Scourie hotelier in best bar bid

A SUTHERLAND hotel owner is hoping his bar has what it takes to become the toast of Scotland, after being nominated for a top award.

Richard Flannery’s whisky bar at the Eddrachilles Hotel near Scourie has been shortlisted, among 25 others, for Scottish Field Whisky Bar of the Year 2015.

He said: "The organisers called me and said they’d like to invite us to join this select few.

"They said they’d heard good things and that I was a small bar but I was very well known – but I don’t know about that!

"It’s a very nice bar, a bit old fashioned, but people like the selection.

"When I took it over, there was about 60 whiskies because the previous owner was big into it.

"I love whisky and I’ve slowly increased the numbers. I think I’m on 152 now and I’ll just keep adding to it. It’s a passion of mine."

Richard is originally from Yorkshire and bought the Eddrachilles 11 years ago with his wife Isabelle, from France, who is also the hotel’s chef.

The couple saw Sutherland as the ideal location for settling down after having their son Tom, who is now 12 and attends Kinlochbervie High School.

Richard described the award nomination as a "big honour", but said his work will be cut out to win.

He joked: "I would be absolutely amazed. I need all the help I can get!

"These are some very famous bars and they have a huge footfall. I’m way up here in the north west in a wee bar.

"Some of them will have people passing through which will be the equivalent to the total population of Sutherland and Caithness.

"It’s a little fish in a big pond mentality. Let’s go for it, see what we can do and shake some feathers out there.

"It’s good for Sutherland and Scourie to get the name out and maybe bring some more people up here."

The winner is decided by public vote, and supporters have until September 21 to cast their ballot at www.scottishfield.co.uk/votenow.

Whatever the outcome, Richard will have a strong drink close to hand.

When asked about his favourite dram, he said: "One that I really like is the Singleton of Glen Ord, 15-year-old, which you can only buy at the distillery. That’s a very nice whisky."

Richard also noted that he was in good company given that the Dornoch Castle Hotel’s "excellent bar" was on the award’s shortlist last year.

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