
The course has now been fully modernised by former European Tour player and Ryder Cup Vice- Captain DJ Russell, the architect of Archerfield Links. Highly placed in Scottish and UK rankings, The Machrie Links combines the very best of a traditional, historic links course with a modern layout and green complexes.
For more information, please visit: www.campbellgrayhotels.com/machrie-islay-scotlan or www.themachrie.com.
Ardosia Slate Company
Ardosia Slate Company specialise in the supply of high quality slate (and other stone) for flooring and wall cladding, in either large (100s of sq mtrs) quantities or smaller areas. With facilities for cutting, shaping, polishing, engraving and etching slate Ardosia Slate Company now produce a wide range of products including furniture and bespoke work surfaces for both commercial and retail clients.
David Agnew, Ardosia Slate Company, said:
“At the conception of Ardosia Slate, in 1992 it was our intention to supply only the very best quality products and to do that we researched possible suppliers thoroughly, which meant travelling through Europe, Asia and South America. In Brazil we found quarries that satisfied our technical specification for slate and could satisfy our production needs at a competitive price.”
David added:
“We have been involved with the supply of materials for the construction or renovation of numerous public places and buildings and in these places slate has, historically, been used for flooring and cladding. The slate material we supplied for the flooring at the Machrie Hotel is not only suitable for its durability but for the aesthetic appearance it presents of solidity, sophistication and expense.”
Character Joinery Ltd
Character Joinery specialise in the delivery of commercial fit out projects for the hospitality sector. The company manufactures bespoke items at its 10,000sq ft Kilmarnock based workshop and completes work for a range of clients, from private individuals wanting a one-off piece of furniture to large commercial operations.
For more than 40 years, Character Joinery has built up a packed portfolio of projects, including work for the Buzzworks Group and more recently a scheme for the Mackintosh at the Willow tearooms in Glasgow. The site was opened by Prince Charles and the scheme became the subject of a BBC documentary.
One of Character Joinery’s biggest clients is the Prince’s Foundation who commissioned Character Joinery Director, Kelvin Murray to design and build the restaurant interiors to the newly refurbished Ballater railway station. In addition, the company furnished the new Highland Games Centre at Braemar, which was officially opened on the 1st of September by HRH Queen Elizabeth II.
Most recently, Character Joinery was involved with the work on The Machrie Hotel in Islay, manufacturing loose furniture and bedroom furniture for the hotel. Character Joinery was approached by Peter Young Design to be involved with the project after the client had come across some of Character Joinery’s furniture at Dumfries House.
Character Joinery Director, Kelvin Murray, said:
“To be involved in such a famous hotel on the beautiful island of Islay was really exciting for us and to work in collaboration with P Young Design and Campbell Grey Hoteliers was an opportunity we simply couldn’t refuse.”
Kelvin added:
“At Character Joinery, we take pride in the fact we manufacture everything in our workshops, allowing us to maintain total control and ensuring we can continually maintain high standards. We also endeavour to train apprentices to keep traditional joinery hand skills alive.”
