PICTURES: The Highlander pub to showcase 'best in Scottish food, drink and music'
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A new venue in Inverness will set out to showcase the very best in Scottish food, drink and live music.
Daily performances have already begun in The Highlander bar in Church Street, formerly Ashers bakery, with food service set to begin within a fortnight.
The venture by Gavin Stevenson, owner of The Gellions Bar in Bridge Street, brings investment to Inverness city centre and will create around 20 new jobs, while supporting local musicians all year around.
“We’re in the capital of the Highlands and gateway to the Highlands, so for visitors arriving here we wanted to develop a venue that showcased the very best of Scottish food, drink and live music,” Mr Stevenson said. “We have a fantastic culture up here that lots of visitors want to experience. There is tremendous local support as well for a local food and drink offering and everybody loves to come out and see Scottish music.
“Our goal is to source as much as we possibly can from local suppliers and, already, our whisky list is predominantly from local distilleries, with a big focus on craft beers from Cairngorm and Isle of Skye breweries.
“We want to support the local economy and give visitors a real flavour of what the Highlands has to offer.”
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While Mr Stevenson is delighted by how the tourist sector has bounced back from the pandemic, he stressed the new venture aimed to please locals as well.
“It is also a business that will very much look to train and develop our team, with good opportunities for progression,” he said. “It is great to see Inverness has bounced back so strongly from Covid, with a very good tourist season this summer, but we’ve also had tremendous support from people who live and work in Inverness and across the Highlands generally.
“It has just been fantastic to see so many people about the city centre.”
