Black Isle restaurant hit by Storm Amy powercut carries on regardless
AN award-winning Black Isle restaurant didn’t let the electricity blackout dished up by Storm Amy darken the mood.
Thousands of people across the Highlands have been affected by the well-forecast storm which wreaked havoc on the power network.
Communities across the peninsula were hard hit, amongst them the town of Fortrose, home to restaurant with rooms, The Anderson.
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Owner Jim Anderson picks up the story: “When the news about Storm Amy broke, we knew there was a fair chance that something would go wrong.
“And, right on cue, when we were at our busiest on Friday night, the gales came, the lights flickered, and out went the power.
”So, what do you do? Send everyone packing and lock the doors? Hell, no! You fetch a bag of tea lights and get on with things.”
The kitchen runs on gas so they cooked the last meals of the night by the light of each others' phones and served customers “who were grateful that we hadn't just closed our doors”.
Mr Anderson went on: “The pub turned into a amicably-sinister den, shadows and light flickering as if in a Medieval tavern.
“We all felt as if we were in some secret speakeasy, doing something slightly naughty and totally fun.”
He reflected: “In the hospitality business, you control what you can and learn to roll with those things you can't. At its best, it is a performative sector, and you don't let a trifle like a power cut stop the show from going on.
”In fact, the last time we had a significant power cut, a few years ago, the lights came back on after an hour.
“Although on one level we were relieved, the mood in the place went visibly downhill. So we did what any good entertainer would do — we turned the lights out, fired up the candles and extended the show for another act.”
Share your Storm Amy experiences and photographs by emailing newsdesk@hnmedia.co.uk