THE owners of a popular Annandale bed and breakfast are retiring, after nearly two decades.
Mark and Morag Cuthbertson have owned Hightae Inn since 2008, originally falling in love with the venue when they held their wedding reception there 14 years earlier.
As fate would have it, the business came up for sale as the couple were looking for a new challenge to their office-based jobs in Dundee – and it was an opportunity too good to pass up.
Morag said: “I grew up in Lockerbie so we jumped at the chance to move home when my sister told me that the place we held our wedding reception was up for sale. It seemed like the stars were aligning as Mark and I were desperate for a change.
“We have loved every single minute of our time here and welcoming guests back year after year is such a satisfying part of the job, and it’s nice when they say they enjoyed their stay so much that they needed to return.”
Now as they plan their retirement, the Cuthbertsons decided the time was right for a change and are selling the beloved B and B, hoping the inn’s next owners will love running the inn as much as they have.
Mark added: “I think the fact we have been here four times longer than any of the previous owners shows how much we have loved being here. We didn’t plan on being here so long; the longer we stayed, the harder it was to move away.
“When we first took over, we would typically get people staying overnight while they were passing through the area but that quickly changed and people now stay longer and, more often than not, return.
“The next owners of Hightae Inn will have a really great life here.”
