Fantastic start to Mayfest 2012 as Paul Heaton opened the celebrations on Friday night and entertained a packed Boots
bar with a fine selection of solo material along with some great tunes
from his back catalogue. What a cracker! Amazed he had so much energy given he had cycled from Ullapool to get here.
Woodsie and Stirton
Boots Bar virgins Mad Ferret were in great form for their Saturday night debut, normally we 'trial' new acts on quieter nights first but it was straight to top billing for Woodsie and Stirton and they certainly lived up to their own blurb with an extremely tight, technical performances with a driving
knowledge and passion for Scottish and Irish folk music. A great night with much foot-stomping and hand-clapping.
Sunny outside so I may have to stack some keg
We went through a
fair selection of ales over the weekend and judging by the picture above
we've got some tidying up to do, mind you with weather like this we
shoudn't be short of volunteers. Now to the cellar to see whats coming
to a hand pull near you!
Loch Lomond Ales
Should you decide to take the high road or indeed the low road to Clachaig this week you're sure to find a great selection of Scottish cask ales. New to our taps this week are 4 fine ales from Loch Lomond Brewery. We could tell you what they taste like but why don't you pop round and find out for yourself.
Plenty of fun on the way as Mayfest continues this week and into the long bank holiday weekend with live music tonight from Mak-A-Din, Bonnie & Jim on Friday night and some jigs guaranteed from Finn on Saturday night. Music starts at 9pm in the Boots Bar. check out our What's On page for details.
It wouldn't be a beer festival without our ever popular Ale Tasting Masterclassand you can sample some great ales from Cairngorm Brewery this Thursday from 8pm in the Snug and on Tuesday River Leven Ales will be here to pass on some more cask ale enlightenment! See you at the bar!
Bank holidays always test our service provision to the limit as wave after wave of thirsty & hungry customers descend on us. No
sooner has the queue in the boots bar been cleared when another has formed in
the lounge snaking its way passed reception and out the front door.
Residents,
passing visitors, seasoned veterans mixed with a generous helping of newbie’s
eager to sample our unique atmosphere stand in line, mainly in good humour – well,
they are on holiday after all.
The weather helped this year, fantastic hill days with
dawn to dusk sunshine, dry as well & not a midgie in sight.
The frontline staff take it in their stride, drinks are dispensed
with great alacrity & food orders for all the starving including groups of anywhere
between 10 & 30 are dispatched faster than lightning. In the searing heat
of the kitchen only the strong survive, these guys are like the SAS - only they
don’t take prisoners. Orders are orders and you get what you asked for, timely,
hot and don’t dare drop it on the way out.
There is no let up during food service and little relief
when the last meals leave the kitchen. In here the chefs have to scrub down and
plan the early start required to prepare everything from scratch all over again.
Meanwhile through in the boots bar the music is about to start & the big
clean up is in progress. Very soon dozens of trays laden with glasses, crockery
& debris are added to the already groaning piles behind the scenes……spare a
thought for the brave soul who has drawn the short straw, buried somewhere
between the sink & the dishwasher.
Back at the frontline the multitude hammer the bar round
after round. Ales are changed faster than ever and whisky flies off the shelf,
meanwhile the band have the audience stomping their feet & clapping their
hands as the clock ticks away on another epic night. Shelves are restocked,
floors are swept & toilets are cleaned….who fancies that job? Whilst the chosen
trustees are busy with the abacus others serve ‘one for the road’ to a
few hardy residents.
In the morning the housekeeping team grit their teeth, they
know why the dining room is not quite in the same state that it was left and
quickly tidy up before serving up hearty breakfasts with a smile to all our residents, some carry rucksacks
with packed lunches whilst others carry hangovers. At reception the dawn
patrol bid farewell to our guests who report ‘a great night’, ‘a whale of a
time’ and ‘we’ll be back’
To all our guests & customers: We thank you for your
company and hope that somewhere amongst the chaos of the bank holiday weekend we
managed to look after you.
To our staff: There are times when you test my patience with
your shenanigans and you may feel that you are underpaid, undervalued and
overworked however; The contribution, resilience & good humour that you all
demonstrate under pressure & under strength time & time again is hugely
appreciated.
......meanwhile, through in the Bidean Lounge, Bonnie & Jim entertain a select audience of residents & old friends 'til the wee sma' hours!
If there's room to sit, there's room to dance
(Photo by Ashley Duckerin)
What to wear....Kilt or Lederhosen?
(Photo by Ashley Duckerin)
A picture says a thousand words and judging by these pics everyone had a great time during the New Year celebrations.
A big thank you from all at Clachaigto the many visitors & guests who graced our humble Inn over Hogmanay. We wish you a Happy New Year & all the very best for 2011.
Some of our front line troops...still up for a party!
(Photo by Carol Harper)
Of course all this fun & frivolity would not be possible without the care & attention that our hard working staff lavished on our customers & guests to make this years celebrations a bit special....Thanks for all your efforts.
With FebruaryFest, our annual Winter Beer Festival which we've run for the last 20 years, getting ever closer, so our search for the best line up of Ales continues. Yes, I've said it before. S**tty job, but someone's got to do it. Here's one to try in moderation.
Yes, that's the beer we're talking about; the strongest brewed by the Isle Of Skye Brewery. "Cuillin Beast" is 7.0% ABV, which means that you'd probably be better having a half pint , rather than the full one. Responsible retailing and all that. Clachaig customers were able to try this one over this last week and despite the strength the feedback was very positive.
And if you like the beer, and you're a bit of a cycling fan (like myself), then here's the ideal gift for you!
And while we're on with it, along with the Cuillin Beast tasting, this last weekend saw Bonnie & Jim in top form in the Boots Bar.
