At the end of a hard day’s skiing at CairnGorm, there was nowhere better than the pub within the Day Lodge to talk, perhaps with some mild exaggerations thrown in for good measure, about death-defying runs down The White Lady or the sheer satisfaction at having negotiated a somewhat busier than usual “Gun Barrel” without mishap. It was a rendezvous for skiers and climbers alike; it was a place to meet old and new friends after an exhilarating day on the hill; it was simply the right place in which to end a great day out.
The good news for the start of the 2005 winter season is that the pub at the foot of Coire Cas is coming back and will re-open within the Day Lodge today (Thursday 23rd) and, being located on almost exactly the same spot as its much-loved predecessor, it will be very much a case of “Back to the Future” for those who remember those earlier days with more than a little nostalgia.
Décor within the new Cas Bar will be traditional in style with the emphasis on natural wood and stone finishes and with real fires but any similarity with its predecessor ends there for the emphasis will be on providing a range of quality quick service snacks to complement a wide range of drinks, including soft drinks, coffee and the ubiquitous CairnGorm Hot Chocolate along with the usual beers, wines and spirits.
Kate Fulbrook, as bar supervisor, and Lee Hope as chef, together with their team are providing the hospitality. The new pub will add an extra dimension to catering at CairnGorm Mountain and will be open for bacon rolls and coffee for early arrivals as well as throughout the day. Dougie Somerville, who this year celebrates his 20th year of providing refreshments for visitors to CairnGorm, is confident, from previous experience, that the new bar will be particularly popular towards the end of the day and will be gearing up for an influx of customers from 3pm onwards.
Said Dougie: “In the past, the late afternoons were always popular, particularly with skiers and climbers who had been on the hill all day and wanted a rendezvous point to meet friends before heading off, either home or into Aviemore. As ever, we will be promoting sensible drinking among our customers and, bearing in mind that it can be cold on the hill, there is always a huge demand for coffee and hot chocolate from people heading off after a good day out. The refurbished Cas Bar will add a new dimension to what we offer our visitors and we plan to have entertainment on site as well from time to time.”
“Bearing in mind that skiing and snow boarding are very much family activities, we have also applied for a Children’s Certificate as part of our licence application and are hopeful that families will enjoy the new surroundings”
The new pub at CairnGorm Mountain will also be available for private functions offering a facility for parties of up to 80 people in a setting that is certainly quite unique … and in a location that has already provided generations of memories for devotees of CairnGorm.
Said Bob Kinnaird, CairnGorm Mountains Chief Executive: “We are always interested in providing new attractions at CairnGorm and re-opening the pub within the Day Lodge is in direct response to popular requests. We are sure that it will become very popular among skiers and winter sports enthusiasts as well as with our ever-increasing numbers of non skiing visitors.”
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