The Bannockburn Inn has been around for over 170 years. The Inn used to take in travellers who arrived on horseback - the stables were across the road which is now a privately owned house. The Inn consisted of an off-licence, a snug and a few chairs huddled around a coal fire and a very small bar. The original arched entrance is still visible from outside but has long since been bricked up. The Bannockburn Inn has always been a busy bar, you would often hear the sounds of Ceilidh. For a number of years popular locals Ethel and John could be heard playing the keyboard and accordion in the bar on a Saturday night.
Helmsdale was once the home of one of the largest herring fleets in Europe. When the fishermen arrived home from a considerable time at sea, the landlady would stand at the bar door awaiting her “dues” for the settlement of the tab from their last visit home - the wives, allegedly, getting their money second. There was talk of a customer who managed to get past the landlady before she got his money - it is said that she had him dragged from his house and hung upside-down from a beam in the bar and was shaken until all his change fell to the floor - happy with her tab being paid he was finally let down - suffice to say he never did it again! The Helmsdale Harbour,
Christmas 2010But nowadays, the Bannockburn Inn offers a much more friendly welcome providing food, drink and self-catering accommodation. The Tartan Lounge Bar and Restaurant was refurbished and re-opened in 2011 and has built a reputation for the quality of its award winning steaks from the Mey Selections. |