Sannox Hotel

Sannox Hotel – Photo Request

Insurance Underwriting

Dear Graham, please can I present our thanks to both yourself and team at Cofton Insurance, plus a special note of appreciation to the building insurance underwriters for their understanding and professionalism.

My apologies to the underwriters for having to preface the Sannox Hotel photos with this introduction. The progress on renovating Sannox Hotel is now 90% towards completion of the approved Planning Permission and Building Control requirements (click here).

^^ Sannox Hotel ^^

^^ Fourth Building In From The Left ^^

^^ The Location Matters To The New Business Prospects ^^

The Covid Pandemic was horrendous and many people are trying to put their lives back together on the Island (BBC: click here). An added challenge is the utter collapse of the Scottish Government efforts to build a new Arran Island ferry via it’s ferry operator/owner CalMac Ltd/CMAL Ltd., has taken EIGHT YEARS. The new ship, MV Glen Sannox (BBC: click here) is horrendously over budget. The shipyard went bankrupt (click here). The islanders, including ourselves are still reliant on “old faithful” ~ a 40 year old state-owned ferry: MV Isle of Arran. The island becomes a castaway Robinson Crusoe nightmare when the old ship breaks down. Regularly (click here).

Our commendation to the building insurance underwriters and our brokers of 23 years relationship at Cofton Insurance for understanding the hurdles we need to overcome, including buying back our own ferry (noted at the “Argyll Group plc” years: click here). That fact was instrumental in the Scottish Government chartering a colleague’s ferry and which has saved the economy of the Island of Arran (click here).

Fortunately, there are now SIX NEW FERRIES headed to the islands (BBC: here). Including the two largest ships, MV Glen Sannox and MV Glen Rosa. So at long last, we are headed to the final furlong and re-opening Sannox Hotel either this year or early for the new holiday season in 2025. The goodwill and understanding from companies such as Cofton Insurance and our Building Insurance providers is hereby acknowledged with a heartfelt thanks.

***********

This Page Features The First Floor of The Hotel

Planning Permission & Renovation Work

Photos: Before + During + After.

These plans are to assist our insurance brokers and building insurance underwriters navigate around the Sannox Hotel. Please Note: Sannox Hotel is NOT currently open NOR trading as of June 2024. But the owners are working to complete the hotel renovation and newbuilds in time for certification by the start of the 2025 season when the SIX new ferries headed to the West Coast, including two massive ferries for Arran are on service: the MV Glen Sannox and the MV Glen Rosa.

As of 25th May 2025 with the latest regular review (and photographs) the Sannox Hotel is approximately 90% through an extensive renovation towards fulfilling the full Planning Application (summary: click here).

We are approaching the happy event when, amongst other important matters, we will require to update the insurance policy once the “Completion Certificate” plus various other Fire Safety Certificates and Environmental Health Certificates etc., have been issued and the hotel is ready to re-open and recommence trading.

^^ Sannox Hotel: Ground Floor ^^

^^ Sannox Hotel: First Floor ^^

^^ Bay Cottage: Newbuild Structure ^^

***********

Photographs of Progress

Sannox Hotel

Guest Bedroom 1

Old Photo Before Renovation

^^ Bedroom 1, Sannox Hotel, Isle of Arran ^^

^^ Before Renovation: February 2018 ^^

Every wall in the renovated Sannox Hotel has been insulated…

^^ Sannox Hotel, Isle of Arran ^^

^^ Routine Deliveries, Even During The Pandemic ^^

Returning to the back-to-bricks refurbishment. All walls and pitch ceilings now insulated; new bespoke double glazing. Plus full rewire and new fire safety system. New central heating and water system. New fire-safety compliant doors.

RECENT PHOTOGRAPHS AS REQUESTED

Sannox Hotel Bedroom 1 ~ Time Stamp & Watermark Via iPhone

Sannox Hotel

Guest Bedroom 1

^^ Recent Photo Watermarked: 25 May 2024 ^^

If required, all watermarking as per the example screenshot above can be provided in order to prove the veracity of the recent photographs (25th May 2024). Just contact Russ McLean on 01241 852127.

