A former bar and hotel which hit the headlines after its disused building was used as a drugs farm is on track to re-open under new owners before Christmas.
The Highlander Hotel in Buckie’s West Church Street was a mainstay of the town for decades.
But the building fell into a state of disrepair after closing in 2019.
Buckie couple Jim and Rosslyn Sutherland bought the building three weeks ago and are charging on with a major refurbishment.
Staff have been working at the site round the clock to bring it up to scratch, with renovation costs already at around £100,000.
All going well, the Sutherlands hope the new bar – called the Brig & Barrel – will open its doors to customers in the second week of December.
New Buckie bar can give the town a lift
Jim Sutherland is delighted to have finally got his hands on the building, after previously expressing an interest in taking it over a few years ago.
The retired offshore worker has sunk a huge portion of his savings into the new venture and hopes the new venue will give Buckie a lift.
It has not been easy. Almost every aspect of the building needs overhauled.
Jim, who lives on the same street as his new business, said: “We had a viewing and it was totally wrecked.
“A mess with 12-inch holes through every floor, wall and ceiling. Since we took over we’ve had 21 skips of rubbish taken away.
“Everybody in Buckie knows what happened here.
“We’re trying to rectify that, make a business out of it and make something for the local community.”
The Sutherlands are focused on the ground floor of the building. It will be a lounge bar and restaurant when they’re finished.
Previously, the Highlander Hotel operated with six bedrooms on its upper floor.
Locals ‘chuffed’ to see old hotel and bar back in action
News of the building’s transformation has been greeted warmly in Buckie.
Diane Goodall worked as a chef at the Highlander Hotel under previous owners Bruce and Pat Sharp, and John and Lynda Scott.
She said: “I’m so chuffed to see it brought back to life again.
“It really was a magic hotel to work in. I wish the new owners all the best.”
Buckie councillor Sonya Warren added: “It is fantastic to see it being taken on and refurbished after lying vacant for so long.
“It looks like lots of TLC, enthusiasm and determination is being applied.
“Looking forward to seeing this open again.”
The Sutherlands have been documenting their renovation journey on social media.
Several of the images they have shared show the scale of the damage to so many different rooms of the building.
Staffing challenges may lie in wait
Given the amount of work that needed to be done, getting the new place up and running in December will be a minor miracle.
But even once that’s out of the way, there will be other challenges.
The cost-of-living-crisis has been putting the squeeze on numerous bars and restaurants.
And finding staff, particularly chefs, has been difficult for many.
However, the volume of interest in the new venture gives Jim reason to be quietly confident.
His wife Rosslyn, a former hotel manager, is also very experienced in this trade.
“I might need to be the chef as well,” Jim said. “We’ll see what happens but I’m quite a good cook, I can do the pub grub basics.
“My wife’s got the drive for this. My step-daughter Kara’s going to be a barmaid and even my 88-year-old father has been helping out so far.
“Making this work is our goal. Let’s see what happens.”
What happened in 2020?
The Highlander Hotel was in the news for the wrong reasons when cannabis worth almost £1m was recovered there in September 2020.
The suspected illegal operation was reported to police by locals.
Parents of children who attend a primary school close to the hotel had also reported unusual smells emanating from the site.
Officers obtained a search warrant for the premises and arrested two Vietnamese men, following a brief chase.
It was eventually accepted that 35-year-old Thong Nguyn was the victim of human-trafficking.
He is now back in Vietnam after agreeing to return there as a deportee.
But 28-year-old co-accused Chien Van Le pled guilty at Inverness Sheriff Court to being concerned in the production and supply of the drug.
He was sentenced to 38 months in prison and has likely been deported back to Vietnam.
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