The owner of the Pennan Inn has returned to the village after four years to reinvigorate the iconic hotel and launch a “destination restaurant”.
Famous for being at the heart of the 1983 blockbuster Local Hero, the inn’s restaurant will reopen for two days a week starting April 26.
Peter Simpson, who lives in Banff with his partner and 10-month old son Carmen, bought the establishment in 2009 and ran it for ten years before leasing it to focus on other business opportunities.
Speaking to The Press and Journal following his return, the 43-year-old said he aims to create a “welcoming atmosphere”, will serve “good quality food” – and is extremely positive about the future.
German tenants moved on after ‘not being welcomed by the community’
The hotel has been at the centre of a furore recently, with its tenants of four years Monika and Roland Focht announcing in January that they would give up running the inn.
Mr and Mrs Focht, who moved from Germany to the north-east to take up the role, decided to move on after claiming they had “not been welcomed by the community”.
Discussing the past four years, Mr Simpson said: “They had their ideas, which some people didn’t agree with and it’s just unfortunate that it didn’t work out for them.
“They came at a really difficult time during Covid, so they were up against it as soon as they got here.”
‘Lots of nice comments from locals in the village’
Despite the Pennan Inn still being on the market, Mr Simpson decided to come back to his old stomping ground – and said that his welcome back from locals has been fantastic.
Under Mr and Mrs Focht the restaurant was closed, with only the pub and guest accommodation open.
However Mr Simpson’s “main focus” will be on the restaurant which will be open on a Friday and Saturday evening initially.
He aims to create a “welcoming atmosphere” and serve “good quality food”.
And with Pennan nestled along Buchan’s North Sea coast, he said it will have a particular focus on “fresh local seafood”.
He added: “We will be encouraging locals to come in and try and make it a bit of a destination again, especially for food, as there are not that many restaurants around.”
Alongside the restaurant, the pub will still be open and guest rooms will be available seven days a week with food available for patrons.
It will be a family affair too, with Mr Simpson moving into the premises full-time over the summer months with his partner and son.
With the majority of Pennan’s properties being second homes or holiday lets, the inn owner thinks this will “benefit” his business rather than hinder it.
He said: “People that are out on holiday are more likely to eat out and spend some money in bar and restaurants. In a way it’s beneficial, especially through the summer.”
‘People will always come to Pennan’
We ask Mr Simpson if he feels the pressure of managing such an iconic inn that shot to stardom on the big screen more than 40 years ago?
“I’ve never thought of it like that, I really enjoy doing it,” he replies.
“You meet some fantastic people from all around the world and the locals support you. I don’t find it stressful.”
Mr Simpson is optimistic about the future, believing the Buchan coast is an area of “untapped potential” and has “100% confidence” in the village.
“People will always come to Pennan because it’s such a beautiful place,” he said.
“It’s all looking really positive going forward.”
