Karen Peattie is inspired by the story behind the Dowans Hotel at Aberlour and speaks to current owner Michael Murray about his family’s vision for the business and their journey since acquiring the grand Victorian mansion in 2012
WITH stunning views over the Spey Valley, the Dowans Hotel at Aberlour has evolved from its original guise as the home of a whisky magnate to one of the area’s busiest hotels.
For current owners Michael and Marie Murray and their two daughters, Steph and Lauren, transforming the Dowans from a steady business that was a little tired and worn around the edges to a modern hotel catering for the needs of guests in the 21st century has been a labour of love.
Michael Murray, who worked for the UK multinational Coats Viyella and was latterly CEO for the Asia division and a main board director, decided to take early retirement. “We came back home but I didn’t want to sit around twiddling my thumbs,” he explains. “My daughters were keen to get a family business up and running – both had experience in the hospitality industry – so we started looking around.”
Steph, who has a Masters degree in international politics and human rights at the University of Glasgow, and Lauren, who studied international hospitality and event management at Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh, had both been working in the hospitality industry – Steph as a manager at Hotel du Vin in Glasgow (One Devonshire Gardens) and Lauren with the Hilton group.
“Both were working long hours for other people and enjoyed what they were doing but we sat down and thought why shouldn’t they be working those long hours for themselves? That’s really what pushed us towards buying a hotel,” says Michael.
“Steph and Lauren did a lot of research and we considered buying a couple of coffee shops in the West End of Glasgow,” he continues. “But then we started looking at hotels. We narrowed the field down to around a dozen then a shortlist of three – one of which was the Dowans.
“We didn’t know the area particularly well but we could see this was a business with potential given its location in the heart of whisky country,” says Michael. “The business was ticking over and although the top line was flatlining it was better than many of the other hotels we’d seen and at what was a challenging time for the global economy.
“The Dowans had a lot of loyal local business and also corporate business so we had a solid base from which to build on and knew there was potential to capitalise on its sporting credentials which is how the former owners had marketed it. But we were under no illusions that it would be easy because the hotel was in desperate need of modernisation.”
The Murrays embarked on a phased renovation and development programme starting with the fabric of the building, including the electrics. “With a major project like this when the building has largely been untouched for many years you’re not just overhauling the areas that guests see – it’s the spaces and places they don’t see,” Michael points out.
“Although the girls had experience in the hospitality industry we were by no means experts so we opted for a slower, more considered approach to the renovations and refurbishment,” he continues.
“We could have come in, spent loads of money and put our personal stamp on the Dowans but that wouldn’t necessarily have met the needs of the marketplace. Plus it was important that we continued trading – we couldn’t just close the place down.”
Work started on the ground first with one of the first jobs being to create a welcoming entrance for guests via the front door – previously the main entrance was via the back door. New toilets were put in and a little-used residents’ lounge was transformed into the main bar called Mbar.
The former snug bar downstairs – cosy as it was but too small – was also transformed into a stunning whisky bar called The Still where guests can choose from 400-plus whiskies from Speyside, across Scotland and, indeed, the world. “It’s a great space to sit and relax with drinks before or after dinner,” says Michael.
“It’s popular with our corporate guests and obviously our vast range of whiskies – our wall of whiskies – is a major talking point. I’d say our range is among the biggest in Scotland and having lived overseas I was keen to include an international section as well as whiskies from all the regions of Scotland,” he goes on. “We also have a number of rare whiskies. It’s perfect for around 16 people and we can offer private dining in here too.”
All the bedrooms have been renovated and refurbished apart from four with work on those starting mid-October.
Michael was keen to involve local contractors with Mark Fraser from electrical contractor I Fraser & Sons the first to come on board. “Mark was in having dinner with us and we got chatting,” he explains. “He was able to introduce us to other local contractors he works with – joiner Thomas Anderson and decorator Stuart Paul.”
Meanwhile, Marie Murray took control of the design aspect of the project. Working with Glasgow-based interior design firm Chelsea McLaine, she set out to bring the Dowans into the 21st century without compromising on the building’s Victorian charm. “Marie has a great eye for design and had a very clear vision of how it should look,” says Michael.
Working with Margot Paton of Chelsea McLaine, Marie worked her magic. Much of the “old Dowans” that was gathering dust has gone but Marie, anxious to retain an air of glamour with a nod to its location in an area known for its hunting, shooting and fishing, decided to retain the antlers that had been a dominant feature over the years – she simply changed their colour and the theme continues in other area, including an impressive light fitting above the stairs.
