Brian Donnelly

Strathmore Hotels Limited, which operates eight hotels across Scotland and northern England, has entered administration, with Interpath appointed to review its future; all hotels will remain open and its 410 staff will be retained during the process. The recap also reports that the Scottish Design Exchange has surpassed £25 million in payments to independent artists and producers, while expanding its retail presence. Diageo’s better-than-expected results boosted investor confidence, although its plan to cut $1 billion in operating costs is expected to result in job losses. Other updates include the opening of the Nurtured by Nature nursery in a former East Kilbride Coca-Cola plant and the break-even performance and expansion ambitions of PGP Golf Studio.

Richard Gardiner of Thomson Cooper has been appointed liquidator of Fife-based used car company Carnegie Cars Limited after HMRC petitioned for it to be wound up at Dunfermline Sheriff Court. The company is registered in Rosyth and Dunfermline, and its latest Companies House accounts showed shareholder funds of £4,208. HMRC said it files winding-up petitions only after exhausting other options for recovering tax debts. Scottish corporate insolvencies fell year on year in the reported April-to-June period, while compulsory and creditors’ voluntary liquidations declined.

Family-owned hotel operator Classic Lodges Limited, which runs nine UK properties and employs 391 people, reported a loss after tax of more than £2 million despite turnover rising from £16 million to £18 million. Directors cited economic activity, guest numbers and room-rate competition as key uncertainties but said the company had sufficient resources to remain a going concern. The group acquired 100% of Codecrest Limited, owner of the Salutation Hotel in Ambleside, in June 2025 and subsequently transferred its business and assets into Classic Lodges.

UK Freight Services Limited, a Bristol-registered freight and warehouse operator employing 20 people, has entered administration. Exigen Group administrators David Kemp and Richard Hunt were appointed to handle the company, which operates across the UK and Europe and was formerly known as B D Burton Commercials Limited. The company’s latest accounts recorded 20 employees in 2024. The report also notes separate insolvency proceedings involving Scottish haulage firms AllAbout Transport Limited, following HMRC court action, and CCH Transport Limited, which is being liquidated.

The Institute of Occupational Medicine, a Scotland-headquartered research and consulting organization, entered administration after sustained falls in research and grant funding, trading losses, cash-flow pressure and disruption from relocating its laboratories. Rcapital Partners funded a pre-pack sale implemented through Vine 2023 Limited and IOM Consulting Limited, preserving 90 jobs and maintaining employees' existing terms. Joint administrators Richard Bathgate and Graeme Bain said a rescue as a going concern was not achievable but that the sale produced a better outcome for creditors than liquidation. Michelle Reid will become managing director of IOM Consulting, while Martin Dorchester steps down as chief executive of the combined group.

Claire’s Accessories UK and Ireland collapsed into administration after unsuccessful efforts to secure rent reductions and improve profitability, leading to the closure of 154 stores, 1,300 redundancies and almost £20 million in liabilities. Most of the business and assets were sold to Modella Capital for £3.6 million, while creditors face an estimated £3 million loss. The article also reports the liquidation of Edinburgh-based Secret Garden Distillery, which resulted in 16 job losses despite its recent industry award, and the collapse of Coatbridge manufacturer Galino Limited, where all 12 employees were made redundant. Scottish corporate insolvencies nevertheless fell year-on-year in the second quarter of 2026.

JAB Property Development Limited entered administration after trading at a loss and becoming cash-flow insolvent, leaving an 11-home redevelopment of the former Rozelle Nursing Home in Ayr at varying stages of completion. The company owed more than £4.2 million, including about £2 million to unsecured creditors, who are unlikely to receive a distribution after secured creditors and administration costs are paid. Administrator Kevin Mapstone said several plots had been completed or were nearing sale, while others required refurbishment, clearance, roof replacement or external works. A vehicle collision that damaged two completed homes rendered them temporarily unsellable, prompting an insurance claim and adding to the developer's financial difficulties.

