Business Partnership is delighted to bring to market the Applecross Inn — one of the most celebrated and instantly recognisable destination hospitality businesses on the North Coast 500. Set directly on the shore at Applecross Bay, on Scotland's remote and spectacular west coast, the Inn has spent nearly four decades building a genuinely national reputation for seafood, atmosphere and setting, and stands today as one of the true trophy assets of Highland hospitality.
The building itself dates to the early 1800s, first opening its doors on Shore Street as the Temperance Hotel — it was already appearing in the Michelin Guide as early as 1911, a remarkable pedigree for a small Highland inn at the very edge of the map. But it is the modern era that has defined the business as it stands today. Judith Fish MBE took over the running of the Inn in 1989 and has led it for 37 years, repositioning it from a primarily bar-led trade towards the food and accommodation-focused destination it is now — a shift that has driven a genuinely exceptional run of national recognition, culminating in Judith's own appointment as MBE for services to Highland tourism and community.
Few hospitality businesses in Britain can claim a setting like this. The Inn sits directly on Shore Street at the water's edge of Applecross Bay, with a large beer garden and benched seating looking straight across the water to the hills of Raasay and, on a clear day, the jagged silhouette of the Cuillins on Skye. Applecross itself is reached either via the legendary Bealach na Bà — the "Pass of the Cattle," one of the highest and most dramatic mountain roads in Britain — or a gentler coastal approach through Shieldaig. That remoteness is central to the "worth the journey" reputation that has driven the Inn's press coverage and reviews for decades.
This is a freehold sale — building, goodwill and trade contents included — offering an incoming owner outright ownership of a business with an established trading history, a loyal following, a string of national awards, and a position on one of the world's great scenic driving routes that few competitors could ever hope to replicate.
Guide Price: £1,250,000.
For full details or to arrange a confidential discussion, contact Simon Fraser at Business Partnership.
Key features:
- Freehold hospitality business — building, goodwill and trade contents included
- Landmark location directly on the shore at Applecross Bay, on Scotland's North Coast 500
- Seven ensuite letting bedrooms, every one seafacing — a rare distinction for an inn of this size
- Selfcontained owner's suite, ideal for a handson owneroperator wishing to live on site
- 37year trading history under current ownership, with a deep and loyal following
- Awardwinning reputation, including Good Food Guide 100 Best Pubs 2025, BBC Countryfile Pub of the Year, and an MBE awarded to the proprietor for services to Highland tourism and community
- Principal cask outlet for Applecross Brewing Company, plus a 50strong whisky gantry
- "Applecross InnSide Out" — a second, complementary trading operation on the shore opposite the Inn
- Recently maintained building — flat roof fully replaced in 2025, extended in 2000
- Large beer garden and benched outdoor seating directly on the water, with views to Raasay and Skye
