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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.