A quiet time of year here in the glen. Even with some excellent winter conditions on the hills the reports coming back are that there's few folk taking advantage of them. Probably all busy slaving away in the office like the rest of us!
January is a busy time behind the scenes at Clachaig. Enquiries and bookings for the season ahead come flooding in at this time of year. And its a last chance to take a step back and ensure that we're all set for the season's trading ahead.
Not least of the jobs to hand is planning the entertainment and events programme for the year. And glad to say that we're just about there now. Our diary pages are just about complete for the remainder of 2010, and we've got not one, but three beer festivals to choose from.
Hot news just in for you Clachaig Boots Bar music fans...
$outhpaw, the Perthite Country and Western band who have become massive favourites with the Clachaig faithful are no more. Their front man, Donny has left the band to pursue a new career in the states with his new act. Their performances have wowed us here at Clachaig for the last few years and will be sorely missed. We had them booked for the closing gig of the Octoberfest on Halloween, hope we haven’t upset too many people planning on coming up for it with this news.
Hopefully the band we have to play Halloween will prove as popular as the 'Paw. The Circle is a group from the West Coast fronted by Liam Lynch, formerly of other Clachaig favourites the Marauders.
The only pic we could find of The Circle
Their set is described as uncompromising Britpop (...right, sorted) and will bombard you with hit after hit in an electrifying show that’s definitely not to be missed. Sounds interesting! Hope to see you there folks!!
The August bank holiday weekend is always a great weekend here at Clachaig and this one was no exception. With live music on each night and a fantastic array of Scottish cask ales to sample, the poor weather was quickly forgotten about. Friday had Davie Tait play the Boots Bar, a firm Clachaig favourite, he didn’t disappoint with his eclectic mix of folk, rock and everything in between.
Saturday was the big one and we had a debut gig from Perthite Country and Western group, the Humble Hobos. Described as “Johnny Cash on speed” they were always going to be interesting! They played a fantastic set which everybody in the bar couldn’t help but enjoy. The ale of the night was Glencoe Wild Oat Stout from Traditional Scottish Ales. A relatively new edition to the Clachaig ale pumps, this 100% organic ale went down a treat.
To end a great weekend the White Rose boys brought the house down with their traditional scottish thang. Each time they play they seem to get better and better!
It would be true to say that May has been a trifle damp this year – in fact some of our staff are currently receiving treatment for webbed feet. However, the sunshine finally arrived to bless the last weekend of our Mayfest celebrations and the Glen looked simply stunning. It was great to see our customers taking full advantage of the glorious weather and dining ‘al fresco’ (No, not the Italian renaissance painter).....Even the midges stayed away 'til after dinner.
Once the sun went down on Friday night Jock the Box- he's played with the Stranglers you know - wowed the masses in the boots bar with his mesmerising repertoire and the fun continued with The Ghosties, who played to a packed hot-house on Saturday night. We’ve never seen so many ‘redheads’ in the bar…and that was just the blokes…..Remember the sun cream next time lads.
Fort William groove masters ‘Anyone for gravy?’ rounded off the festival with a superb set on Sunday night and it would take Amanda, Piers & Simon to decide which act was the best……
.....and talking of the best, we can now proudly announce the winner of this years ‘Ale of the festival’. It was a tough call with over 35 traditional Scottish ales on show but the public have voted and in true ‘Britains got talent’ style…...drum roll and a long pause to build the tension please.…the winner is…..Williams Bros Brewing company with their world famous heather ale 'Fraoch'
If you missed all the fun you have another chance to sample the atmosphere of our legendary beer festival during OctoberFest. Book early to avoid disappointment, as they say.
Yes, a Happy New Year to all. And with the new year we've decided to take a new format with our Blogs. Instead of using the Clachaig web site we've opted to use Blogger as its a bit quicker, easier and allows us to display larger images too.
As ever at this time of year, we're catching a quick breath after a busy week or so over Hogmanay. Here's bar manager Jack's quick report of the frolics and festivities...
On Saturday 27th we reopened after Christmas to start of the festive celebrations with a bang. Johnny Hill helped them along with his usual, full of energy tunes. Sunday night saw acclaimed sessionist Scott McDonald take to the Boots Bar stage and he didn’t disappoint!
One of the best bands to grace the Clachaig, The Shoes were next up on Monday night, and with the pub getting ever busier in the build up to Hogmanay they took the roof off the place as only they can! The following night saw Bonnie and Jim wow the crowd in the Boots Bar. They may be relatively new to the Clachaig but are fast gaining a great reputation amongst our followers.
So on to Hogmanay itself, with crisp clear skies and low temperatures making a nice change from the traditional wind and rain, many of the punters enjoyed great days out on the hill before coming to Clachaig to start the build up to the New Year celebrations. As the evening progressed the party got into full swing (and the staff were being ran off their feet by you thirsty hungry punters!) When Flint took to the stage at ten the reaction of the crowd made it obvious this was going to be a special night! Auld Lang Syne was sung with gusto after the bells struck twelve and the party just kept on going! Through in the Lounge bar Scott McDonald played in the bells then continued into the wee small hours for the residents of the hotel and the self catering properties.
On New Years Day it was Pure Malt’s time to entertain the masses and it was a fantastic night had by all. Pure Malt are a class act and a Clachaig favourite. Rumour has it they even be playing Hogmanay itself next year, watch this space!
No time to rest for us though as we enter the weekend, we’ve got Graeme Pearson playing on Friday night then Bonnie and Jim returning on Saturday night. Should be a good weekend!
All in all another great New Year at the Clachaig, thanks to everyone who made it such an enjoyable few days and relatively stress free for our hard working and dedicated staff! See you next year!
