Severe housing shortages in the Highlands have forced one Ullapool business to buy its own motel so staff can access affordable accommodation as the frenetic summer season rapidly approaches.
Owners of The Seaforth in Ullapool were staring down the barrel of not being able to fully open their popular seafood restaurant, bar and fish and chip shop, such is the acute lack of affordable homes in the area.
In a bold move to address the Highland-wide housing crisis, Seaforth owners, J&R Group, took the decision to purchase a local motel specifically for staff, with plans currently being developed to extend further on the site.
When the Morefield Motel came on the market for £475,000, the owners took the decision to bid as it would fill an accommodation gap currently unable to be met by local or national authorities.
The purchase has made available 10 rooms at low rents for local and international staff, with an additional flat housing managerial staff.
Workers are also able to remain in the property all year round, instead of seasonally.
However, all rooms are already full, with up to 45 people being employed in high season.
‘Virtually impossible’ to find staff rental accommodation
And Seaforth bosses are now scoping further development on-site, such is the shortage of accommodation for hospitality workers in the west highlands.
Seaforth recruitment manager Delia Keating said: “Because of our location it is very difficult to find private rental accommodation for staff. In fact, it is virtually impossible.
“We were in the situation where we could not fully open our business because it was limited by accommodation for staff.
“We have a mix of local and international staff here, so it is important for them to be able to have a home but there is such a lack of affordable accommodation.
“We have even had other local businesses asking if we can house their staff because they are struggling to retain good people.”
The highland housing shortage, allied with fewer European Union workers following Brexit, has placed severe staffing pressures on hospitality and tourism providers in the Highlands and Islands.
Recent council housing builds in Ullapool, a scenic coastal stop on the hugely popular NC500 route, were snapped up fast.
The affordable housing crisis is Highland-wide with Lochaber Chamber of Commerce CEO Frazer Coupland telling the Press and Journal last November: “Every business I speak to on a daily basis can’t get staff or get houses.
“There is a need for mid-market renting, affordable buying as well; as a community we have to work out how to provide that.
“I certainly don’t want to be the finest retirement town in the Highlands by 2050.”
Last year Salmon Scotland chief, Tavish Scott, described the affordable housing shortage as “the most pressing issue we face in the Highlands and Islands.”
Similarly, a 2017 Highlands and Islands Enterprise report identified housing as having “a critical influence on the ability of businesses to recruit and retain staff.”
Staff are ‘like family’
Seaforth general manager Jody Keating added: “We are grateful to the owners we have this accommodation.
“We are aware this is not an option open to all businesses. Our staff are really important to us.
“They are like family. If people are coming to Scotland to work, they need a proper home.”
Duty manager Demi Yorke and partner Venca Jaros, chef de partie, have stayed in hospitality staff accommodation for many years but welcome having a fixed, two-bedroom apartment.
“Private rentals are very difficult to come by,” said Demi.
“Now we are within walking distance of work and we have a sense of work/life balance. It is a real home base, not just seasonal accommodation.”
For his part, head of housekeeping at The Seaforth, Michael Miller noted: “As an expat, having a proper home base is vital.
“We are able to get involved in the community on days off because we live here.”
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