"We've lost everything" Scots couple devastated after broken pipe wrecks hotel
30.12.2023 - 11:39
/ dailyrecord.co.uk
A couple who sank their life savings into renovating a hotel in the Highlands say they've "lost everything" after a flood wreaked havoc on the property. Des Thomson, 50 and Sinead Finnegan, 40, walked into a nightmare when they returned from a trip in Sri Lanka on December 19 to find their beloved Osprey Hotel, in Kingussie, completely destroyed.
To their horror, they discovered that a pipe had become dislodged in the loft and water had been flowing for several weeks, destroying everything in sight. The couple's business insurance contains a clause that states the premises must not be left unattended for more than 30 days, leaving Des and Sinead unable to claim a payout after more than a month away on their travels.
"We are waking up every morning and dealing with a nightmare," Des told the Record. "When we came back from our holiday, I could see the condensation on the windows and knew straight away that something was seriously wrong.
"I walked in and thought, 'we are done here'. We have done everything ourselves and needed a well-earned rest, ready to carry on. But we have come back to nothing, every single thing is affected. It's destroyed our lives and we are distraught. We've lost everything."
Des, originally from Glasgow, bought the Osprey in 2019 when moving back to Scotland after living in Dublin for 20 years. The hotel was in a state of disrepair but after four years of painstaking work, they finally opened its doors in April.
After non-stop trade for six months, they decided to go for a well-earned break in October. "A friend was supposed to be staying so I assumed everything was fine, never could we imagine what has happened," Des continued.
"Such was the damage, that everything we worked so hard for was destroyed.