Visitors today won’t recognise the former residents’ lounge which Marie and Margot have cleverly reworked to place an emphasis on relaxation and comfort – again with a nod to the Dowans’ Victorian roots. A feature fireplace with wood burner – installed by the former owners – remains the room’s focus but it has been given a contemporary makeover.
Both restaurants – open to non-residents – have also been transformed beyond recognition. The Spé restaurant offers a fine-dining experience which “takes the staple dishes of traditional fine dining and gives them a fresh and exciting twist” while the more casual ’57’ restaurant is where diners can enjoy a seasonal menu with fresh ingredients that are locally sourced and sustainable.
Meanwhile, the 12 refurbished bedrooms – many named after malt whiskies synonymous with Speyside such as Cardhu, Glenlivet and The Macallan – are an effortless blend of old-fashioned luxury and contemporary chic designed to impress even the most discerning guests. The four rooms still to be refurbished will follow a similar theme.
“We’re delighted with the way in which the hotel has been transformed – both inside and out,” says Michael. “It’s hugely satisfying that we’ve been able to use local contractors who have shared our passion and our journey. It was important to us to use top-quality materials and the attention to detail by all of the contractors – and Margot at Chelsea McLaine – has been fantastic.
“The Dowans is now a business that is four times the size of the one it was when we acquired the hotel three-and-a-half years ago.”
Corporate business has continued to grow and accounts for a sizeable percentage of turnover. “We have a great relationship with Walkers Shortbread and the local whisky industry but Speyside also has a lot of other important business sectors that we can tap into – wind-farm technology, biomass, transport and, of course, sport,” says Michael. “Golf is also popular in the area.
“But general tourism and local business is also very important, and where people come from and why depends on the time of year,” he continues. “We get a lot of visitors from the Nordics in January and February, for example, presumably because it’s not quite so cold here at that time of year. In August, we get a lot of southern European visitors. It’s very interesting.
“May is whisky festival time and already we’re 85% booked for next year’s Spirit of Speyside Whisky festival. At the 2016 festival, Steph and Lauren held a whisky-based cocktail master class and won the prize for Best New Event.”
Michael is also aware that social media plays an increasingly important role in attracting visitors and points out that many North Americans won’t book unless they see good reviews on sites like TripAdvisor. “Social media is going to get bigger – it’s here to stay and I think all hotels have to embrace it whether you like it or not,” he says.
“But you have to make the most of your location and seek out opportunities,” he continues. “Our afternoon teas are very popular now, for example, and Lauren has created a fantastic cocktail menu that’s really popular – it’s something I would never have thought of doing and it’s actually been something of a trailblazer for this area.
“Drinks suppliers support us by doing tutored whisky tasting when there’s a new release and we also hold dinners where guests can pair whiskies with fine dining – there are lots of ways you can attract business. We also continue to support the Aberlour Child Care Trust which although now based in Stirling retains strong links with the area and we’re delighted to hold fundraising events such as our forthcoming Christmas fireworks display and fayre.”
What does the future hold for the Murrays and the Dowans? “We’re still a young business and we’re an ambitious business with Steph and Lauren very much the driving force,” says Michael. “We’ve invested heavily so far and we’re not finished yet – we might look at expansion in the future by adding more bedrooms and perhaps a spa but we’ll finish the current project first.
“I think it’s significant that there’s been such a lot of investment in the sector in this area – in the last three years, four out of the six hotels near us have invested in renovation projects and that’s a good thing for tourism in Speyside and, indeed, the Highlands.
“With an old building like this, however, it really is the proverbial Forth Bridge – you can never rest on your laurels, never be complacent. You don’t just refurbish then say ‘that’s it, we’ve done all we need to do’ because there’s always something needing done be that inside or out.”
HISTORY OF THE DOWANS
The Dowans was built for John Cummings, the owner of Cardhu Distillery, in 1888 and remained a private family home – Dowans House – for the next 50 years. With the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, the property was requisitioned by the Army to service as an officers’ mess – bringing to an end its reign as a grand private residence.
After the war it was bequeathed to Aberlour Orphanage, an organisation renowned nationally for its care of underprivileged children and central to village life since its establishment in 1875. It was later renamed the Princess Margaret Orphanage Nursery School, closing in 1967 with the children moved to the family homes across Moray.
A local resident bought the property in the early 1970s, heralding the start of its life as the Dowans Hotel. And with the Murrays at the helm, its reputation as an upmarket Highland hotel looks set to grow.