Historic Machrihanish Hotel Re-Opens Its Doors

The Village at Machrihanish Dunes has officially re-opened the historic Ugadale Hotel to great pomp and circumstance.

With excitement in the air Their Graces, the Duke and Duchess of Argyll, along with David Southworth, President and CEO of Southworth Development LLC; Michael Russell, MSP for Argyll and Bute and Willie Roe, Chairman of Highland and Islands Enterprises opened the doors of the famed hotel with an official ribbon-cutting surrounded by invited guests and well-wishers.

The crowd cheered and the Machrihanish Dunes Pipe Band played as guests were escorted into the new hotel for the first time.

The following day The Ugadale Hotel hosted an Open House welcoming over 1,300 visitors from the local community.


Guests were treated to a tour of the hotel’s suites and rooms, the Kintyre Club Restaurant, fitness centre and spa facilities. For many it was a chance to witness the results of a building that long stood empty and dilapidated but for a select few it was a step back into history with many of the guests reminiscing of special occasions once celebrated at the hotel.

"The Ugadale Hotel in Machrihanish is a special place for the people of Kintyre," said David Southworth, President and CEO of Southworth Development LLC. "We are thrilled with the reception we received during the opening festivities and look forward to celebrating the return of this iconic, turn-of-the-century hotel, which will bring a new standard of accommodation to the region."

Once regarded as the pinnacle of luxury accommodation in the west of Scotland when it was alternately known as The Ugadale Arms Hotel and The Machrihanish Hotel, The Ugadale Hotel is again welcoming visitors following a year of careful restoration work. It is the first time the hotel has welcomed guests in more than 30 years. The new Ugadale Hotel offers 22 luxurious guest rooms and suites, many overlooking the Atlantic and famed Machrihanish Golf Club. It features a restaurant and bar called The Kintyre Club, the full-service Serenity Spa and a Fitness Centre.

(GK)