Category Archives: Inverness

Food & Drink, Inverness, News, Scotland

Cask Release Marks Whisky’s Arrival in Inverness

Uile-bheist Distillery has launched a special limited release of quarter casks to celebrate the long-sought revival of malt whisky distilling in Inverness.

The Highland capital was once known as a ‘malting town’ but its links with distilling disappeared completely in the 1980s when its trinity of distilleries suddenly closed down, with major job losses.

Now Uile-bheist is reconnecting enthusiasts with that proud heritage by launching a trio of unique casks which mark a new beginning for single highland malt whisky production in the city.

Uile-bheist’s malts, made using water from the River Ness, are the first to be produced in Inverness for over 40 years, since the demise of the Millburn, Glen Mhor and Glen Albyn distilleries.

The company’s Head Distiller, Drew Shearer, says the new malt offerings, matured in charred, peated and un-peated casks, offer buyers a choice of layered, balanced and characterful whiskies – as well as a piece of history.

Whilst developing its new cask programme, the Uile-bheist team has also been working with historian Jason Julier, to piece together the remarkable stories of the lost city distilleries.

At one time, Novelist Neil Gunn was exciseman at Glen Mhor whilst 3 bottles of Mackinlay’s malt, from the same distillery, were salvaged from the ice under Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Cape Royds Antarctic expedition hut in 2010 and found to be near pristine after almost 120 years.

Honouring these traditions, whilst ushering in a modern chapter, Uile-bheist hope to incorporate some of the rare artefacts and images of the past for Tour visitors to its state-of-the-art distillery on Ness Bank.

The new 125-litre cask offerings, from its youthful distilling team, evoke classic traits of Highland single malt production in Inverness but with several modern twists.

Like former distilleries, Uile-bheist uses local malting barley grains, from Bairds Malt in the city, but its production methods are amongst the most sustainable in the whisky world, today.

A pioneering Sustainability Centre uses water from shallow water wells in the River Ness for production, assisted by solar PV installations which save 250 tonnes of carbon per year.

Scientifically advanced stills technology from renowned German coppersmiths, Kaspar Schulz, makes for high precision distilling, and brewer’s yeast is used in the fermentation to develop crisp, estery flavours; a unique innovation reflecting Uile-bheist’s dual nature as a distillery and brewery.

A minimum fermentation time of 96 hours produces a creamy, banana-forward flavour profile to the Uile-bheist Highland Single Malt, now in year two of production.

“We are proud to bring these limited quarter casks to the market, the first chapter in the Inverness whisky revival,” said Head Distiller, Drew Shearer.

“So much detail and precision goes into our new-make spirit and we select the casks very carefully to produce the high quality we want; quality that the city was always known for.”

He added: “Our charred quarter casks will give rich vanilla notes to the whisky. When charring, lignin in the wood is broken down to produce vanillin. That will provide a fresh, vibrant flavour with layers of sweetness and depth.

“The un-peated quarter casks will provide a more mellow, delicate flavour and a little flora in the maturation which will deliver a subtle, refined flavour.

“With the peated quarter casks, you will pick up some of the distinctive smoky, seaweed character from the Islay malt whisky previously matured in those casks.”

The quarter casks, all priced at £3750, are available on Uile-bheist’s website.

Whisky consultant Mitch Bechard, said: “It’s exciting to see Inverness reclaim its place on the whisky map.”

For information on the historic casks, see: https://www.uilebheist.com/distillery-whisky-tours/#casks

Hospitality, Inverness, News

Inverness Hotel Secures 4 Stars After Major Investment

5-fold growth pays dividends

A hotel in Inverness’ historic quarter is celebrating being upgraded to 4 Stars, cementing 5-fold growth and millions of investment over the last 17 years.

The Glen Mhor Hotel and Apartments on the city’s postcard Ness Bank has moved from 3 to 4 Stars following a new VisitScotland Quality Assurance Report undertaken on the 6th December.

The recognition represents a huge boost to owners and staff, with the business seeing significant growth, including an innovative on-site Sustainability Centre powered by water from the River Ness.

In the last 12 months, a programme of room refurbishments and staff development has raised standards further, despite tremors in the UK economy caused by the cost-of-living crisis.

Owners Victoria and Jon Erasmus also opened the new Uile-bheist Distillery and Brewery on the site this year; the first whisky distillery to open in Inverness since 1892.

“This award is the icing on the cake in a challenging year when we are coming out of Covid and have also opened a new business venture and moved to a sustainable way of operating.

“It’s a real morale boost and testament to the dedication of our staff and management, especially our culinary team led by Executive Chef Andrew Lee, whose commitment to food quality is impeccable,” said co-owner, Victoria Erasmus.

Since the owners took over in 2006, the hotel has grown from 26 bedrooms to 120 bedrooms and apartments, achieved in part by the acquisition of neighbouring properties on Ness Bank.

Millions have been invested in the pioneering Sustainability Centre which uses shallow water wells to produce green energy, with the addition of Solar PV panels. Environmental sustainability plays a key part in the owners’ ethos and the business has committed to achieving Net Zero targets.

That investment has removed the hotel from the gas grid, with the exception of the Waterside Restaurant which will be moved over to renewable power within 18 months.

Writing in the final Grading Report, inspectors stated: “Since the previous visit in 2022 there has been a significant amount of investment in upgrading the hotel, including further room upgrades and significant staff training alongside the behind- the- scenes costs of installing a groundbreaking energy centre.”

Victoria Erasmus says the improvements at the Glen Mhor are reflective of a drive for high standards for guests and to ensure the business and staff have a solid foundation.

“We’ve been future-proofing the business for the next generation – not an easy task given the current economic climate.” she said.

