Rugby players tackle clearance work at new city pub
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WHILE the clearance work might not have been exactly light, many hands at least helped get it done faster at one of Inverness’s newest bars.
Music star Bruce MacGregor, of Blazin’ Fiddles fame, finally received planning permission for his long-planned new MacGregor’s bar in Academy Street last year.
A former rugby player with links to the city-based Highland Rugby Club, he was therefore delighted when a call for some help with a bit of clearing work at the premises was met by an enthusiastic response from his former team mates.
After posting an online appeal for some helping hands, five players turned out – Jonny Milton, Stuart Gillespie, Craig Irvine, Stephen Murray and Sean Blair – and Mr MacGregor said: "It was fantastic how they came out so willingly to help and great to see things start to take shape.
"I’ve got a team of builders ready to go from the start of next month and this was about clearing away a lot of the rubbish that’s accumulated so they can get a proper run at it when they arrive.
"The guys were happy to get stuck in, though they did say afterwards that it was harder than training!"
The conversion to a bar is on track for a spring opening – and to show that he is sticking to that, Mr MacGregor has even got the premises booked out for its first event.
"We are hosting an event as part of the Inverness Whisky and Gin Festival on April 20 so we better be ready," he said.
"It was great after the guys had been – one of the things they cleared was an old partition wall downstairs and once that had gone, you were able to really get a sense of the size of the place, which was very exciting."
It is not the first time Mr MacGregor has harnessed the power of the public. His venture raised £150,000 from crowdfunding in order to have the finances to open the venue.
The new bar is set to be in two distinct parts. The main bar will be a modern take on the traditional Scottish pub and a second. smaller section will be "like stepping back in time".
