Cocktails on Tour!
Published on
30 January 2025

Welcome to the very first blog of 2025!
I loved introducing the blogs towards the later half of 2024, but I definately underestimated how busy December 2024 would be, so I struggled a little to get to this! So apologies that there's been a bit of a gap between the last one and this one! I think I will decide to leave December out this year! I've also decided to make this a monthy blog too.
What have we been up to? Ah, so much! After getting to the end of our busiest festive yet, with a record number of pre Christmas meals served in 17 years, we took a little time off in January. We headed off to Lanzarote, to one of our favourite places! The Sentido Aequora Lanzarote suites, and we had the most lovley time. Temerature was a lovely 19 to 24 degrees most days, although when the sun set at 5pm sharp it did get quite chilly. It was such a wonderful reset for us as a family. The boys swam 99 % of the time, and lots of lovely food was consumed. So much so that I couldn't button my work trousers! Worth it though!
We enjoyed aqua zumba, not actually doing it, but we enjoyed watching it from the sun bed eating our 10 o'clock, water polo, again, from the safety of the sun bed, but boy does that game bring out the competitive spirit in all holiday makers! We witnessed an entertaining arguement betwen two players, all fun and games!
You may have seen that we have already posted about our December 2025 events & dates, well, I did this line up, booking the acts, sorting the dates and making the posters, from a sun bed in Lanzarote! I absolutely love a break from the madness of the hotel, but my goodness do I get itchy feet when I'm not at work. So being able to slip away, in the sunshine and sort our December 2025 was a really nice part of the holiday.
We came back to -7 degrees, and driving home from the airport was scary! I'd still take that over the awful turbulance we had on the plane mind you! It worsened and then a huge what I can only describe as a flip to the side and everyone was screaming! I'm a very nervous flyer as is, and this is by far the worst I've experienced! I asked my Dad if he was scared and he said no, he was just trying to reach for his phone to phone my sister who was not on the plane with us, to tell her where his will was! He was laughing, I was not!
We arrived home to frozen pipes, luckily not burst ones! We got through it, and opened up to such a busy weekend! I remember on the Saturday evening being at work, running between bars, a 30th in the Bottom Bar, a 40th in the function suite, a fully booked restaurant and a full house of residents, and I said out loud to myself, "how did this happen?" before remembering I'd done it to myself!
Joking aside, it really was amazing to come back to such a busy weekeend, and let me tell you, much needed! We have had a bit of a shock recently with the price increases of pretty much everything, I know I've mentioned it before, but it's happening again! The big warning letters coming in from all of our suppliers explaining that they have no choice but to this, and no choice but to that! It's getting really scary, but it made me think of the turbulance on the plane, it was bumpy & scary, but we got through it, and landed safely! Being a very visual person, I like to use analogies all the time, and this one settled me, because just like the turbulance settling on the plane, this too should settle, and as long as we keep our offerings quality & consistant, as affordable as we possibly can (every item on our menu excluding steaks, is under £16), if we keep passionate about what we do, if we keep our heating on and keep planning ahead, we can get through it. It's easy to try cut corners, less heating, less staff, less quality, but in time we'd see less customers. So if you are still coming in to see us, we promise to not cut any corners and not get ridiculous with our pricing for as long as we can! What is after for as long as we can? We don't know, but we do hope that we never have to know!
Our new Cocktail Trailer, Event Cocktails by the Market Inn, has gotten off to a brilliant start as we attended The Big Burn's Supper in Dumfries. A 3 day event which seen thousands turn out into Dumfries town centre, a wonderful sight to see! We had a slow Friday afaternoon, a great Friday night, an all round excellant Saturday and, as expected, a quiet Sunday. We loved getting to grips with the workings of the new trailer, and felt really at home in it, serving what we do best, quality cocktails served quick! We had a really great recation to the pod and the cocktails/mocktails we were offering, and we were all round thrilled with our debut event! We can't wait to get stuck into the rest of the many events we have booked in this year! Hopefully, this will be a way we can grow the business and help with these rising costs at the hotel.
It also is letting me live a childhood dream, serving stuff out of a van! I used to play this with Mum all the time, we even used to do it for a laugh in my teens! She would stand outside the kitchen window, I'd take her order and serve her a cuppa through the window! She spent a small fortune buying stuff from me, as she paid for things she's already bought made with utensils and appliances that cost her money, but she say's she enjoyed it as much as I did! I even once cut all her flowers in the garden, planted them in mini plastic pots I'd found in the greenhouse, and sold them all back to her! She let me! I'm laughing about this as I type, business must have been in my blood!