“We are a family business operating, essentially, old townhouses in a historic area but we have managed to introduce sustainable technology and practices which ensures the local area and environment are protected for the future.

“This year, we have invested hundreds of thousands of pounds in room renovations and equally invested in staff training, career development and Fair Work policies because our people are at the heart of everything we do.

“We are thrilled by this acknowledgment and eagerly anticipate the upcoming phases in our growth development plan.”

Victoria was last week awarded a Wellness charter by charity, Hospitality Health, for measures introduced to support the mental wellbeing of staff and guests.

Hospitality, Inverness, News, Scotland, Wellbeing at Work

Hospitality Charity Rewards Inverness Hotel

Staff Wellbeing Measures Recognised

Hospitality Health – a Scottish charity dedicated to improving health and wellbeing in the hospitality & tourism profession- has awarded its Wellness Charter to the Glen Mhor Hotel in Inverness.

The charity was founded in 2018 with a mission to change the way the industry thinks about mental health. Its Wellness Charter award recognises businesses which are putting the right measures in place to support the mental wellbeing of their staff.

The Hospitality and tourism sectors have often been associated with unsociable hours and pressures on work-life balance and Hospitality Heath believes that recognising and understanding emotions is essential for employers.

The charity seeks to provide employers with the tools and skills to bring about positive change by putting supports in place to help staff experiencing mental ill health, by providing access to assistance and by challenging stigma.

The Glen Mhor Hotel in Inverness has taken steps to develop an all-encompassing programme of staff support which relates directly to the workplace but also acknowledges the wider work-life relationship.

Speaking at the Charter presentation, Victoria Erasmus, Owner of the Glen Mhor Hotel, commented: “We are delighted to be awarded the charter from Hospitality Health. Focussing on the wellbeing of our staff, we have introduced mental health first aiders, wellness training, health passports and development training for all staff.

“We have taken a holistic audit of the Glen Mhor and introduced initiatives that both support individuals in our workplace and in their own home lives as well. I am very proud of what we are doing as a family business at a time when stress and anxiety within the sector is high.”

Victoria added: “Gordon and the team at Hospitality Health are so passionate about helping those that work in the industry by providing invaluable information to anyone that may be facing work or personal worries.
“This is a fantastic charity that is current and definitely needed in an industry that, whilst very rewarding, can be very tough!”

Gordon McIntyre, from the charity, added: “What we are trying to achieve with Hospitality Health is to equip our industry with the right tools and mental health first aid training to not only address mental health but to put staff welfare first.
“We launched Hospitality Health in Glasgow 5 years ago with 120 operators in attendance and we have grown considerably, post- pandemic, with a real need for mental health support.”

Any hospitality business wishing to be considered to receive the Wellness Charter, should contact Gordon at gordon@hospitalityhealth.org.uk

More information about the charity can be found at online: www.hospitalityhealth.org.uk

Inverness, News

Distillery’s Role Hailed in Inverness Regeneration

The role of Uile-bheist Distillery and Brewery in the wider rejuvenation of Inverness has been hailed, with over 3000 visitors heading through the doors in August.

Despite the new £7.5m facility opening for production of Highland whisky and craft beer in February, the visitor experience on the River Ness only formally opened for visitors in June.

Now it has celebrated its 4-Star grading from VisitScotland with initial visitor figures showing it is on target to welcome 50 000 visitors per year in Phase 1, prior to planned further development.

The early success has been hailed by new CEO of the Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions (ASVA), Michael Golding, who believes the project can help propel the transformation of the highland capital as a must-stay destination.

Inverness has earned a reputation as a short-break or ‘dormitory’ city, with tourists often day-tripping before visiting landmarks such as Loch Ness, Urquhart Castle and the wider highlands.

However, £20m UK Government Levelling Up projects such as the redeveloped Northern Meeting Park allied with the opening of Inverness Castle Experience in Spring 2025, are set to change that.

And the establishment of the city’s first distillery in 130 years has a pivotal role to play in the highland capital’s transformation, according to the tourism chief.

“Part of the challenge in Inverness is we have a healthy stock of accommodation but we probably don’t have enough year-round, non-weather reliant attractions to encourage people to stay longer and extend the seasonality. Thankfully, that is changing.

“We used to have an under-utilised riverside. Now we have the new renewable energy centre further down the river. You’ve got the Highland Food and Drink Trail, underneath the Cathedral, which is massively increasing footfall.

“You have the Levelling Up projects and then the coming of the Castle in 2025, which will be an amazing visitor attraction. So, walking the riverside in 2025 is going to look a lot different than it did just a few years ago and Uile-bheist is perfectly positioned, both geographically and in terms of a unique experience, to be a major part of that change. It is a very exciting project.”

Despite being new to the Visitor Attraction scene, Uile-bheist owners Victoria and Jon Erasmus have been encouraged by the first recorded months of footfall at the distillery, brewery and tap room.

The project, powered by the waters of the River Ness, has supported 15-20 local jobs so far and detail changes are currently being made to bring the attraction up to 5-Star rating by Christmas.

A planned Phase 2 of the project, which will increase retail and tour space and integrate an on-site restaurant, is projected to double the visitors to 100 000 per year, when running.

“We have opened at a challenging time and effectively in mid-season but we believe in the product we have delivered,” said Victoria Erasmus.

“We are the first ticketed type visitor experience in Inverness but we hope to see, in a few years, Inverness becoming a cultural hub. Hundreds of thousands of visitors come to the wider area but, with what’s happening, they could also be staying longer in Inverness. With things like the Academy Street redevelopment, open top city bus tours and the Castle, we are beginning to see the emergence of a city economy and we are really proud to be a part of that.”