Sannox Hotel Bedroom 1 ~ New Photo After Renovation

^^ Bedroom 1, Sannox Hotel, Isle of Arran ^^

^^ After Renovation: Photo 25 May 2024 ^^

^^ Bedroom 1, Sannox Hotel, Isle of Arran ^^

^^ After Renovation: Photo 25 May 2024 ^^

It is important to note that every room within Sannox Hotel has been fully insulated with high-specification insulation as detailed by the architect. In addition, every room in Sannox Hotel has been fitted with bespoke, high quality double glazing…

^^ Bedroom 1, Sannox Hotel, Isle of Arran ^^

^^ New, Bespoke Double Glazing At Every Window ^^

^^ During Renovation: This Photo 22nd March 2022 ^^

^^ Ensuite Bathroom For Bedroom 1 ^^

^^ After Renovation: January 2024 ^^

^^ Sannox Hotel, Isle of Arran ^^

***********

Sannox Hotel

Guest Bedroom 2

^^ Recent Photo Watermarked: 25 May 2024 ^^

Old Photo Before Renovation

^^ Bedroom 2, Sannox Hotel, Isle of Arran ^^

^^ Before Renovation: February 2018 ^^

Every room in the Sannox Hotel has been stripped back to the brickwork. Where damp has been detected, the rendering on the outside has been removed and allowed to dry. Any affected areas have been treated to remove and repel any mould. Thereafter each room has been insulated with the interstitial areas vented in accordance with Building Control.

^^ Bedroom 2, Sannox Hotel, Isle of Arran ^^

^^ Photo During Renovation ^^

The Victorians knew a thing or two about mould. They knew to vent the bedrooms for 15 to 20 minutes every morning. The average human being expels about 130g of water vapour into their bedroom every night (click here).

=> We will be placing brass plaques in all staff house keeping areas at Sannox Hotel to ensure all rooms, especially bedrooms are properly vented every morning in order to avoid mould problems again.

The key to ensuring this mould avoidance works well is to have high quality insulation so that the building warms back up in a prompt and economic manner. Hence a considerable amount of expenditure insulating each room and and plastering + redecorating them too.

^^ Bedroom 2, Sannox Hotel, Isle of Arran ^^

^^ During Renovation ^^

^^ Bedroom 2, Sannox Hotel, Isle of Arran ^^

New insulation + replastered + redecorated + rewired + new fire safety system installed + new central heating + new double glazing. In every room.

^^ Bedroom 2, Sannox Hotel ^^

Underlay being fitted to assist with heat and sound insulation between rooms.

Also, a reminder of what the old, worn out window looked like before it was extracted and the new windows were fitted…

Old Dilapidated Windows

All Have Been Replaced With Bespoke New Double Glazing

^^ Bedroom 2, Old Window Now Removed ^^

The View Is Still Sublime: Especially On Sunny Days.

^^ Bedroom 2, New Carpet Fitted ^^

^^ New Bed Frame Now Put Together ^^

^^ Bedroom 2, Sannox Hotel ^^

^^ Final Furlong Towards Reopening ^^

^^ After Renovation: Photo 25 May 2024 ^^

^^ Ensuite Bathroom For Bedroom 2 ^^

^^ En~suite Bathroom For Bedroom 2 ^^

^^ After Renovation: January 2024 ^^

^^ Sannox Hotel, Isle of Arran ^^

***********

Sannox Hotel

Guest Bedroom 3

^^ Recent Photo Watermarked: 25 May 2024 ^^

Old Photo Before Renovation

^^ Bedroom 3, Sannox Hotel, Isle of Arran ^^

^^ Before Renovation: February 2018 ^^

^^ Bedroom 3, Sannox Hotel, Isle of Arran ^^

^^ Before Renovation: February 2018 ^^

Every room in the Sannox Hotel has been stripped back to the brickwork surface. New insulation has been fitted (walls and pitched ceilings), new bespoke double glazing, fully rewired, new safety fire alarm system, fully replumbed, roof renewal/overhaul, full redecoration, new carpets and furniture.

