Jul
As financial experts predict that this summer’s major sporting events will give the Scottish economy a boost, a major new digital initiative has revealed that pubs and bars throughout the country are making sure that anyone who visits them will have an extra special Glasgow 2014 story to tell.
With the Commonwealth Games and Ryder Cup on home turf in Scotland this summer, financial giants PriceWaterhouse Coopers* and Barclays** have both predicted this will be a bumper year for the Scottish tourism sector and Scotland’s pubs and bars.
Showcasing the great ways pubs & bars are making sure that they are at the heart of the Glasgow 2014 community and giving visitors fantastic real value for money, Scotland’s Pubs & Bars: A Story to Tell (a not-for-profit digital initiative which is part funded by VisitScotland’s Growth Fund) will feature highlights on this website.
Paul Waterson, Chief Executive of the Scottish Licensed Trade Association explains:
“From beer festivals and special Commonwealth themed menus; to cheering on local athletes and even turning their bar into a village to make sure visiting athletes have a home from home – Scotland’s pubs and bars are the ideal place for visitors to experience the authentic warmth of welcome for which the country is renowned.”
“Our phone app, which is free to download via iTunes and Google Play, will also help visitors to find some of the premises close to them and learn about the fantastic Scottish stories they have to tell.”
Highlights of some of the pubs selected for Scotland’s Pubs and Bars: A Story to Tell where you can get in the Glasgow 2014 spirit include:
• A mecca for real ale and over 280 malt whiskies, the Bon Accord in Glasgow will be adding a fourth beer festival to their calendar of events for the duration of the Games. The festival will celebrate all things Scottish, from the beers themselves to the delicious food they serve.
• The City Walls located in the historic heart of Stirling will be cheering on local Ross Murdoch, one of Team Scotland’s top swimming medal hopefuls and a regular visitor to the bar. Expect to see some of the great Scottish sporting passion when he’s competing. The City Walls is a big sports pub with 11 HD TVs.
• They say music is the food of love, and you will certainly get that on some days in the Angels Hotel in Uddingston (near Glasgow). A renowned meeting spot for couples meeting and falling in love, food itself will play a key role during this Commonwealth Games, as they put on a menu showcasing foods of the Commonwealth.
• The Cheers Bar in Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, one of the country’s most innovative pubs, frequently wins awards including Sky Sports’ Ultimate Venue for Scotland and the North of England. A family friendly pub welcoming children, their sheltered and heated beer garden is the perfect venue to watch the Commonwealth Games with its several outside televisions and bar. It also has a dedicated 3D lounge bar which offers VIP treatment. Famous for going all out for their celebrations, landlord Dennis Forsyth says: “We’ll be making a lot of effort for the Commonwealth Games – like the World Cup, but on a bigger scale. Our activities are top secret right now, but we will be revealing them soon.”
• One of Glasgow’s finest music venues, Maggie Mays in the city’s Merchant City, will be turning their nightclub into a restaurant for the duration of the Commonwealth Games. And if the adrenalin of the Games keeps you awake, they will be offering a full menu until 2am.
• To celebrate Glasgow 2014, Jinty McGuinty’s in Glasgow’s West End will be serving different beers from around the Commonwealth. And to make sure there is still something to eat after their full menu finishes at 3pm, there will be an outside barbecue provided by the Smoak Food Truck Co, including burgers made with 100% Scottish beef. Aptly for the Commonwealth Games, Jinty’s father Vincent O’Kine, was a well-known boxer from the Maryhill area of Glasgow.
In addition to those featured in Scotland’s Pubs and Bars a Story to Tell, a number of licensed premises have strong ties to the Games in Glasgow, eg:
• Glasgow’s 29 Private Members Club, in partnership with Barrhead Travel, will transform into ‘Jamaica House 2014’ for eleven jam-packed days (23 July – 3 August 2014). Their programme will include exclusive opening and closing parties that will attract the crème de la crème of the Jamaican sporting scene and bring a taste of the island’s world famous party atmosphere to Glasgow city-centre.
• Elgin’s Cottar Hoose Pub is owned by President of Scottish Cycling Alasdair MacLennan. Alistair managed six-time Olympic champion Sir Chris Hoy at two Commonwealth Games and spearheaded the project to build a Glasgow velodrome. Sir Chris said of his friend: “I’ve known Alasdair since he was Scotland team manager at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester in 2002, where I won my first Commonwealth gold medal…Alasdair led Team Scotland with high expectations, determined that we all reach our full potential.”
For the latest information on pubs and bars celebrating the Commonwealth Games in Scotland like our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/scotlandspubsandbars) or follow us on @ScotlandsPubs.