Scottish engineering companies AIM Engineering & Fabrication and Hescott Engineering entered administration after 42 years, resulting in the loss of all 93 jobs. Administrators Alistair McAlinden and James Dewar of Interpath attributed the collapse to sector pressures, cash-flow difficulties, creditor pressure and the loss of a major customer. Trading ceased after the companies could not meet payroll obligations, while combined debts exceeded £3 million. More than £1.5 million owed to unsecured creditors is unlikely to be recovered.

AllAbout Transport Limited, a Glasgow-registered Scottish road freight company, has been placed into liquidation following a winding-up petition by HMRC at Paisley Sheriff Court. James Stephen of BDO was appointed liquidator. The company’s latest accounts showed negative capital and reserves of £114,676, worsening from £84,490 in the previous period. HMRC said it pursues winding-up petitions only after exhausting other options for recovering tax debts. Scottish corporate insolvencies reportedly fell year-on-year in the April–June period, including a reduction in compulsory liquidations, while members’ voluntary liquidations increased.

Impact Contracts (Glasgow) Limited, a builder and developer based at Craigton Industrial Estate, has entered liquidation after HMRC petitioned Glasgow Sheriff Court to wind up the company. Julie Tait of Grant Thornton UK Advisory & Tax was appointed liquidator. The firm had five employees, £328,155 in assets, £98,725 in capital reserves and £247,184 in creditors falling due within a year, according to its latest accounts. HMRC said it takes enforcement action only after exhausting other options. Scottish corporate insolvencies fell year-on-year in the latest April-to-June period, including a decline in compulsory liquidations.

Scotland-based Muir Group reported a near tenfold increase in profit before tax to more than £3 million for the 52 weeks ending February 1, 2026, while turnover rose 30% to £113.9 million. Muir Construction was the strongest performer, more than doubling pre-tax profit to £4.8 million. Muir Homes reduced its pre-tax loss substantially, although higher mortgage costs, borrowing restrictions, inflation and weak housing-market confidence continued to weigh on demand. Group cash balances rose to £21.4 million, net assets increased to £89 million and bank debt remained unchanged at £16.4 million. Chairman John Muir said the group remained focused on sustainable profitability while acknowledging inflation, labour shortages, margin pressure and higher borrowing costs.

Sparkle Berry Homes Limited entered administration after leaving an Ayrshire development with no completed homes, although administrators have agreed a financing route intended to fund the outstanding work. Auchlochan Garden Village in South Lanarkshire has been acquired by The Argyll Group, rescuing 97 jobs and securing the community’s 245 remaining residents after three years in administration. Thorntons has doubled its Glasgow workforce to 64 staff and appointed several senior legal professionals as it expands. The roundup also highlights Royal Dornoch’s rapidly growing junior-golf programme, which now serves more than 100 young people but has reached capacity.

JJ O’Hara, founder and managing director of Scottish Starbucks franchisee OCO, plans to expand from 23 to 29 outlets by the end of 2027 through a £4 million investment, creating about 120 jobs. OCO employs roughly 480 people and emphasizes internal promotion, training and career development. O’Hara argues that Scotland’s hospitality sector suffers from inconsistent standards and is not viewed as an aspirational career, calling for stronger government support and better school preparation for workplace skills. He also discusses his career in franchising, the near-collapse of his business during a property dispute, and the resilience and team-building lessons that shaped his success.

Scottish housebuilder Hood Property Cardrona Limited entered administration after leaving a 20-home development near Peebles unfinished and owing more than £4.5 million. BDO administrators had to force entry to secure and assess the site, and expect Crowd Property to recover only £1.1 million, with other lenders, HMRC and unsecured creditors unlikely to receive payment. Luminary Homes bought the Cardrona site in March, is undertaking remedial work and says it will honour previous buyers' reserved plots without additional fees. The collapse reflects wider pressures on small and medium-sized Scottish housing developments, including rising supply-chain costs and material shortages.

Café Gandolfi in Glasgow has secured a fresh start after Café Gandolfi Limited entered liquidation. A going-concern sale of the business and assets to new owner CG2026 Ltd was completed shortly after interim liquidator Colin Murdoch was appointed, allowing the café to remain open, retain its 31 staff and continue operating with its existing menu and service. Owner Seumas MacInnes said the restructuring followed a challenging period but preserved the historic Albion Street institution and its future.

