More than a sum of its ramparts BOSS OF THE WEEK: FRASER NIVEN BOSS

Sunday Herald, The, Jun 24, 2007 by Valerie Darroch

THERE is little chance that Fraser Niven, the man in charge of the GBP3 million renovation of historic Lennoxlove House in East Lothian will become bored withhis job.

From commissioning textiles which replicate the rich fabrics from the days of Mary Queen of Scots to choosing a heating system which runs on recycled oil or booking in the first party of guests to stay in the house's lavish 11 guest bedrooms, no two working days are the same.

"The variety is both the plus and the minus of the job, " says Niven, who explains that juggling so many responsibilities can be stressful at times, but hugely rewarding as well.

The chartered accountant who runs Lennoxlove, part of the business assets of the Duke of Hamilton and his family, says that his recent tasks have ranged from recruiting a head butler to strategies for deer herd management, clinching property deals and examining business angel investment opportunities.

As Niven walks across the courtyard to open the ancient wooden door to Lennoxlove, a dapper figure in tweeds strides into view and quizzes him on what he's going to say about the property. "I'm Angus, " he says, extending a hand.

Angus, it transpires, is Niven's boss, the 69-year-old 15th Duke of Hamilton, a former engineer, test pilot and racing driver, and the main repository of knowledge on the house which has played host to some of the most important figures in Scottish history.

"I'm fortunate, I'm given a lot of freedom by the duke. I don't have to answer to shareholders looking for a particular return, " says Niven The Lennoxlove boss has worked with a variety of businesses during his career from hotels to wine merchants and retailers before joining the duke in 2002. He started out with Touche Ross in Edinburgh before moving on to the small hotel group, Williamsons. He later joined a group of investors who acquired wine merchants Cockburns of Leith from Drambuie, before working as a consultant to a range of businesses including the Danish-owned retailer Traesko.

"I saw accounting as a knowledge base from which I could turn my hand to anything, and hospitality has always been close to my heart, " he says.

"When I came here the challenge from the duke to me as the new chief executive was to take the estate and commercialise it, to broaden the investment portfolio and to develop the assets, " says Niven.

Besides Lennoxlove, Niven runs Hamilton and Kinneil estates which is involved in an array of activities from farming 3000 acres to property joint ventures, including one with the Duke of Buccleuch.

He tots up the value of the different businesses but says the total is obscured by the fact that several are joint ventures. Niven says the Buccleuch joint venture alone has property assets of GBP35 million and he is also involved in developing a GBP25m golf course with US businessman Jerry Sarvadi. The 18-hole championship course, the Renaissance Club at Archerfield, East Lothian, is due to open next spring.

"We also have housing developments on the go which turnover-wise in the next couple of years will be GBP15m or so, " says Niven, who has restructured the duke and his family's business interests considerably since he arrived in 2002.

Niven sold a sawmill to free land for development and also formed Capital Angels last winter, an angel investment syndicate. He is also looking at niche opportunities to add value by marketing beef from the rare Cadzow cattle on the duke's estate.

By Scottish standards, it is clear Niven is in charge of a big concern. "I refocused the business activities and got into new areas such as property development. We've got a really good team here which makes all the difference, " he says.

The transformation of Lennoxlove from a stately home offering day visits and evening events to a top-notch venue for overnight stays by parties of individuals or corporate clients has been a mammoth task, involving sensitive restoration and financial support from Historic Scotland.

The duke also sold some of the family's art collection to fund the renovation work.

"The assets were gifted to allow the house to pay for itself. I said, 'how can we refurbish the family house and put money aside so we don't have to sell more paintings?' I'm also looking at other under-utilised assets, " says Niven.

An overnight stay does not come cheap it costs between GBP10,000 and GBP12,000 to rent the whole house for an event and a further GBP300 per room to stay in one of the 11 lavish suites. Highrolling guests often arrive by helicopter.

Niven, who has hired staff from Hand Picked Hotels and Macdonald Hotels, says the service and ambience should make staying in Lennoxlove a memorable experience.

"The key driver is to offer the best level of service. Lennoxlove really is something special, " says Niven, who takes evident pride in the way forgotten parts of the house have been brought back to life the duke and his family moved to nearby Archerfield in the 1980s.

The house will open its doors to overnight guests on July 18 and the first bookings have been confirmed a wedding party followed by a group of Americans coming for a week to attend the Seniors Open golf championship.