New owner at the helm of the boat inn

Ideally located on the banks of the River Dee at Aboyne, The Boat Inn is a small hotel and restaurant with an established reputation for its high quality food. The hotel comprises six modern, ensuite bedrooms and the new owner, Eileen Haywood, plans to carry out a full refurbishment upgrade to help enhance its natural beauty.

The Boat Inn’s restaurant is extremely popular with both local people and tourists and regularly attracts diners from Aberdeen, some thirty miles away. It has previously won a Taste of Scotland Award and Eileen plans to work with the chef to build on its reputation with exciting new additions to the menu for their customers to enjoy.

Eileen has over ten years’ experience in the hospitality sector and, in addition to the Boat Inn, owns and operates a holiday cottage letting business which includes the popular Bothy at Collonach in Royal Deeside.

Eileen Haywood, Owner of the The Boat Inn, said: “I am delighted to have purchased The Boat Inn and am excited by the opportunities this opens up. This is a beautiful region and, with popular activities such as hunting, fishing, hill walking and skiing available nearby, it is the ideal location for a beautiful country hotel. I am looking forward to giving the hotel some of its own character, and raising the standards and profile of the accommodation to match that of the restaurant.”

Jenny Moultrie, Relationship Director for Santander Corporate Commercial, said: “We are proud to have supported Eileen with this purchase. The Boat Inn’s restaurant is extremely popular and Eileen is a very astute business woman with exciting plans to refurbish the hotel and increase its profitability. I look forward to working with her and helping her to achieve her plans.”