January has proceeded to be a great one, minus the storm, and we are heading into a busy Febuary, with the farmers sales, lots of residents from all over come to attend, regular faces that we have come to know and be very fond of, so we are looking forward to that.
With this being our first 2025 blog, I will wish you all a very happy new year, and hope to welcome all of our lovely regulars and new faces throuout the remainder of the year.
Love & happiness for 2025, and I will be back with my next blog in February.
Emma. xxx
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December Madness!
Published on
18 December 2024

What a December so far! We've really not been able to come up for air, and loving every minute of it! To date, this is our busiest December! We surpassed our pre christmas dinner record last week, and we couldn't believe it! Well, we could actually, probably by how sore our feet were, but also because some of us are dreaming of turkey and singing christmas songs in our sleep!
Party nights that have been electric right from the start, christmas wine and food events that have been so full of festive cheer, pre christmas dining that has filled the restaurant with such laughter and joy, and we've still so much to come!
It's common to hear about how stressful hospitality can be in December, and although true, it is also a very special time in the trade. A month really like no other, where we get to wear something festive on shift if we like, get to dance behind the bar when a great song comes on and a real sense of togetherness amongst the team! We are all looking forward to our Secret Santa day on Sunday evening, where we all exchange gifts not knowing who has bought what....or rather, that's how it is supposed to be, but I've been hearing every day who has who, I don't think some of the team are very good at keeping secrets! We plan a fun festive evening altogether after the Festive Fun Day with Tammy Tantastic, after we are all cleaned down and closed, we will all get together and enjoy festive treats, drinks and fun as we exchange our not so secret gifts!
Our December menu kick started with the retired teachers group, and it really did leave us all in stitches! A lovely meal was served, and as everyone was saying their goodbyes, Sheena, the wonderful organiser of the group, and may we say, a pleasure to work with, couldn't find her car keys! We searched all around the table, floor, hallways, toilets, nothing! We had cleared cracker mess off the tables and I decided I may have lifted them by accident so off I went to get some ppe to empty the entire contents of a busy lunch time bin! Nothing! By this time we were all scratching our heads! Where could they be! The weather was awful this day, a small river flowing down the sides of the roads on Queen Street! I then decided maybe they had been dropped on the road when Sheena was coming into the hotel. So, as Megan and Sheena are emptying the contents of her handbag onto the table, and other diners were crawling around the restaurant floor, off I go outside, into the elements, plunging my hands into the rising mini river flowing alongside the pavement, feeling along the cold, gritty ground for anything that resembles anything other than a stick! Visibility was poor as I got more and more soaked! Nothing! I head back inside before I myself am washed away, and still everyone is searching frantically for the keys!
A phonecall to someone to see if a spare set can be brought along, more frantic searching, I decide another blind feel in the mini river might somehow work this time! Returning, even more soaked, I enter the building to a shriek! "They fell down a hole in my pocket!" as Sheena reached into the depths of her jacket pocket hole and holds the keys up for all to see! We all burst into laughter and relief, and I make a mental note to write this in the next blog! Never a dull moment. We are sure Sheena will laugh about this as much as we did! It's worth mentioning how many times things like this happen at the hotel, Sheena is certainly not alone when it comes to lost items showing up in the strangest places, usally on the person who's lost it!
Accommodation usually slows down in December, and this gives us a really good chance to get caught up with deep cleans and maintenance work. This winter we are installing new hotel head board units, with built in side tables & lights. I'm excited to see the finished result of the first one that will be happening soon!
We also have just had brand new radiators fitted in our function suite, and not only do they look great, what a difference to the heat in that huge room! It has always been difficult to heat it being so big and having had so many extensions over the decades, but finally we can feel such a difference! Big thanks to McConchies Heating & Plumbing for the great job!
We're gearing up now for the last week before christmas, and with hundreds of meals still to put out this week, we are busy prepping! The function suite gets turned around so many times for different events! I always say I should put a go pro on and do a time lapse! Although I think it would make anyone dizzy wathcing it!
So, all in all, an incredibly busy 2 weeks, full of festive cheer & so many laughs!
I hope you are all having a wonderful December, if you've been in to see us, thank you for the support, and if you've yet to come, we look forward to seeing you. Have a safe and happy week everyone, and if you are out and about in Castle Douglas, coffee machine is always on, a great cuppa and chat awaits!
