MACDONALD FOREST HILLS (ABERFOYLE) LIMITED
🌳Matureactive
SC308947 · ltd · incorporated 2006-09-21
Investment thesis
Well-run mature business — low negotiation leverage; premium likely.
Why interesting: Textbook target; clean filings, stable trading.
Why risky: No pressure on seller; any deal likely at full price.
Opportunity decay
hardening · 12-months
Already tight — no obvious softening catalysts on the horizon.
- · Thesis: well-run, low negotiation leverage
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Sept 2024
Net worth
£170.0k
book net assets
Opportunity
78/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: Hotels and similar accommodation
Sector: Accommodation & food service
Investor take
PursueActive trading company with a 69-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 78/100 (strong), bankability 67/100. Strong seller-intent signal (68/100, director aged 69). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 5 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (65/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
7 live charges · 5 lenders · oldest 15.5y
35/100
too messy
Refinance path is blocked by complexity. Rethink structure or expect bespoke, expensive terms.
- · Oldest live charge is 15.5 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · 5 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
- · Legal-friction score 25/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.
Data confidence
Overall: high (84/100)Strong data coverage across all sections. AI outputs should be trusted with minimal caveats.
Company profile
address, 1 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
2 years of iXBRL accounts extracted (YoY deltas available) + narrative notes parsed
75
Lenders & charges
7 charges (7/7 with lender, 7/7 with type)
90
Directors & officers
11 officers (3 active, 11 linked, 8 with DOB)
85
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
17 connected companies via shared directors
90
Filing history
103 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
78/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
75
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
77
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declaredPositive net assets
Net assets £170,000
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
—
Net Worth
£170k
~ YoY
Current Assets
£170k
~ YoY
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2024-09-26 | 2023-09-28 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £170.0k | £170.0k |
| Current assets | £170.0k | £170.0k |
| Net assets | £170.0k | £170.0k |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
Recent activity
Last 30 days
1
filing
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Last 90 days
1
filing
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Last 180 days
1
filing
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (54 events)Click to expand
- 2025-06-20📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2025-06-13📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2025-05-15📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2025-05-15📄change-person-secretary-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH03
- 2025-05-15📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2025-03-06📄mortgage-alter-floating-charge-with-numbermortgage · 466(Scot)
- 2025-03-06📄mortgage-alter-floating-charge-with-numbermortgage · 466(Scot)
- 2025-02-27📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2025-02-21🔒Charge registered #7Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC as Security Agent
- 2025-02-19📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC02
- 2025-02-19📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2024-12-30📍move-registers-to-registered-office-company-with-new-addressaddress · AD04
- 2024-06-18📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2023-12-29📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2023-12-29📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2023-12-29📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2023-12-29📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2023-12-29📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2023-12-29🔓Charge satisfied #5
- 2023-12-29🔓Charge satisfied #4
- 2023-12-29🔓Charge satisfied #3
- 2023-12-29🔓Charge satisfied #2
- 2023-12-29🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 2023-10-23📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2023-06-13📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2023-05-17📄mortgage-alter-floating-charge-with-numbermortgage · 466(Scot)
- 2023-05-11📄memorandum-articlesincorporation · MA
- 2023-05-11📄resolutionresolution · RESOLUTIONS
- 2023-05-05🔒Charge registered #6Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC as Security Trustee for the Secured Parties
- 2022-12-05➖CARTER, Phil resigneddirector
- 2022-10-20➕GILLIES, Hugh appointeddirector
- 2022-01-19➕FRASER, Robert Gordon appointeddirector
- 2022-01-07➕CARTER, Phil appointeddirector
- 2022-01-07➖FALLS, Aaron Peter resigneddirector
- 2021-05-19➕FALLS, Aaron Peter appointeddirector
- 2021-05-19➖FRASER, Robert Gordon resigneddirector
- 2020-08-24🔒Charge registered #5Lender: Bank of Scotland PLC as Agent and Security Trustee for Each of the Secured Parties (As Defined in the Instrument Appended to This MR01)
- 2020-08-24🔒Charge registered #4Lender: Bank of Scotland PLC as Agent and Security Trustee for Each of the Secured Parties (As Defined in the Instrument Appended to This MR01)
- 2019-05-31➖MCBURNIE, Jason resigneddirector
- 2017-02-17➕MCBURNIE, Jason appointeddirector
- 2014-03-19🔒Charge registered #3Lender: Bank of Scotland PLC as Security Trustee for Itself and the Other Secured Parties (As More Particularly Defined in the Instrument Evidencing the Charge Accompanying This Form MR01)
- 2010-12-31➖LERCHE, James Andrew resigneddirector
- 2010-10-29🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Bank of Scotland PLC
- 2010-10-29🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Bank of Scotland PLC
- 2010-07-06➖MACDONALD, Donald John resigneddirector
- 2007-06-27➕LERCHE, James Andrew appointeddirector
- 2007-05-23➕FRASER, Robert Gordon appointedsecretary
- 2007-05-23➖DM COMPANY SERVICES LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2007-05-23➕FRASER, Robert Gordon appointeddirector
- 2007-05-23➕MACDONALD, Donald John appointeddirector
Showing most recent 50 of 54 events
Owner dependency
73/100
High — earn-out structure requiredMaterial founder dependency. Consider a 2-3 year earn-out and build in a handover plan before completion.
FACTORS
- +Two-director setup: Only two active directors — typical of owner-managed SMEs but limits succession.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 69 — succession pressure is live.
