Offers in excess of £700,000 are sought for the property, goodwill, fixtures and fittings and furnishings with stock available over and above at valuation.

Peebles is a very attractive market town situated in the Borders region approximately 25 miles to the South of the City of Edinburgh. It has a resident population in excess of 8,000 persons and a large rural surrounding catchment area. The Town is also a popular tourist destination forming part of the renowned Scottish Borders Tourist Trail.

The High Street is the principal thoroughfare of the Town, through which runs the A72 trunk road connecting the central Borders with the City of Glasgow.

The subject property is located on the South side of the High Street at its Western end (see the ordnance survey extract). Nearby occupiers include William Hill, Lloyds TSB, HBOS, Semi-Chem and Rogerson Shoes.

The main part of the subjects is an ‘L’ shaped building which is Listed as being of Special Architectural and Historic Interest. It was reconstructed in 1886, the upper floors proving a builder’s "showhouse" with many original features retained. The main section comprises at ground level, a retail unit with three display windows providing a sales area with rear store. Accessible from a covered passage on the East side is the bed & breakfast section which is situated over first and second floor levels. The rear leg section, which is also entered from the Close, comprises a bookshop at street level with owner’s accommodation above.

Situated below the bookshop with external access only is a former laundry/washhouse. There is also an access to the rear garden ground which runs down to Port Brae and for which planning permission has been obtained for the erection of a two storey four apartment, kitchen and bathroom dwelling house.

A brief description of each section is as follows:-

Retail shop – having a frontage to the High Street and providing a rectangular sales area with a storage room off to the rear.

Bed & breakfast section – the first floor comprises sitting room, dining room, kitchen and toilet compartment. The second floor comprises three en suite bedrooms together with a bathroom. The accommodation is well decorated and fitted out and space heating is from panelled radiators served by a gas-fired boiler.

Owner’s Accommodation - situated off the main stair serving the bed & breakfast accommodation is the owner’s residence comprising lounge, small bedroom, shower room and larder section.

Bookshop – entered externally and comprising a large single room in good decorative order and having a reasonable level of natural daylighting.

Laundry Room – entered externally and comprising a single area with fitted sinks etc.

It should be noted that there is also internal communal access between the main shop and book section from the entrance to the bed & breakfast/owner’s accommodation.

Our client’s family has owned the subjects for in excess of 100 years, the business element operating as a bookshop with associated newsagents.

The bookshop is particularly popular and well known, attracting custom both locally and from further afield. Specialising in books of Scottish interest and children’s books, a varied selection of stock is held although orders can be placed for collection or delivery.

The newsagent offers the usual range of newspaper and magazines although no delivery rounds are undertaken through choice.

Financial documentation will be provided to interested parties after viewing and confirmation of interest. Turnover for the year ended 31 October 2007 was £321,852, net of VAT. Approximately 60% of income equates to the bookshop element.

Our clients operate the business with assistance from a pool of part time staff as required.

The bed & breakfast element, offers three quality en suite bedrooms (two double and one twin) which are available at £75 per room per night for bed and breakfast. Rated three star by Visit Scotland, a high level of repeat bookings are generated due to the high level of accommodation on offer.

Further information can be found on our client’s informative website www.whities.co.uk and the accommodation element generates additional income in the region of £22,000 per annum.