Thanks for reading.
Emma. x
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2 girls, one generator!
Published on
5 December 2024

I can't believe I missed a week of the blog! I've found since starting blogging that it's quite theraputic, and will be a great thing in years to come, when I can easily look back on these weekly documentaions of whats's went on!
My excuse for missing last week is the crazy goings on in the run up to December! We were also busy getting ready to offer cocktails, mocktails and mulled wine at both the Castle Douglas and Dalbeattie Christmas Lights Switch ons.
We were excited to try out our fancy new generator! We didn't really need it at either but thought it was a good way to get to grips with using it before the trailer pod comes. For those that don't know, we are branching out, and taking our cocktails on the road. After doing a good few outdoor events, we realised that there is a demand for quality cocktails, served quickly at places such as festivals, shows, civics etc, and so Event Cocktails by The Market Inn was born! The trailer, sadly, wasn't going to be ready in time for our December events, but we managed to set up and deliver regardless, and had a really great time at both the above events!
We did, however hit a big bump in the road when it comes to the generator! Firstly, we don't have the first clue about generators, engines, and the likes. So after a bit of advice went for the one we thought was going to serve us best! When it arrived we were a bit taken aback! It was so big and heavy and with it just being us 2 girls handling it, we were immediately a bit panicked! "Not to worry!" I told Megan, "We are stong, independent women! We can do this!" So, reassured, Megan was happy to proceed with this generator. We asked my brother in law, Lee, to come and help us set it up, attaching the wheels etc, so we can, just about, manage to wheel it around! I know, I know, already having to ask a man to do the work, but, if either of us had attempted it, the wheels would have been attached back to front, and probably punctured by the time we had finished! When Lee walked in he gasped, "What are you trying to power, the whole of CD!" We all have a good laugh, and tell him in the event of a mass power outage, he's welcome round ours! Anyway, so here we are, all smiles and cheers as we look at our shiny new generator, piece of cake we thought! We locked it up ready to use at the first event on the 28th November.
So, after reading the manual 10 times, we both decided we should do a little test run before the event, so that day we put in the oil, success, already feeling very accomplished and proud of ourselves, no spills! Next, get petrol from the garage in our fancy little petrol can, again, feeling like we have cracked this, easy as! Put in the petrol, again, no splills! All smiles, Megan says "Amazing, well done!" I beam proudly and turn the key, press the start button..............nothing! Silence! I press it again, nerves setting in! Nothing! "What have you done wrong?!" Megan asks. "Eh, nothing!" I say, louder than I intended!
"The batteries flat!" I say, "It must be!" Megan has the most worried look on her face, she sourced the generator, and handled all the paperwork, and I could sense she was about to hit total panic! "Right, let's keep calm" I say! I decide to call the company, the man tells me that yes, it does indeed sound like the batteries flat! I'm already imagining how on earth I can get this battery changed before the event that starts in 2 hours! I'm also thinking about how much it will cost! Megan can tell this, and next thing I know, a cup of tea is placed in front of me as I'm on the phone to the man! He said, "did you connect it up okay?" I replied, "yes, I managed to connect the wheels just fine" (sorry Lee, white lie!) He said, "No! The battery, did you connect the battery up okay, they come disconnected for shipment!. Long pause.........."Well, maybe I did something wrong!" I lied as I told him I would check and call him back! We both laughed so much, and checked, yes, the battery was indeed not connected!
Total relief, but then panic once again, how the hell do you connect a battery! Us, two strong independent women, stare at this black brick, wires here and there, and I slowly say...."just you leave me here and I will do this, I can do this! Megan leaves the room, but not before I smack my head against the handle of the generator so hard I see stars, she asks if I'm okay, I say I am, but shed a tear when she leaves! Dizzy, I look up "Battery" in the manual contents! Studying the manual, the image, looking at the battery over and over again, deep breaths! I think I'm a bit too concussed to be the strong independent woman in this situation, so I head into the bar.......my knight in shining armour, Rab!!!!! "Hello Robert!" "What do you want!" he asks!