Succession & seller-readiness
66/100
Strong succession signalMultiple signals suggest succession is on the horizon. Candidate for proactive outreach.
SIGNALS
- primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 69. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
- secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 20 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.
Red flags
1 med ·Charge satisfaction-then-recreation pattern
mediumMultiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.
Group structure
Macdonald Hotels Limited is the ultimate parent — holding 75%+ shares. This company sits inside their group.
🏛️ultimate parent
Macdonald Hotels Limited
Corporate parent · holds 75-100% shares · board control
⬇
MACDONALD FOREST HILLS (ABERFOYLE) LIMITED
This company · SC308947
Parent relationships inferred from Persons with Significant Control filings. Full subsidiary tree requires reverse-lookup (coming).
Shareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Macdonald Hotels Limited Corporate entity | 75–100% | 75–100% | board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control | 05/05/2023 |
1 historic (ceased) PSC
- Hsdl Nominees Limitedceased 05/05/2023· 75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
🔒Co-director network graph
Radial SVG graph showing every company connected via shared directors, colour-coded by status.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Similar companies
Active · Hospitality · G postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AT3AM GROUP LIMITED→ SC841487 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| AULD ALLIANCE COFFEE LTD→ SC878017 · est 2026 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| AUTUMN BROOKE DEVELOPMENTS LTD→ SC850000 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| AVALLON LIMITED→ SC130363 · est 1991 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 35y | — | — |
| AWS HOLDINGS LIMITED→ SC699040 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| AYOGI HOSPITALITY LTD→ SC875222 · est 2026 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| AYR FOOD CENTRE LTD→ SC824887 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| AYR HOT WOK LIMITED→ SC799400 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| AYRSHIRE ESCAPES LTD→ SC764389 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| AZHH LTD→ SC727357 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| BABI RESTAURANTS LTD→ SC879892 · est 2026 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| BABS WNS LIMITED→ SC595156 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions
7 specific questions generated from this company's actual signals — liquidity, leverage, director age, charge count, red flags, age-of-company.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →🔒Advanced scoring suite
Exit-route ranking, improvement thesis, quiet-distress detector, covenant-pressure proxy, extraction monitor, approaching triggers, ownership drift, local cluster, value trap, debt capacity, archetype classification — 48+ scoring modules.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Company details
Statusactive
Typeltd
Incorporated2006-09-21
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC55100 — Hotels and similar accommodation
Registered office
Crutherland House And Spa
Strathaven Road
East Kilbride
G75 0QJ
United Kingdom
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-06-26
Last made up to: 2024-09-26
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-04-14
Last: 2026-03-31
Officers (3 active · 8 resigned)
FRASER, Robert Gordon→
Activesecretary · appointed 2007-05-23
View their other companies + combined net worth →
FRASER, Robert Gordon→
Activedirector · ~69y · appointed 2022-01-19
View their other companies + combined net worth →
GILLIES, Hugh→
Activedirector · ~34y · appointed 2022-10-20
View their other companies + combined net worth →
DM COMPANY SERVICES LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2006-09-21 · resigned 2007-05-23
CARTER, Phil→
Resigneddirector · ~41y · appointed 2022-01-07 · resigned 2022-12-05
FALLS, Aaron Peter→
Resigneddirector · ~47y · appointed 2021-05-19 · resigned 2022-01-07
FRASER, Robert Gordon→
Resigneddirector · ~69y · appointed 2007-05-23 · resigned 2021-05-19
LERCHE, James Andrew→
Resigneddirector · ~71y · appointed 2007-06-27 · resigned 2010-12-31
MACDONALD, Donald John→
Resigneddirector · ~79y · appointed 2007-05-23 · resigned 2010-07-06
MCBURNIE, Jason→
Resigneddirector · ~48y · appointed 2017-02-17 · resigned 2019-05-31
DM DIRECTOR LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-director · appointed 2006-09-21 · resigned 2007-05-23
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
7
Total charges
2
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:7 of 7 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC as Security Agent | A registered charge | — | 21/02/2025 | — | |
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC as Security Trustee for the Secured Parties | A registered charge | — | 05/05/2023 | — | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group Bank of Scotland PLC as Agent and Security Trustee for Each of the Secured Parties (As Defined in the Instrument Appended to This MR01) | A registered charge | 1 property | 24/08/2020 | 29/12/2023 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group Bank of Scotland PLC as Agent and Security Trustee for Each of the Secured Parties (As Defined in the Instrument Appended to This MR01) | A registered charge | — | 24/08/2020 | 29/12/2023 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group Bank of Scotland PLC as Security Trustee for Itself and the Other Secured Parties (As More Particularly Defined in the Instrument Evidencing the Charge Accompanying This Form MR01) | A registered charge | — | 19/03/2014 | 29/12/2023 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group Bank of Scotland PLC | Debenture | 1 property | 29/10/2010 | 29/12/2023 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group Bank of Scotland PLC | Bond & floating charge | 1 property | 29/10/2010 | 29/12/2023 |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (103 total)
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-04-07
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2025-06-20
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2025-06-13
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2025-05-15
change-person-secretary-company-with-change-date
officers · CH03
2025-05-15
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2025-05-15
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-04-10
mortgage-alter-floating-charge-with-number
mortgage · 466(Scot)
2025-03-06
mortgage-alter-floating-charge-with-number
mortgage · 466(Scot)
2025-03-06
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2025-02-27
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC02
2025-02-19
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2025-02-19
move-registers-to-registered-office-company-with-new-address
address · AD04
2024-12-30
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2024-06-18
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-04-04