Historic Highland pub which hosted early performances by Billy Connolly, Paulo Nutini and Amy Macdonald is up for sale
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A historic pub in Inverness city centre is up for sale with a price tag of £695,000.
The Market Bar, located in an alleyway leading to the Victorian Market, has built up a reputation as a popular traditional pub and music venue.
Over the years, it has hosted early-career performances of entertainers ranging from Billy Connolly to Paulo Nutini.
It has been operated by Ian and Pep Shepherd for almost 40 years but the couple have now decided it is time to retire and hand over to someone younger.
The pub, which is believed to originate from the 1740s, is one of the oldest in the city and has a long history as a hostelry.
It is being marketed through ASG Commercial, of Inverness, which described it as an "iconic bar".
The sales pitch continues: "Situated close to other key music venues and within the city’s social scene, the bar has an iconic standing, having hosted many debut performances and before they were famous entertainers such as The Proclaimers, Amy MacDonald, Paulo Nutini and even Billy Connolly."
The building has two entrances – one to what is described as a "characterful" ground floor bar and the other to the first-floor popular music venue.
Each can accommodate up to 60 people at any one time – a total of 120 revellers.
"A most attractive feature of this unit is the ability to cater to two types of customer base concurrently – those wanting to embrace the music scene and alternatively others wanting a quiet social drink," the sales brochure continues.
"The Market Bar has many original and traditional features, offering a degree of nostalgia to what is a busy trading location.
"The combination of good ales and traditional service make the Market Bar an increasingly popular venue for locals and visitors alike."
It also stated it is operated mainly under the supervision of a manager with about six staff and would suit a hands-on couple who could generate adjusted profits of about £150,000 a year.