So, here we are, me and Rab, facing the battery, he asks what side was the red cover on? I asked why and he said well, if I touch that bit there with the wrong wire, we are toast! I say, well I think I took it off that one! "YOU THINK!" he shrieks! "I mean, I'm pretty sure, but you're making me doubt myself!.....Yes, that one! I'm sure! I took it off by accident thinking it was the protective cover, but it wasn't!" "Shhhhh!" says rab, "we are about to find out!" I back out of the room to protect myself, and he turns to look at me...."Aye very good Emma!" He laughs and takes a leap of faith in me! The fact I'm writing this blog will tell you I did indeed guess right!
Battery connected, the moment of truth comes, and we head outside, plug in a lamp to see if this thing is working! I press the button, and yesss! Perfection!
The generator works a treat, and powered our events like a dream! I may have pulled 3 muscles wheeling it to the Market Hill, but we can work on that! Back into lock up storage until we need it again, I'm already dreading it!
So, us two very strong and very independent ladies, owe two gentlemen a big thanks for doing everything to the generator in order for it to be operational, and apologies to Rab for the close call!
So many laughs though, and we are still laughing about it this week!
All fun and games!
I haven't forgot about the ladies pool team stories, funny and exciting things just keep happening, but I'll get there! Next week though, I'll tell you another cracker about Sheena and her lost car keys!
Thanks for reading. Have a great weeeknd!
Emma.
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Pleasant surprises!
Published on
21 November 2024

Hello, welcome to our weekly blog!
I like to use the blog to document all the goings on in the hotel throughout the week, good and bad, and I certainly haven't had to think about what to write this week!
Picture the scene....early evening on Friday, already starting to get dark. After a busy lunch service, we were getting set up for our evening diners. The 3 pm check in rush was about to begin as we welcomed our first residents.
I do the housekeeping shift every Friday, as I enjoy disappearing upstairs and getting to work in a completely different kind of environment. I get such satisfaction out of seeing a brand new tidy room, ready to welcome the next guests! I don't wear my uniform on a Friday, as I do so much running around doing the bedrooms, and let's just say, I don't have many presentable practicle clothes! So here I am, sitting at reception, stepping in for a moment to operate the check in desk as the rest of the team were so busy, in my worst housekeeping gear, and in walks a face I recognise, but can't quite place at first. I finish processing the couple at the desk, and say hello to the gentleman that's waiting. "How can I help?" I ask, "Checking in" he answers. "What name please Sir?" "Shane Lynch" he replies. The penny immediately drops, and I look up, heart skips a beat and my palms get sweaty! "Thee Shane Lynch" I ask, "Once upon a time" he answers. Extends has hand and I shake it, "pleased to meet you" he says. I show him to his room and he heads straight out.
We all just look at each other, breath out and start jumping around the restaurant! We are all on such a high as we try to explain to the young team, that a member of one of the most famous boybands in history has just checked into the hotel! We just couldn't believe it.
Total innocent excitement from some late 30 and early 40 year olds who grew up lsitening to Boyzone!
I wondered what would bring Shane to Castle Douglas? Would we even see him again and if so would he mind getting a picture? Cut to later that evening when he returns and takes a seat at the bar! Well, it took all of 5 minutes to feel like I was talking to an old friend! What a genuine, lovely, friendly person. Visiting for the Scottish Rally, we talked about cars, and although I have a lack of knowledge about anything sports related, I really enjoed hearing all about rally driving! Some more hotel guests also here for the rally joined us and we just chatted the night away! So was the tone of his visit, friendly, approachable, kind and humble.
Shane spent Saturday evening in the lounge and was always happy to get a picture with anyone who asked him! Looking back, it was all a very surreal experience and it took us all a good few days to come down from it, it was a real highlight of my time here at the hotel, and spurred on a lot of reminiscing about our teenage years and explaining to the kids about how it all was back then!
The whole experience was just a great excitement and heartwarming to chat so freely too. Of course I passed on my card and told him the kettle was always on if he was passing, you never know! It would truly be a pleasure to welcome him back once again.
Another way to describe just how amazing a career in hospitality can be, never knowing what is coming, or who will walk through the door. I like to talk, a lot, and and can never sit still, so I can't imagine another career that would suit me better!
I was going to blog about our ladies pool team this week, but that will have to wait!
Thanks for reading everyone, have a great weekend.
Emma xxx
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Golden Years!
Published on
14 November 2024

Hello, welcome to our weekly blog.
