Twenty eight jobs were axed with the closure of a Dumfriesshire hotel less than a week before Christmas.
The Moffat House Hotel, which was put up for sale for £1.25 million last year, closed its doors on Thursday.
The devastated members of staff were informed that the business had ceased trading due to the owner’s insolvency.
One former employee, who asked not to be named, told the Standard: “I was just a bit shell-shocked when they told me that the hotel was closed and that we weren’t needed in the morning. I still can’t believe it.”
Tom MacLennan, a partner with FRP Advisory, has been appointed trustee of the proprietor’s estate and will now oversee the insolvency process including the sale of the property.
He said: “Despite the best efforts of the proprietor and staff there was no viable alternative other than the personal insolvency of the owner and the closure of the business. We are continuing to liaise with the Redundancy Payments Service and PACE to minimise the impact on the staff affected by the closure of the business.”
Mr MacLennan added: “As Moffat House is a prominent and historic Dumfriesshire building its availability is anticipated to attract substantial interest.
“The property and assets will be marketed for sale in early 2020 and we would encourage interested parties to register their interest with us as soon as possible.”
The Georgian mansion house dates back to 1761 and was built for the 2nd Earl of Hopetoun. It became a hotel in 1950.
