Murray Travel opens fourth shop and plans further retail expansion

Scottish family business Murray Travel has opened its fourth shop, with plans to expand further.

The store on Nairn’s high street, which welcomed its first customers on Monday, July 3, joins Inverness, Forres and Elgin in the agency’s network.

Co-owner Scott Murray told Travel Weekly that within hours of opening, the branch had secured three bookings – including a cruise and a two-week trip to Mexico.

Hailing a “successful” day, he added: “It’s our hometown, so it’s quite good that we’ve managed to put that last bit of the jigsaw together.”

The new branch is being managed by co-owner Sarah, Murray’s wife, who will work with three agents.

And the couple already have plans to further develop their business, which began in Inverness in 2014.

Murray said: “We want to do a combination of acquisitions and opening new stores. We’ve not identified any locations yet specifically, but that’s how we want to grow.”

He said the business would be interested in locations in Scotland, as well as areas that are commutable from north of the border.

Murray described the agency’s focus as “higher-end bookings” and tailor-made trips, but added that it is important to “do a bit of everything”.

“There’s not a huge amount of travel agents in the area, so we do have to cast the net and not try to exclude anyone,” said Murray, who believes there has been a recent rise in the number of small, independent shops on the high street.

The Nairn store is open to customers on weekdays – except Wednesdays, initially – from 10am until 4pm.

Photo: Scott Murray and wife Sarah celebrate their new shop in Nairn, Scotland.