Usually after the early cattle sales, November presents as the quietest month of the year. We usually use this time to get prepared for the chaos of Christmas and a winter clean of all the cupbards and storage areas. Storage areas here, get filled with everything and anything, usually because I have a very "oh this might come in handy one day" but never does kind of approach to things! I'll get badgered to be ruthless by Megan and tackle this clear out once a year, and after a few "throw that out or else!" moments, I take great delight in seeing a nice clean, spacious cupboard, even if it doesn't last long! However, this annual clear out hasn't happened yet this year, as the November lull hasn't arrived yet.
We had a wonderful weekend of celebrations at the hotel just passed. The big one was Liz & Derek's 50th Wedding anniversary. A beautiful coming together of their nearest and dearest to celebrate their absolutely huge acheivement! A Golden Wedding Anniversary isn't something we see a lot of here, and it really was wonderful to witness two very valued and respected friends and customers, who have supported our business for so very long, celebrate such a milestone. The room looked fab, after Liz & her daughter Amanda decorated it, some really fun and effective ideas were implemented and the place looked great. I took note of some of the things they did for future events at the hotel! Derek looked handsome in his suit, but, and I'm sure he wouldn't mind me saying, Liz stole the show in a dazzling gold outfit, and looked stunning! The two of them enjoyed an intimate event in the function suite with live dj, buffet combos, and a fizz reception, and it was just a perfect way to celebrate! We loved being a part of it all! Happy Golden Wedding Anniversary Liz & Derek!
The restaurant was extremely busy this weekend, we weren't sure if it was a holiday weekend, but then realised, Harris & Co hosted their annual wine festival on Saturday, and we welcomed many diners who had been to it. There was an almost tangible buzz around the restaurant, probably wine induced from a great day at the wine festival, but I thought it was worth mentioning in this weeks blog just how much events like this do for the whole town. Not just events, but local busineses making an effort in any way has such a wider impact on the whole town. We had a really busy restaurant because of it, I'm sure the local pubs did a great trade after it too! We seated drinks only parties where we could too, for those that just weren't quite ready to call it a day after the festival, which made for a really nice Saturday early evening in the Lounge. We couldn't accommodate everyone, but I must say it was really nice to see so many people so understanding of this, and many came back later on when we had space, which was lovely. Big thanks to Harris and Co for organising such a great event for the town. When people come out to something happening in Castle Douglas, they mostly don't just do that one thing. I know that at our Cocktails and Combos events, guests either arrive after frequenting a few other establishments, or head down the town afterwards for either a few drinks or something to eat. It's important to realise how much just one business can do for all the rest in the town, and that supporting and championing each other is in everyone's best interests. I see and feel this happening more than ever lately, and I'm really proud of that happening in our beautiful town!
As pool league season is now upon us, next week I have some really funny stories related to our all female pool team who have been competing as the only female pool team in the entire league for 11 years now, there's some crackers for sure!
Thanks for reading,
Emma. x
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The One Where Terri Gets Married
Published on
7 November 2024
Hello everyone. Thank you for clicking the link and reading our next weekly blog!
I am always shocked at how quickly the weeks fly by!
What has been happening this past week at the hotel? Well we had the company of the Saler Society as they arrrived in town for their annual sale. We have had the pleasure of the same hotel guests every year now for I think 14 or 15 years! They have all booked again for 2025 so that must mean they enjoy it! We certainly enjoy catching up with friendly faces and hearing all about what they've been up to since the last visit, and again, it blooming flys in! I always struggle to believe it's been a year!
Some arrive on the Wedensday evening, with most coming on the Thursday. I always make sure I am on shift on the Thursday evening as I genuinley enjoy seeing them all meet up, catching up, enjoying a meal in the restaurant, and good drink too. It always makes me smile and I do have to say, we are very lucky with the bunch we have stay with us for this cattle sale, they are all so lovely and I look forward to seeing them every year!
The work heads go on come Friday morning for the show, and again, even more serious for the big day at the sale on the Saturday! Not coming from a farming background, I do like to brag about what I learn each time our regular farming visitors come to stay with us, I think I could hold my own pretending to be a farmer for the day at Wallets Mart! Just kidding, but I do enjoy hearing all about it.
We used to host the annual dinner for societies such as the Salers and the Luings, for over 12 years acatually, and we did always really enjoy it. For all that it's a very intense kitchen for a few days, it was really nice seeing it all come together and getting great feedback afterwards, after covid 19 we just weren't equipped to continue serving 90 to 100 people at once. Our team had halved in size and we were all a little apprehensive about having such large dining groups in again. Things didn't really chanage, and although our team is absolutely wonderful, we aren't a big team, so we decided to have a sit down dinner limit of 40 or below from now on. We can cater for larger parties in terms of buffets for functions and events for sure, but decided to always prioritise quality over quantity and it's working out.
