The McMillan Family Story

The story of the McMillan family's involvement in hotels began in 1961, when Hammy McMillan, at that time running a building business in Canada, noticed that the North West Castle in Stranraer was for sale.

Built by Artic Explorer Sir John Ross, the house was well known to Hammy, who hails from Stranraer. He realised the potential the house would have as a hotel.

The North West Castle (pictured on right) opened for business in 1962 with 12 bedrooms, and was an immediate success. Hammy, a keen curler, saw a requirement for a curling rink in the area, as curlers had to travel to Ayr, a round trip of 100 miles. In 1970 the North West Castle became the first hotel in the world with an indoor curling rink. The hotel today has 82 bedrooms, and has added a leisure centre with swimming pool.

The next stroke of genius came in 1981, when Hammy bought the Cally Palace in Gatehouse of Fleet. He restored the hotel (pictured on left), and created an exclusive guests only 18 hole golf course in the magnificent grounds. An indoor swimming pool and conservatory were added to the attractions, and the hotel now attracts guests from far and wide.

In July 1992, Kirroughtree House in Newton Stewart (pictured on right) was added to the family portfolio, and again extensive refurbishment restored this lovely mansion to its former glory. Justly proud of the 2 AA rosettes for food, the Kirroughtree is the highest award winning hotel in Galloway.

The hotels have become famous for the warmth of their welcome, and the Fernhill Hotel in Portpatrick (pictured on left), acquired by the family in December 1998 is no exception. The rooms and the grounds have been upgraded with the personal care and attention that are synonymous with McMillan Hotels.

In November 2004 the group expanded outside its heartland of South West Scotland when it acquired the Peebles Hydro and its sister hotel, The Park, in the popular Borders town. The 129-bedroom Hydro (pictured on right) is one of Scotland’s largest and grandest family-owned hotels. First opened in 1881, it was destroyed by a fire in 1905 and re-opened in 1907.

The philosophy of the McMillan family is to offer guests a warm welcome, value for money, and quality of service.