Braelangwell House, a B-listed eight-bedroomed Georgian country mansion on the Black Isle, was put on the market for over £1.2 million this week.

Owner Laura Strange, who runs the business with her husband 48-year-old Ronnie, said it was a reluctant sale and launched a stinging attack on the tourist board.

She said changes to the body's website three years ago, which introduced on-line booking through Visitscotland.com, had a detrimental impact on the business and that bookings had fallen to a trickle, forcing the couple to sell.

Mrs Strange (42) said until the change, Braelangwell, which has VisitScotland's five-star rating and offers rooms from £40 per person, had been marketed on the website under "unusual places" and about 50 per cent of the couple's bookings had come through the tourist organisation.

Now, she said, would-be customers would find it difficult to find their details and booking had decreased with only a handful registered this year.

"VisitScotland are to blame really," she explained. "We had no intention to leave but the fact is that we could no longer afford to live here any more.

"VisitScotland simply wants to make money from its website and it hasn't just happened here it has happened throughout Scotland. It's just a money-making racket."

She also criticised the organisation's phone service for customers. "When you speak to people on their lines they do not know anything about up here at all," she claimed.

And despite numerous phone calls and e-mails to Visitscotland.com she said the organisation failed to do anything about the couple's concerns.

Hundreds of businesses abandoned the tourist board in protest over the multi-million pound website launched in 2002 by a private company and the new centralised system for providing tourist information.

Some small hoteliers and other accommodation providers opted out because they wanted their personal contact details to be given equal status.

The Stranges, who have a daughter, three-year-old Isobella, built up the business after buying the house at Balblair 11 years ago.

Built in 1790, it is set in its own 76-acre estate with one of the last remaining areas of ancient woodland on the Black Isle.

Braelangwell House — on the market at £1.2 million.

During the 18th century it belonged to the Urquharts. The final family member who owned the estate, David Urquhart who was born at Braelangwell in 1805, was a famous diplomat and publicist who served for many years at the British Legation in Constantinople and was famous for introducing hot-air Turkish baths to the UK.

Due to lack of marketing through VisitScotland, the business signed up with other bodies, including the luxury bed and breakfast group Wolsey Lodge, which boosted customers, but this year they had to make the crunch decision that they could no longer keep stay in business.

Mrs Strange said they would keep going throughout the summer as there was an outstanding booking for a wedding in September. Following the sale, the couple plan to build a new house in Elgin.

"We do not think it will sell as a B and B but believe it will be bought by someone as a house," she said. "It is with great reluctance that we are selling. I keep thinking we might just win the lottery and be able to stay."

A spokeswoman for VisitScotland.com said Braelangwell was still top of its list of unusual places to stay and it received regular bookings.

"The website hasn't changed," she said. "We're disappointed to hear that the current owners have decided to move on as we were not aware of their recent business problems. We look forward to speaking to the new owners about how we can help promote this historic property in the heart of the Highlands."

VisitScotland said it was "disappointing" to hear that the proprietors were unhappy with their relationship with VisitScotland.com.

"However, it is important that if businesses are having difficulties that they contact VisitScotland.com as early as possible to give them a chance to resolve the situation," the spokeswoman added.

The entrance hall at Braelangwell House has two life-size Terracotta Warriors and the Wedgewood Blue Ballroom has crystal chandeliers. The house also has a billiard room, cellar, conservatory, study, library, dining room, sitting room, butler's pantry, kitchen and utility room and with eight bedrooms. John Robin Bound, of CKD Galbraith's Inverness office which is selling the property, described it as a house of contrast.

h.paterson@inverness-courier.co.uk

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