So the wonderful Saler crew kept us busy during the week and into the weekend, and then, I had a real treat! Instead of working Saturday evening, Megan stepped in and Mum and I got to head to Friars Carse Hotel for team member Terri's wedding! It was absolutely amazing, and so wonderful to be able to do something like that on a Saturday! As expected Terri looked beautiful, and we enjoyed the company of some people we hadn't seen in a while too. A really wholesome evening celebrating the wedding of Terri & Brodie!
As I was driving I sampled a non alcoholic gin for the first time, and although I thought I wouldn't enjoy it, I really did, a close match to the real thing! We've stocked a great non alcohol range for a while, including gin, pink gin, prosecco, wines, ciders & beers, but I have to admit I always wondered why they were growing so much in popularity, thinking I'd much rather opt for a soft drink as non alcohol still isn't cheap! My mind was changed and I now totally get it! I felt like such a grown up with my pretend gin and tonic! Lol!
So all round, a very busy week, topped of with a wonderful time at a beautiful wedding.
Another busy one this week, will fill you in on the next blog!
Thaks for reading,
Emma.
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Time to talk about this.....
Published on
29 October 2024

I'm not well versed on what a Galloway national park will entail, good or bad and I'm one who is genuinely sitting on the fence. It will be no secret that I may have a different professional opinion to my personal opinion on the matter, and that's just a truth that people would expect.
I raise 2 children in this area and am on eager watch with regards to the hardships a Galloway national park may bring. Reading avidly all about it to try see where my genuine, most integral thoughts may land.
All that aside, one thing I'm picking up on, and this is something I've heard consistently in my 17 years of being a hospitality business owner in the area, is the sentiment that hospitality is a dead end job, an undesirable stop gap, a job only those with no ambition would want to do, and worse, a job that's seen as only for those with no qualifications or aspirations.
This really saddens and frustrates me.
Quite simply, hospitality is the backbone of society. Ask anyone, what do you do on your long awaited holiday wherever you go? You find accommodation, you then look for places to eat, where to find a nice coffee, or nice bar for a drink. You may visit tourist attractions, cultural viewings, but you're also looking for that cuppa at the cafe whilst you're there.
During covid 19 lockdown, we had everything we needed, and access to video calls with our families, all the food and baking we could cope with, yet what did everyone count down the days until they could do....get out, go to a cafe, go out for dinner, be around other humans, not even to speak to, but just to know we weren't alone in this world! We sought out crowds, we sought out atmosphere, we sought out hospitality!
Where can hospitality take you? Ah, this list is absolutely huge! I'll attempt listing just some of the ways in which a job in hospitality is a great one!
No need to mention minimum wage either, as minimum wage is a wage put in place for a reason, if you pay NMW you're doing nothing wrong, however the right team member will rightfully be paid higher than this. For small independent businesses, especially those in hospitality, getting crucified with such high rates and taxes....because they are easy money for the government, because they are so busy and meet the high demand.....you see where I'm going with this.....NMW is the only option. Also worth bearing in mind it's certainly not just hospitality paying minimum wage in this area, and if the government helped us the way other sectors are helped, instead of taking more and more each year, everyone would pay more than NMW! For the record we are a higher than NMW payer however I just feel the above needs mentioned.
Anyway, moving on.....
Hospitality first and foremost gives a great introduction to people skills. Meeting and dealing with customers from all walks of life, a multitude of personalities, teaches anyone invaluable people skills that can be applied in any line of work. I'm actually certain it is learned the fastest and most efficiently in a hospitality setting.
Hospitality covers a wide range of personal skills too, with many different departments in any hospitality setting, you can learn everything from administrative duties, IT skills, human resources, accounts, stock taking, practical skills, and lots of communicative skills.
I've witnessed confidence levels raise dramatically in short spaces of time, preparing young people for university and other careers.
I've seen hospitality skills learned in Castle Douglas take people all over the world. Being hired quickly at bars, hotels and cafes in so many countries because the skills are world wide, people have literally paid their way around the world walking into hospitality jobs from skills learned in their small home towns.
I've seen 15 year olds learn the job in Castle Douglas, now managing world class hotels in cities, earning more than people with university degrees!
