Maitland, John

Bridge Street, Glasgow.

Mr John Maitland. 1887.

Mr John Maitland acquired the Station Hotel, Bridge Street in 1876. He was very successful and ran a strict and first class business. His manager in 1888 was a gentleman called Mr Beckedorff managed the hotel under Mr Maitland who know the business inside out. Mr Maitland himself divided his attention pretty much between his three hotels.

The Station Hotel, Bridge Street.

In 1887 he purchased the well known “Royal” Hotel, Innellan for £7,000, a beautiful hotel in Argyllshire on the Firth of Clyde. His friends thought he was crazy to take over the hotel as the population on Innellan was only 859, but Mr Maitland had other idea’s. In the restaurant area the seating arrangements could accommodate one hundred people but this was not sufficient. Mr Maitland spend over £1,000 on the erection of a new restaurant at the head of the pier. First class baths were also built close to the hotel for the convenience of visitors.

The Royal Hotel, Innellan.

The Innellan was a success and was one of the finest hotels on the West Coast. At one end was a well arranged fernery, with a water fountain playing all the season. Fifty large bedrooms accommodated many Glaswegian’s during the summer seasons. The hotel was only a two hour drive from Glasgow, a pleasant drive at that through some of the nicest view in Scotland.

Mr Maitland’s other hotel was the “Ardlui” Hotel, Ardlui at the head of Loch Lomond. Before Ardlui had its own railway station, Mr Maitland ran a coach in connection with Mr Stewart of Crianlarich. John Maitland often visited his three hotels, sometimes three and four times a week, starting in the morning in Glasgow, mid-day he was at Innellan, and in the evening he would be at Loch Lomond relaxing and chatting to the customers.