‘The George is Argyll’s local’ - Inside the latest chapter of Inveraray’s George hotel
After The George in Inveraray fell into administration in 2025 after over a hundred years being owned by the Clark family, its future seemed uncertain. Rosalind Erskine visited to chat to one of the new owners to find out their plans, and how they got the locals back to this historic, and possibly the most cosy, hotel on the west coast.
“It’s almost like you’re born with it in your DNA. If you’re from Campbeltown and you’re driving to Glasgow, you stop at The George,” said relatively new co-owner of the historic Inveraray hotel Sam Wignell. “But that stopped.” The hotel, located on the main street of this picturesque and well visited lochside town, opened as a hotel in 1860 by the Clark family who then proceeded to run it until 2025 when it went into administration. “It was really unexpected”, said Sam.
For him and his cousin Charlie, buying The George out of administration was as much a business plan as it was a feeling of duty for the area. Both of the clan McLaughlin, Charlie will be the next clan chief and Sam has spent a lifetime working in hospitality, including learning to cook at Inver, the celebrated restaurant with rooms that was owned by his family before Pam Brunton and Rob Latimer took it over 12 years ago.
After working all over the world, the chance to buy The George last year was as good a time as any to come home. He said: “When George went into administration it seemed like a nice time to come home and try and turn this business around and leave something for my children to do, hopefully.
“We employ 60 people; the population of Inveraray is 500 so we literally employ 10 percent of the town’s population so the thought of a business like this not operating in Inveraray from an employment perspective, from a community perspective - we sponsor the shinty team and highland games - and from a social and mental wellbeing perspective - we feed the pensioners once a week by the fire for Monday lunch - these kind of hospitality businesses that you read about closing really break your heart.
“It’s still a family-owned business, just a different family. It is such an important part of Inveraray’s local economy but I describe The George as Argyll’s local. Whether you’re from Tarbet or Campbeltown - pretty much everyone on their way to Campbeltown stops into The George on their way through - or Islay, all the way down to Dunoon, Oban or anyone that drives west from Helensburgh will stop in at The George. It’s incredible and keeping that relationship with the community is really important.”
The relationship with the community was broken by the time Sam and Charlie took over. Describing The George as “having lost its way”, the footfall had diminished and locals had stopped visiting, including those coming up from or driving to Campbeltown. “That’s the bread and butter of the business that keeps it going all through the winter,” said Sam.
I’m chatting to Sam in the atmospheric restaurant and cocktail bar, near a roaring fire. Above there are fairy lights threaded through delicate branches that cover the whole ceiling. With a couple of the first winter storms on the way, this has got to be one of the most cosiest places to hunker down until they pass. And we’re not the only ones to think so. The restaurant is fully booked that night, the pub located at the front of the hotel which has “a very unique ability to connect so many people from so many walks of life” said Sam is jumping and there isn’t a room available for any weary traveller who hasn’t pre-booked.
The George is back to what it once was, but it hasn’t been smooth sailing. Sam said: “We bought the business out of administration and with that, it was lacking in investment and had lost its way; a multitude of things that you expect to see when a business goes into administration. We’ve spent the last year trying to rebuild it back to where it was and better: from an aesthetics, food and service perspective whilst retaining everything that people love about The George.
“It was probably the most stressful thing I’ve ever done. We couldn’t close the business (to make changes). Knowing people know you're here but you know the offer isn’t right. We couldn’t close because of cash flow. I remember the first time the locals came back, and we were full on a Saturday night and it was half locals, half tourists. That was about six weeks in and it has just grown and grown. By the time October ends we’ll be something like 60 percent up year on year.
“It’s one of those unique businesses that people have childhood memories of and still come back to 60 or 70 years later. I think I’ve only met about two people where it has been their first time to The George within this year. It is so incredibly well known and well loved and being part of that and making sure those stories continue is a privilege.”
As former townhouses, then a split Gaelic and English speaking church before being made a hotel with 27 rooms, this ancient building has such a warm and welcoming feel to it, so welcoming in fact that a couple of former residents are still hauntingly present.
After we checked into our lovely spacious room on the first floor with its four poster bed, in-room jacuzzi bath and separate shower room, we went for a drink in the bar before dinner. There are almost 500 whiskies available, including a new George hotel bottling the liquid for which has been supplied by The GlenAllachie in Speyside and another whisky is in the pipeline with Kilchoman on Islay. This isn’t the first new addition as other future plans involve cabins with hot tubs and views up the loch out the back of the hotel (planning permission has been lodged) and a refurbished whisky snug for private tastings within the pub.
Those visiting The George again after the sale won’t notice huge changes on the menu. The best sellers, such as fish and chips, burgers and steak pie are all there but the quality of ingredients have changed.
Sam said: “I always say to people that the menu hasn’t changed much. We sell fish and chips, steak pie and venison and beef burgers and we still sell all of those things but the component parts have changed.
“We source our produce as locally as we can - such as local stalkers or fishermen - and quality is always our first parameter. We don’t necessarily worry about price as if we think the quality is good enough we’ll charge the right price for it.
“It’s local produce and we won’t do too much to it, not because we’re lazy but because the quality of the produce is good enough and it should speak for itself. On the menu, you can eat £5 mac and cheese or you can eat a £130 chateaubriand surf and turf with lobster to share for two. It has that broad church appeal and that’s also something that’s quite unique about The George.”
After hearing about the food earlier that day, we ordered a seafood platter to share, to start with and the venison burger and fish and chips for main courses. The seafood platter, filled with smoked salmon, langoustines, smoked mussels, pickled herring, mackerel pate, scallop ceviche and smoked prawns served with pea shoots and caper berries, was a balanced mix of smoky flavours, richness and freshness.
While the massive portion of fish and chips was flaky and well cooked while the burger was moist and seasoned well. A shared dessert of sticky toffee pudding was a sweet end to the meal. This is the type and quality of pub grub you want from a place like The George.
Breakfast was of the same quality and attention to detail with a small but well stocked buffet and a la carte options such as a full a Scottish breakfast; smoked salmon and eggs; Peterhead smoked haddock with poached eggs; and a big bowl of creamy porridge.
Located next to Inveraray Jail, a stay at the George is an ideal excuse to visit this wonderful attraction and learn more about the history or you can challenge yourself in the escape room, which is loads of fun for all the family.
As the weather started to take a turn for the worse we headed back home to Glasgow, having spent a magical evening in the ideal surroundings for late autumn and winter in Scotland. The roaring fires, twinkling lights, live music and great conversation leave a lasting impression; the kind that only excellent hospitality from people who care can. I know I won’t be the only one returning to this historic hotel soon.
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