Meeting places for absolutely everything and anything....retired farmers associations, gaelic speaking groups, retired teachers associations, carers society's, scouts, guilds, NFU, hearing and vision impairment societies, ARCs, work nights out and the list goes on.....
Visiting Castle Douglas for work? Valued work that is desperately needed in many of the local businesses and running of our area? Where do they seek accommodation....hospitality! Without which, well you get the idea!
Ask yourself, what truly is a world without hospitality? Think of every time you frequent or rely on a place to go to be served, and you'll quickly realise we are so very important for so many things. For comfort, for company, for celebrations, for sad times, for donations towards your fundraiser, for advice, for a chat, for help!
We are more than a dead end job that you would hate your children to have. Think of a world without us, and really think about it..... hospitality isn't just pulling pints, it's so very much more!
Looking at every cafe, restaurant and hotel being as full as they are in Castle Douglas alone, you can see just how much it is needed, and should be valued so much higher than it is!
What you value as a good job, a worthy job, a job to be proud of, is a very personal thing, and I can't understand why it is so broadly criticised, when in any other circumstances, being so negatively vocal on someone's chosen job, or income, you'd be considered wholly wrong! Or is this just another punch that hospitality is just supposed to take and accept?
Thanks for reading.
Emma.
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Holidays
Published on
23 October 2024
Welcome to our 3rd blog!
It will be a short one you will be glad to know! We all enjoyed some team holidays this month, where we closed for a short time to allow everyone a much needed break before the christmas rush begins. During this time we undertook some repairs, ones which are just impossible to do whilst open, and it is normally kitchen work. As the restaurant keeps so busy, and our kitchen is always crazy, closing is really the only safe way to conduct any essential repairs. This time, it was the kitchen ceiling, some repairs and a fresh coat of paint was badly needed, and who better to take on the job than Dad! He wasn't invited on anyones holidays so what else would he do! Only kidding, he was happy enough to cease the opportunity to complete this work with no interuptions, but he was upset that he had to make his own cups of tea!
We arrived back to a beautiful new ceiling, and everyone commented on just how nice it was to see. Thaks Dad, an excellent job!
When we say family business, we really do mean that! It's all hands on deck, and although you don't ever see Dad behind the bar, he does so much behind the scenes to allow us to operate as efficiently as we do! He truly is a handyman extraordinaire! He is also on top of his game when it comes to business acumen and I really do look up to him and respect his input. The hotel was still standing when we returned anyway!
We returned to a really busy weekend, and it was just as well, as I would have had awful jet lag if not. I had no choice but to be in work at 6am, getting the beer lines cleaned and preparing the place for re opening. We had a 50th birthday party to set up and a full restaurant the entire weekend. If I had slept like the rest of my family I'd be like they are now, getting to bed at 2am and up at midday!
I really did enjoy the weekend we returned to, lovely hotel guests, a great bunch of guests at the 50th, such nice diners and seeing all the regular customers that frequent the hotel, we missed you all and appreciate you allowing us the break and being so keen to return to see us.
As far as we travelled on our break, Castle Douglas is never far from my mind, and being a creature of habit, I really was ready to get back at it. I love the hotel industry, I love the fast pace of the job, I love meeting new people all the time and welcoming familiar faces. There really isn't a job I'd enjoy more......well, maybe a DJ, but that's a story for another day!
Thta's us refreshed, back into the swing of things and ready to stride into the next season with you all...........Christmas is calling........
Thaks for reading.
Emma.
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A good laugh!
Published on
8 October 2024

We don't really have to think hard to recall funny things that happen here at the hotel. Some we can't repeat, but the ones we can we always like to have a good laugh over.
Like just last weekend, we had a very busy 50th birthday party in the function suite, and The Bottom Bar was absolutely packed after a cattle sale, and the whole team were just running around like crazy trying to get through the shift.
I'm in the Bottom Bar, about to serve someone, and I see Ava fly towards me, I'm quickly hit with a straight Malibu all over my face, and Ava hits the deck! What a thud she made as she hit the ground!
Picture this, her head is lying at the bottom of the 2 stairs into the Bottom Bar and The rest of her body is strewn across the function room Bar.
People in both bars gasp as they are genuinely concerned for her, I run to her, and quickly check she's okay. When I get to her she's laughing so much that she can't speak, she just looks up at me and tells me she's so embarrassed and that I've to get her out of there, quick! I start to laugh she laughs even more and both of us can't move! Customers are piling up at the bar and we are grounded in laughter.....her in pain too I'm sure!