^^ Bedroom 3, Sannox Hotel, Isle of Arran ^^

^^ After Renovation: Photo 25 May 2024 ^^

^^ Bedroom 3, Sannox Hotel, Isle of Arran ^^

^^ After Renovation: Photo 25 May 2024 ^^

^^ Bedroom 3, Sannox Hotel, Isle of Arran ^^

^^ After Renovation: Photo 25 May 2024 ^^

Every wall in the renovated Sannox Hotel has been insulated. In some cases, this has enabled wardrobe space to be built in and in such a way as to remove tired, dilapidated old stand-alone wardrobes that take up a disproportionate amount of space in our economy rooms…

^^ Bedroom 3, Sannox Hotel, Isle of Arran ^^

^^ After Renovation: Photo 25 May 2024 ^^

^^ Bedroom 3, Sannox Hotel, Isle of Arran ^^

^^ After Renovation: Photo 25 May 2024 ^^

^^ Bedroom 3, Sannox Hotel, Isle of Arran ^^

^^ After Renovation: Photo 25 May 2024 ^^

This room: Bedroom 3 is ready for carpeting and furniture. The shower and W.C is fully functional and our resident project manager will be moving back from Bedroom 4 into this Bedroom 3 for the duration of remaining 10% to 15% of renovation works to the Completion certificate for the planning Permission is signed.

***********

Sannox Hotel

Guest Bedroom 4

^^ Recent Photo Watermarked: 25 May 2024 ^^

Old Photo Before Renovation

^^ Bedroom 4, Sannox Hotel, Isle of Arran ^^

^^ Before Renovation: February 2018 ^^

This was originally a small bedroom in the owner’s accommodation section. The renovation included a modest but important enlargement the footprint of this room and adding a new, private en~suite bathroom and W.C to increase the number of guest bedrooms from 3 to 7 with a capacity to .

^^ Bedroom 4, Sannox Hotel, Isle of Arran ^^

^^ During Renovation: June 2021 ^^

^^ Bedroom 4, Sannox Hotel, Isle of Arran ^^

^^ During Renovation: June 2021 ^^

The creation of more floor space in the room (especially given the characterful, but low pitched ceilings).

^^ Old Bedroom From Owner’s Old Apartment ^^

This room is no an en~suite bathroom, plus a separate hotel utility room.

Thie photo above (February 2018) shows the sacrificial use of an old bedroom from the previous owner’s layout. That room was in within the Schedule of Works to become an en~suite bathroom for Sannox Hotel Guest Bedroom 4. Plus a cupboard are for use by house staff and placement of a secondary water tank supply system for the faster provision of hot water via a sophisticated new plumbing system (the wall is double insulated to avoid noises of water tank permeating through to the bathroom and then to Guest Bedroom 4.

^^ All of Sannox Hotel Was Thoroughly Insulted ^^

Both For Guest Comfort & To Keep Heating Bills Viable

Here is the old, cold, draughty, damp bedroom 4…

^^ Old Bedroom From Owner’s Old Apartment ^^

Note the “extra” electric heater in this photo. It was much needed. This is due to low-efficiency (ancient) central heating, NO insulation and dilapidated double glazing which caused a bad damp problem. All now remedied. The addition of new interior walls and high-specification Ecotherm insulation throughout the hotel (illustrated in the Bedroom 2 segment above) is one of the reasons that space was eventually needed and this is another reason for sacrificing the old bedroom from the previous owner’s flat.

Approximately 90% of the Planning Permission and renovation work to remedy the dilapidations have now completed (with approximately 10% still to go as of June 2024). This can be seen here in the renovated Guest Bedroom 4.

^^ Bedroom 4, Sannox Hotel, Isle of Arran ^^

Project Manager’s Room & SBS Plaque Repository

^^ After Renovation: Photo 25 May 2024 ^^

This room is being utilised temporarily by the resident project-manager. Please note, the photo above included an important part of the Sannox Hotel’s history when it was previously called the “Ingledene Hotel”. There is an important plaque in this picture. That item was removed from the hotel in 2018 and “went AWOL” (missing” for a number of years. In an event redolent with SBS gallows humour, it was “recovered” at the beginning of 2020 by a very good friend whose family used to own the Ingledene Hotel/Sannox Hotel. (thank you Peter).

^^ British Army SBS Plaque ^^

Currently On The Mainland

Having A Bespoke & Secure Glazed Cabinet Made

^^ Sannox Hotel Used To Be Named The Ingledene Hotel ^^

SBS Plaque Source & Credentials: Here and…

Click Here

This plaque is one of the reasons that the owners of Sannox Hotel (previously named “Ingledene Hotel” are insisting that the hotel remains a hotel). So that veterans and their families can still visit and stay and pay their personal respects to family members who have gone before.

The other reason Sannox Hotel will always remain a hotel (to be embedded into the title-deeds) is to protect social amenity. The owners have already turned down three offers from property developers wishing to turn Sannox Hotel into holiday homes. With the greatest respect, there is a consensus of opinion on the island that Arran has enough Holiday Homes.

