DRAM invited some key players in the licensed trade to give us their view on 2011. Here’s what they said: What do you believe were your major accomplishments in 2011? Donald Macleod, CPL: “Managing to survive when the street our main club – The Garage is on was shut for 6 months. Heads should have [...]

The Doublet Bar in Glasgow celebrated its 50th anniversary at the end of November, and proprietor Alistair Don celebrated with a party. Susan Young reports. The Doublet on Park Road was described in The List recently as “probably Glasgow’s finest pub,” and when licensee Alistair Don pointed out the quote to one of his regulars [...]

Jim Anderson, as well as running the Anderson in Fortrose, is passionate about beer. This month he writes his first column for DRAM. There were some illusions I had about Scottish pubs when my family and I prepared to move to the Highlands from America in 2003. The first was that every Friday night, fiddlers [...]

When the guys at Molson Coors suggested that I interview John and Senga Campbell who had a hotel in Cumnock, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I certainly didn’t expect to see a multi-million pound boutique establishment complete with plush banqueting suite, especially when it has a very traditional name…the Dumfries Arms. John explains, “We [...]

THERE ARE LOTS OF SUCCESS STORIES OUT THERE. THIS MONTH WE FOCUS ON LICENSEES WHO HAVE TAKEN OUT LEASES AND WHO ARE MAKING A REAL SUCCESS OF IT. JASON CADDY REPORTS. IAIN & KATIE MCLAREN Kimberley, Glasgow Iain McLaren is enthusiastic about his lessee business and it’s easy to see why. His outlet, The Kimberley, [...]

Rachel and Graham Bucknall took over The Bridge Inn at Ratho in January 2010. Susan Young caught up with them to find out how they managed to get the business off the ground, and how they were feeling about entering the licensed trade now. Victor Kiam loved the Remington razor so much he bought the [...]

The Sub Club is the longest running club in Scotland, in fact it’s the second longest running club in Europe. Susan Young caught up with MD Mike Grieve to find out the secret of its success. Glasgow’s Sub Club is legendary, it may have opened on April Fool’s Day 1987, but its success is no [...]

Where are we heading? the future will be here before we know it, so we decided to ask some of the movers and shakers of the industry to look into their crystal balls to see where we will be and what we’ll be doing in five years time. susan young deciphers their mystic predictions. In [...]

The day I visited Arran was glorious, and my visit to the new Douglas Hotel blew me away. The hotel, which re-opened in May after being closed for a few years, is only a stroll from the ferry terminal at Brodick. This building has been a hotel since the 1830’s, and in its heyday was [...]

Imagine a country pub – all white, with lovely hanging baskets, and a great outdoor terrace… inside quirky memorabilia, stone walls, a fire, comfy seats, and defined areas for lounging, eating and relaxing, serving quality food with great service… that’s the Birds and the Bees in Stirling. It really is the perfect example of a [...]