Graham House, the registered business address of Dornie-based Bombadil Publishing, is on the market for offers over £860,000.
The property – bought from Highland Council in February 2015 by the firm’s directors Marianne Rugard Jarvstrat and her husband Niklas – is described as a “multifaceted business development opportunity” on the property website zoopla. The agents for the sale are Inverness-based ASG Commercial.
Bombadil Publishing was at the centre of a row that involved the withdrawal of funding for two local youth worker posts and the alleged non-payment of local tradespeople for work done to Graham House, a former council care home. Mrs Rugard Jarvstrat and her husband were directors of Bombadil Publishing R&D Ltd when it was based in Doncaster and went into liquidation in March 2016 with debts totalling £792,000. Scottish Enterprise also wrote off £66,000 of grants given to the company.
Bombadil claims that it publishes and markets books for young people aged between 12 and 16.
Part of the Dornie operation – trading under the parent company Mossytop Dreamharvest Ltd – moved to Singapore on 1st April, with Mrs Rugard Jarvestrat claiming that the publisher had acquired a million new subscribers. At the same time it was reported that the firm had listed a property on Airbnb.
This week, Highland Council took issue with the use of their logo on the website of Mossytop trademark Magequill, an online manuscript support system described as an educational tool for student.
A spokeswoman said: “We are not aware of permission being requested to use the Highland Council logo on this website.”
Education Scotland also said they planned to raise the use of their logo with Mossytop Dreamharvest.
“I can confirm that Education Scotland does not endorse commercial companies or their resources,” their corporate business manager, Linda Beecroft, wrote in a letter to a concerned local.