Therefore, Sannox Hotel will always be a hotel. Furthermore Planning Permission has been granted to ADD a new village shop to the Sannox Hotel (here). All except one of the north-end of the islands shops have been turned into Holiday Homes. Lest anyone be concerned about viability, this company, Scotslion Ltd., and the previous entity, Argyll Group plc (before becoming a private limited company) has a main purpose of bringing tired High Streets back to life. So there will be new village shop will be structured in a way that it is viable and will continue to be viable (examples of some of the 30 years worth of 78 renovated shut-shops + closed-offices + dilapidated-factories brought back to life will be uploaded to this website during 2024).

We Will Consult With Our Neighbours In Sannox & On Arran

Whether A Small Village Shop or A Large One Is Preferred

Planning Permission Has Been Granted For A

Sannox Hotel Village Shop

A modest sized shop will be built. But a vote will be taken on the local Arran Community Forum as to whether Sannox should secure a small or a medium sized shop, such as the one in Lamlash..

^^ Lamlash Co-Op On The Island of Arran ^

The North End has one shop on the north east and one on the north west. Whereas the middle and south of Arran has more than 45 shops.

A balance is needed so that residents and visitors to the north end of Arran can actually have a reasonable prospect of obtaining goods and services, such as food, water and access to an ATM cash machine, maybe even a Post Office!

^^ Sannox Hotel Owner Proposes A Local Post Office ^^

^^ Similar To This One ^^

Leaving the Post Office & Sannox Village Shop asides until a local vote is taken on the island and returning to the SBS plaque with the birth of the Special Boat Service being, in part, at Sannox, there used to be members of the armed services from World War 2 who would visit Sannox Hotel. Sadly that generation are very few and have challenges visiting now (in 2024). But their sons, daughters and grandchildren visit to pay respects.

So the SBS plaque in the recent photograph of Guest Bedroom 4 picture was taken off of the island to be specially mounted in a lockable, glazed display case. That will be installed in the fully renovated Sannox Hotel.

^^ Sannox Tea Room – Now Renovated

This Photo: 25th May 2024

Indeed, it is the owner’s intention to pay homage t(and also assist folk looking for the “Ingledene Hotel as it is now called the Sannox Hotel) to name one of the new facilities here as the “Ingledene Coffee Shop.

Returning to the renovation of the hotel, here is a photograph taken of Guest bedroom 4 on 25th my 2024…

^^ Bedroom 4, Sannox Hotel, Isle of Arran ^^

^^ After Renovation: Photo 25 May 2024 ^^

This new en~suite guest bedroom is one of two “mid-range” rooms that are being priced accordingly for our guests. Even so, each “mid range” guest room still has a reasonable view…

^^ Bedroom 4, Sannox Hotel, Isle of Arran ^^

^^ After Renovation: Photo 25 May 2024 ^^

^^ Bedroom 4, Sannox Hotel, Isle of Arran ^^

^^ After Renovation: Photo 25 May 2024 ^^

^^ Bedroom 4, Sannox Hotel, Isle of Arran ^^

^^ After Renovation: Photo 25 May 2024 ^^

The new owner accommodation is more traditional to Arran. That being a modest flatted apartment at the rear for the summer months and then often the owners would decant to ta front bedroom once the holiday season is completed. For folk unfamiliar with island , this is why so many large houses have smaller houses to the rear. There is a significant holiday season where owners will decant to the smaller “back-house” during summer months as tourism brings in much needed income to keep the family going.

^^ After Renovation: Photo 25 May 2024 ^^

^^ Bedroom 3, Sannox Hotel, Isle of Arran ^^

^^ After Renovation: Photo 25 May 2024 ^^

New Walls + New Insulation + New Double Glazed Windows. New Fire Reg., Doors & Seals. Fully Rewired. New Fire Safety System. New Central Heating. New Plumbing. New Roofworks.

This room, Bedroom 4 had one of the old owner’s apartment rooms re-used to provide a ensuite bathroom.

^^ Old Befdroom From Owner’s Apartment ^^

^^No Longer Exists ^^

It is important that this first floor space be made available for the new plumbing system so that guest rooms located on the first floor and far from the main boiler room (ground floor rear of the hotel) manage to receive a hot water supply within a few seconds rather than wasting water and having to let their tap run for a couple of minutes to draw hot water through to their en-suite bathroom.