MURDOCH HOSPITALITY LIMITED

🌳Matureactive
SC263833 · ltd · incorporated 2004-02-23
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 Oct 2025
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
82/100
Exceptional
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What this business does
Primary activity: Hotels and similar accommodation
Sector: Accommodation & food service
Investor take
Pursue
Active trading company with a 66-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 82/100 (exceptional), bankability 67/100. Strong seller-intent signal (83/100, director aged 66). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 3 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

4 live charges · 3 lenders · oldest 22.1y

35/100
too messy

Refinance path is blocked by complexity. Rethink structure or expect bespoke, expensive terms.

  • · Oldest live charge is 22.1 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · 3 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
  • · Legal-friction score 35/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.

Data confidence

Overall: medium (77/100)

Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.

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
4 charges (4/4 with lender, 4/4 with type)
90
Directors & officers
7 officers (2 active, 7 linked, 5 with DOB)
84
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
75 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
82/100Exceptional
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

Strong composite across quality, acquirability, and risk. High-priority target — progress to serious diligence.

Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
85
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
—
Net Worth
—
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—
£0£0£0£0£0£0Oct 2024Oct 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102
Metric2025-10-312024-10-31
Average employees331500

Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.

🔒Filing-note intelligence

1 signal detected in this company's narrative notes — going-concern language, audit opinion, contingent liabilities, related-party transactions.

Available from the Pro tier upwards.

See pricing →

Recent activity

Last 30 days
1
filing
  • • 1 officers
Last 90 days
2
filings
  • • 1 officers
  • • 1 accounts
Last 180 days
2
filings
  • • 1 officers
  • • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (35 events)Click to expand
  1. 2026-05-03
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  2. 2026-04-14
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  3. 2025-04-28
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  4. 2025-01-16
    📄
    change-account-reference-date-company-previous-extended
    accounts · AA01
  5. 2024-11-15
    📄
    mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
    mortgage · MR01
  6. 2024-11-04
    🔒
    Charge registered #4
    Lender: Clydesdale Bank PLC
  7. 2024-01-04
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  8. 2022-11-23
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  9. 2022-11-23
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  10. 2022-11-23
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  11. 2022-11-23
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  12. 2022-08-17
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  13. 2021-08-17
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  14. 2020-10-22
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  15. 2019-07-09
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  16. 2018-07-05
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  17. 2018-03-09
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  18. 2018-03-09
    📄
    termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM02
  19. 2017-03-11
    ➖
    MURDOCH, Kirkland Baird resigned
    secretary
  20. 2017-03-11
    ➖
    MURDOCH, Kirkland Baird resigned
    director
  21. 2010-12-25
    ➖
    MURDOCH, Julie Margaret resigned
    director
  22. 2010-12-25
    ➕
    MURDOCH, Kirkland Baird appointed
    director
  23. 2010-04-30
    ➖
    HOGARTH, Craig David resigned
    director
  24. 2008-04-23
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #2
  25. 2005-11-14
    ➕
    HOGARTH, Craig David appointed
    director
  26. 2004-04-27
    🔒
    Charge registered #3
    Lender: Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company
  27. 2004-04-27
    🔒
    Charge registered #2
    Lender: John Wilson and Another
  28. 2004-03-30
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company
  29. 2004-02-23
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As MURDOCH HOSPITALITY LIMITED
  30. 2004-02-23
    ➕
    MURDOCH, James Kenneth appointed
    director
  31. 2004-02-23
    ➕
    MURDOCH, Tracey Margaret appointed
    director
  32. 2004-02-23
    ➕
    MURDOCH, Kirkland Baird appointed
    secretary
  33. 2004-02-23
    ➕
    OSWALDS OF EDINBURGH LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  34. 2004-02-23
    ➖
    OSWALDS OF EDINBURGH LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  35. 2004-02-23
    ➕
    MURDOCH, Julie Margaret appointed
    director

Owner dependency

100/100
Critical — business is the founder

The business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.

FACTORS
  • +Two-director setup: Only two active directors — typical of owner-managed SMEs but limits succession.
  • +Founder name in company name: Company name contains director surname "MURDOCH" — strong identity link between founder and business.
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 22 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 66 — succession pressure is live.
  • +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.

Succession & seller-readiness

86/100
Likely off-market candidate

Strong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.

SIGNALS
  • primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 66. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
  • secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
  • primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 22 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 22 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.
  • supportingClean filings + long tenure: Disciplined long-tenure operator — classic lifestyle-business pattern that often sells quietly.

Red flags

clean
No red flags detected from available public data. (This is not a clean bill of health — detailed accounts review still recommended.)

Shareholders & ownership

1 active beneficial owner
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mr James Kenneth Murdoch
Individual · British · DOB 03/1960 · age 66
——sig. influencesignificant influence24/01/2017

From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.

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SC269741 · est 2004 · no financials extracted
————21y8379y
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Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions

8 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
Incorporated2004-02-23
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC55100 — Hotels and similar accommodation

Registered office

The Blair
Lochlibo Road
Kilwinning
KA13 7RR
Scotland

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2027-07-31
Last made up to: 2025-10-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-10-17
Last: 2025-10-03

Officers (2 active · 5 resigned)

MURDOCH, James Kenneth→
director · ~66y · appointed 2004-02-23
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
MURDOCH, Tracey Margaret→
director · ~62y · appointed 2004-02-23
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
MURDOCH, Kirkland Baird→
secretary · appointed 2004-02-23 · resigned 2017-03-11
Resigned
OSWALDS OF EDINBURGH LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2004-02-23 · resigned 2004-02-23
Resigned
HOGARTH, Craig David→
director · ~44y · appointed 2005-11-14 · resigned 2010-04-30
Resigned
MURDOCH, Julie Margaret→
director · ~69y · appointed 2004-02-23 · resigned 2010-12-25
Resigned
MURDOCH, Kirkland Baird→
director · ~71y · appointed 2010-12-25 · resigned 2017-03-11
Resigned

Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.

Mortgages & charges

4
Total charges
3
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:4 of 4 shown
TypeProperties
outstanding
Virgin Money
Clydesdale Bank PLC
A registered charge1 property04/11/2024—
outstanding
Virgin Money
Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company
Standard security1 property27/04/2004—
satisfied
John Wilson and Another
Standard security1 property27/04/200423/04/2008
outstanding
Virgin Money
Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company
Floating charge1 property30/03/2004—
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (75 total)

change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2026-05-03
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2026-04-14
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-10-20
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-04-28
change-account-reference-date-company-previous-extended
accounts · AA01
2025-01-16
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2024-11-15
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-10-03
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-04-03
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-01-04
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-03-28
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2022-11-23
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2022-11-23
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2022-11-23
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2022-11-23
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-08-17