I get her ice for her knee and take her to the Lounge Bar that's quiet, where she sits and calms down. That was her out of action for the rest of the night, and with a team member down, the rest of us couldn't come up for air! A giggle every now and then about the image I had in my head got me through it. Don't worry she was absolutely fine! Ava is my niece, so if you witnessed this on that evening, don't worry, we are used to her clumsy ways and know how to handle it!
On another occasion, we were setting up for a function and the customer had left a banner for us to put up. One of these string ones with hanging letters. I left Mia and Maisie with it, as I'm far too heavy handed for the dainty work it required.
I came back down, and looked at it. They'd made a great job hanging it but I was instantly confused. It read " A WE SOME SINCE 1984" At first I thought it was maybe an in joke between the customer and her friends, as I stood and stared trying to understand it. Then it hit me! AWESOME SINCE 1984! I lost it, laughing, corrected it as the girls burst out laughing, and we were all bent over double!
We still laugh about this regularly, and I'll leave it up to you to decide if it was Maisie or Mia! Of course, I would never say!
It's important to have a laugh when we keep so busy and things can be super stressful and intense, and we always say, heads down when it's busy, and banter when it's quiet. Mind you......not heads down in an Ava way!
Thanks for reading, take care,
Emma.
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Welcome!
Published on
1 October 2024

Hello and welcome to our very first blog!
We hope you are liking the new website, it's certainly a massive improvement from our last one!
In our blog section, you won't be hit with sales and advertising, you'll get an honest insight into the weekly behind the scenes goings on of the whole hotel.
Recently we've had a really crazy time with getting the new website set up and changing our accommodation system, and although it's all running smoothly now, it wasn't without some melt downs! Mostly from me! As much as I can navigate my way through technology eventually, it does scare me and stresses me out! My sons laugh at me when I tell them mobile phones weren't a thing when I was at university, never mind school to which they reply "Mum, you must be so old!!" and I'm not! I don't think! It just shows the speed at which technology is evolving and if I was born today I'm sure it would be second nature! So, to cut a long story short, I've a few more wrinkles and a few more grays after the changeover process but we are here now and I'm loving it all.
I'd like to use this very first blog to talk about hotel guests. I won't go on too much, but when you have an accommodation business, welcoming hotel guests is always lovely, and you strive to get it perfect for them. We take pride in our accommodation offering, and it's mostly very well recieved. It's not always going to be everyone's idea of perfection, of course, but I do like to think that the majority will see the passion we have and the constant efforts we apply to make sure our guests have a nice time with us.
Very seldom, we do have a disgruntled guest, and, sometimes the way they choose to communicate what they haven't been satisfied with can leave us all a little rattled. I certainly always take it too personally, but I suppose that's because I live and breath this place, and it means so much to me. Anyway, mostly, it's something really minor, but you still have to have a professional approach to it, and depending on how the guest decides to behave, it can leave you really quite upset and deflated, and can have lasting effects!
Now, this is very, very rare, as most visitors to Castle Douglas love what he have to offer both in our hotel rooms and bar/restaurant, but as humans we can focus and dwell on the negative, so I'd like to take this opportunity to do the opposite, and focus on some absolutely wonderful residents and give credit where it's due to some lovely human beings who stayed with us last week. Unrelated guests, but as a whole, they made our week just amazing, and have caused the lasting sense of happiness and contentment that I'm feeling this week.
The Shephard and Anderson families, such wonderdul people and a pleasure to host. They seemed genuinely appreciative of everything we did for them, they were kind and friendly, and I'd like them to know just what an impact this can have on hospitality teams. It gives us an extra spring in our steps and keeps us motivated.
To Eddie and Lorriane, regular visitors, thank you for your continued support and for always being so blooming nice to us all. To the Smiths, MacGregors and Watsons, your kind words and reviews have made us smile, and we absolutely loved accommodating you all.
We know we won't always get it right, despite how hard we try, and we will always do our very best to make it right when there's something that hasn't been to your satisfaction, but when we do get it right, when we know you've had an excellent stay, and we host such lovely, friendly guests, you have no idea what it means to us and the lasting impressions you make. Thank you.
Thanks for reading our very first blog, I promise there's lots of funny stories to come, the good the bad and the hilarious!
Have a great week,
Emma.
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