A couple fell in love with a country house hotel near Bala after spotting it online.

Entrepreneurs Anthony and Donna Cooper-Barney had been searching for their ideal country house hotel for two years.

They had their sights set on a hotel by a loch in the Scottish Highlands and had booked a flight to view it when Mr Cooper-Barney found Palé Hall at Llandderfel for sale.

The couple viewed all the photographs of the hall and its 50 acres of grounds and decided to book a room for the night and drive to Wales to check out the property.

They fell in love with Palé Hall instantly but discovered that an offer had already been accepted by the owners.

Their disappointment turned to joy when, a few days later, they were given a chance to bid and a deal was clinched via a video call with the owners.

The sale was concluded in April and the couple have since been busy making further investments for the Palé Estate and in the nearby Bala, set on the southern edge of the Snowdonia (Eryri) National Park.

Mrs Cooper-Barney said: "We were looking for a historical building with beautiful architecture and gardens, in the right location, where we could enjoy walking, hiking and sailing.

"We wanted somewhere that was out of the way and a bit of a lifestyle change.

"When we visited Palé Hall, I said to Tony: 'You have got to get this hotel; it’s exactly what we are looking for!

"We went for a drive around the local area and I kept seeing amazing things and the views were incredible."

The couple are passionate about their businesses, especially Palé Hall and this part of Wales.

Mr Cooper-Barney said: "We are committed to becoming the best Relais & Chateaux hotel in the UK and we need the community onboard with us for the exciting journey.

"We are going to be a destination, a focal point for everybody’s journey, as we bring more people to Bala.

"We never knew there was so much to see and do in this beautiful part of Wales."

The couple have visited and introduced themselves to all their neighbours and others living in the wider community.

One of those neighbours is artist Philippa Jacobs whose paintings impressed the couple so much that they purchased some of them and are exhibiting others for sale in the hotel.

Mrs Cooper-Barney said: "Everybody we have met has been so welcoming and friendly.

"It definitely feels like we have come home."

Mr Cooper-Barney has come home to Wales, as he lived in Hawarden and Queensferry before his family moved to the Midlands.

He and Mrs Cooper-Barney have hired experienced hotel director, Calum Milne, to develop and implement their vision for Palé Hall.

All three are keen to employ local people and to offer apprenticeships to develop hospitality skills.

Mr Milne is also keen to hear from artisan producers of quality local food, drink, arts and crafts, as the hotel looks to support the local community in any way it can.

A gallery of Welsh art is also being created at the hotel.

One of Mrs Cooper-Barney's first projects at Palé Hall is enhancing the 30-acre gardens.

She has hired New Zealand-born landscape designer Anthony Paul to redesign the gardens, incorporating a destination sculpture trail.