The owners of a luxury Scottish hotel and apartment accommodation business have called in administrators, saying they were "victims of the economic downturn".

The McKever Group, with ten locations in Scotland and north England, on Wednesday announced it has appointed accountants BDO Stoy Hayward to run the hotel chain. The company, which was established in 1982, said it hopes BDO will save the business from collapse and its 600 workers from redundancy.

The company said BDO are appointing a management team to run the hotels part of the business. James Stephen and Dermot Power of BDO in Glasgow were named joint administrators.

Attempts to reach BDO for comment were unsuccessful on Wednesday night. A message on the McKever Hotels website said: "The affairs, business and property of the company are managed by the joint administrators."

McKever, based in Glasgow, operates serviced apartments, self-catering holiday homes and boat moorings. Under the name of McKever Hotels, it offers accommodation in Aberdeen, Ayr, Banff, Bathgate, Dunfermline, Glasgow, Gretna, Kilmarnock, Loch Lomond and Oban, in Scotland.

The company describes itself as one of the largest privately owned hotel groups in the UK. On its website, McKever notes the hotel group "has grown rapidly over the last two years by doubling in size".

Alistair McKever, majority shareholder of the business, was "devastated" by having to hand over control to administrators.

In a statement, he said: "It is with huge regret that I confirm my group has been placed in administration. After 27 years building up the business, I am absolutely devastated.
 
"Like a number of Scottish businesses today, we are victims of the economic downturn. I am especially sorry and concerned for my staff who have done a terrific job over the years.

"I am co-operating fully with the administrators and determined to do all I can to maintain the business and secure all these jobs. I understand from the administrators that it is business as usual."

McKever Group said sister company Dark Star continues to trade. Dark Star runs a number of bars and nightclubs in Scotland, including popular Bar Budda chain, which McKever Group purchased last year.