Work has begun on infrastructure for the Blindwells town centre in East Lothian, a development with planning permission for 1,600 homes. Civil engineering firm I & H Brown has received a £3 million contract from master developer Hargreaves Land to construct retaining walls, roads, drainage infrastructure and a wastewater pumping station, while enabling development of a 12-acre residential site. More than 500 homes and a primary school have already been delivered on the former open-cast mine site. The latest works are scheduled for completion in March 2027 and are intended to support the next phase of Blindwells' growth.

Falkirk-headquartered Klondyke Group Limited reported an 13% increase in turnover to £88.1 million and a rise in pre-tax profit from £6.6 million to £8.3 million for the year to September 2025. The 22-centre group, which employs around 950 people across Scotland, England and Wales, attributed the stronger results to increased Christmas sales, favourable spring and summer weather, robust restaurant performance and continued customer spending on garden products. Restaurant sales and transactions also rose, while investments in air conditioning, catering and infrastructure supported the group's retail offering. Directors said the company remained well positioned to compete with high street retailers and other garden centres.

Scottish housebuilder Sparkle Berry Homes Limited has entered administration with four detached homes in Ardrossan substantially complete but requiring remedial work and final local-authority certification. Joint administrators FRP Advisory have agreed in principle to use short-term funding from secured lender Crowd Property, which is owed about £700,000, to finance the outstanding work. Once a formal funding agreement, works and certification are completed, the properties are expected to be marketed for sale.

A liquidator has been appointed to Café Gandolfi Limited, the company behind Glasgow’s long-established family-run restaurant, following an HMRC winding-up petition presented at Glasgow Sheriff Court. Insolvency practitioner Colin Murdoch of Murray Stewart Fraser was appointed liquidator on July 28. Despite the court action, the restaurant’s owners said online that the business had undergone a restructuring and remained open, with plans to continue operating in Glasgow’s Merchant City. HMRC declined to comment on the individual case but said it files winding-up petitions only after other efforts to recover tax debts have been exhausted.

Pentland Material Supply Limited, a Scottish precision engineering company based near Edinburgh, entered administration owing more than £1.7 million after losing a major defence-sector customer and experiencing severe cash-flow problems. The company was unable to sustain an HMRC time-to-pay arrangement and faced a tax claim exceeding £889,789. All 36 employees lost their jobs, unsecured creditors are not expected to receive a dividend, and creditors could lose about £1 million. Close Brothers recovered its £90,000 secured lending in full, while the administration has been extended to July 2027.

Ian Macleod Distillers, the family-owned Scottish spirits group based in Broxburn, cut production at its Glengoyne and Rosebank distilleries by 30% as worldwide demand for Scotch whisky weakened after peaking in 2022 and 2023. Profit after tax fell to £5.5 million from £11.6 million, while turnover declined 8% to £118 million in the year to September 2025. The company plans to prioritize sustaining trade, improving operational efficiency, controlling capital expenditure and completing existing projects, while continuing to invest in maturing whisky stocks. Tamdhu production remained stable for now but is expected to follow the broader reduction in output.

A historic 26-room hotel on Loch Lomond has been listed for sale at offers over £3.25 million, with agents highlighting its strong revenue, prominent setting and refurbishment. Route One has reopened in Glasgow with a new Queen Street store showcasing its skate and streetwear offerings. A £38 million student accommodation development, St Vincent Studios, has opened in Glasgow, providing 321 studio apartments and extensive amenities.

Hobbycraft reports a strong turnaround driven by renewed interest in hands‑on hobbies, supported by store layout changes and completion of a restructuring programme. Model making and needlework showed major sales increases, reflecting rising demand for creative activities. Nudge Innovations secured significant funding for its reusable cup‑cleaning system, while BGL Contracts Limited collapsed into administration, prompting legal claims from former employees.

A prominent Glasgow nightclub, The Garage, has been placed on the market after 33 years as owner Donald Macleod shifts focus to other business interests. Broker CDLH expects strong buyer interest, highlighting the venue’s cultural significance, large capacity and multiple live music spaces. The sale comes as the club maintains a full event schedule, with management aiming to support a smooth transition for new ownership.