Historic Ross-shire smiddy with reputed links to Bonnie Prince Charlie and Jacobites set to open doors as zero-waste café
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A HISTORIC blacksmiths where Bonnie Prince Charlie reputedly tethered his horses and rallied the clans is set to open its doors as a “zero-waste” café and traditional arts venue.
The old smiddy at Contin is said to be one of Scotland’s oldest buildings, with official records documenting a dwelling there as far back as 1534.
Folklore has it that the Young Pretender stopped by to shoe his horses and muster a groundswell of support for the ill-fated Jacobite Rising of 1745, with a foundation stone in the structure’s south-west corner marking the spot.
Talented fiddler and musical tutor Rachel Campbell, director of the Astar school of traditional Highland music and Gaelic culture, aims to breathe new life into the building.
She and fiancé Drew Hardiman are working to create an attractive modern café with green, ethical values, using local goods and produce. It will double as a quality venue for traditional music, arts, and Gaelic and Highland culture.
With the smiddy still home to an intriguing collection of ancient blacksmiths’ artifacts and tools, the couple will also create a small museum.
Supported in part by crowd-funding, the Coffee Bothy at the Smiddy is scheduled to open its doors for the first time on Saturday (January 11) with an “early bird sneak peak” before a grand opening evening ceilidh.
Miss Campbell’s longer-term ambition is to raise enough funds to create a centre for traditional music and arts right in the heart of Inverness.
She said: “I would love to see Inverness with a centre for traditional music, Gaelic and culture. It is, after all, the capital of the Highlands.
“I’d love to see our local young people getting more opportunities to learn music, develop their skills and immerse themselves in the wonderful community that comes together through traditional music and art.
“The first step towards this goal is to start small, learn from experience and then keep moving forward.
“It might take a few years, but I want to support the community and give back a sense of community spirit which I feel could be improved upon in and around Inverness.
“My fiancé Drew and I have been working hard to get the venue ready with the support of kind donations from friends, family and investments by local people.”
The smiddy is one of the first zero-waste cafés in the Highlands.
She added: “I’m passionate about taking care in what we’re using as I’ve seen horrendous waste in cafés. We’re lucky we have a lot of good, local producers right here on our doorstep, and we will work with the likes of Transition Black Isle, who promote community-based action against climate change.”
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