Aviemore is undeniably one of Scotland’s busiest tourism hot spots and is especially appealing to those who love the outdoors.
Attractions like The Cairngorm Reindeer Centre, Aviemore Ice Rink, Loch Morlich, Strathspey Railway and vast mountain and ski runs draw in people from across the country and beyond.
Landmark Forest Adventure Park welcomes more than 160,000 visitors every year alone and, in 2017, it was named in the top 1% of visitor attractions worldwide by TripAdvisor. The Cairngorm National Park, in which the town is based, is in itself a huge pull for visitors.
However, one issue that has been brought to light by locals recently relates to the area’s food and drink scene – this being the lack of options for tourists and residents alike to choose from after 8.30pm.
Where it started…
Eilidh McLeod, who lives in the area, shared a post on the Aviemore & Spey Valley Community Issues Forum public Facebook group expressing her concerns about the lack of food available in the town later in the evenings.
The post racked up more than 125 comments.
It read: “No food is served in Aviemore after 8.30pm, in the middle of summer, turning folk away at the door.”
This sparked some curiosity among the Food and Drink team regarding why this is, if other members of the community are also unhappy about it, and whether it was in fact fiction.
“I’m aware of the situation but it’s like going back to the 50s,” Eilidh continued.
“It’s a shame for those who come to visit the area.”
‘It is a recent thing’
Another local, Tim Hall, a former volunteer first aider, mentioned that the lack of food options is a relatively new change in the town.
“I think it is a recent thing,” he said. “Until 2020, Aviemore had an impressive hospitality offering which I was proud to tell my clients.
“A combination of Brexit, covid, and housing costs have changed that.”
Samantha Taylor, 48, has worked in several food establishments in the area over the years.
“I know that most kitchens used to open later than they do now,” Samantha, owner and operator of family-run food truck business The Burger Box Aviemore, said.
“Since Covid things have changed. I expect it would be frustrating at times if you’re here on holiday and you can’t get a meal after about 8.30pm.”
The peak time at her food truck is between 5pm and 7pm with custom nearly always “dying off” by 8pm.
“If I were to choose to stay open until 9pm or 10pm, it would not be worth my while to keep all the kitchen appliances hot and to pay staff to wait around for non-existent customers,” Samantha added.
I expect it would be frustrating at times if you’re here on holiday and you can’t get a meal after about 8.30pm.”
Samantha Taylor
The business owner also said that most restaurants close their kitchens at 8pm or 8.30pm – dependent on the time of year – backing Eilidh’s statement on social media.
Indian and Chinese takeaways seem to be the only establishments offering food at later times according to locals.
We should not single out Aviemore
But Barbara Fraser says her business is open and serving food from 7am to 10pm Monday to Thursday, 7am to 9pm on Fridays, and 8am to 8pm on Saturdays.
“The only time we had to close our kitchen was during Covid as we were really short staffed,” Barbara, owner of Newtonmore Grill, added.
“However, we did serve HGV drivers and key workers.
“I go to Aviemore often and have never been turned away for food, but I always book.
“It is an issue, particularly with holidaymakers. A lot of them come to us – located around 15 miles south of Aviemore – and say we’re the only place that’s open.
“We’ve even had people from Pitlochry visit us for food.”
“It’s not that recent a thing for places not taking food orders after 8pm or 9pm unless it’s a takeaway or a larger town/city,” added Becky Lindsay, a stay-at-home mum-of-two from Nethybridge.
“It’s certainly not just Aviemore either, it’s Grantown too.”
Think of the staff
Becky is among those that responded to Eilidh’s post in disagreement.
She went on to say that the later a restaurant closes, the later the staff members get home – something she considers a big issue that many people forget about.
“A lot of restaurants won’t take new tables after 8pm to 9pm because the staff wouldn’t get home until midnight.
“Realistically, depending on party size, if you go in at 8pm, you might not order until 8.30pm, food is served at 9pm, and it takes an hour at least to eat. That’s at least 10pm before you’re done eating.
“Then, breaking everything down, there’s cleaning, all the work in the kitchen to clear/set up for the next day. That’s at least another hour or two of work.
“Also, please keep in mind that staff (especially in smaller towns) might be reliant on public transport, which doesn’t run after a certain time.”
Staff shortages
Staff was a factor continuously raised by people on the post as being to blame for the early restaurant closures.
The normal working hours of eateries like Grampian Road fish and chip shop Smiffy’s have decreased due to shortages.
The shop has operated strictly as a takeaway since April because of this.
Jennifer Sandison, an employee at the eatery, said: “It’s a sad state of affairs at the moment.
“During our normal summer hours, we would stay open until 10pm, but due to staff shortages and all our staff working under pressure and extra hours, we have no choice but to close at 9pm.
“The village is in dire straits.”
Change of seasons
Samantha, from Carrbridge, also raised the issue of the drastic change in custom over the seasons.
“There are good food and drink businesses in Aviemore, but they are oversubscribed during peak times of the year and then very quiet during the off-season,” she added.
“We need seasonal staff – people that only need to work during school holidays. Students are ideal because they are off when we are busy.
“However, for some reason, a lot of young people don’t seem keen to work and earn money.”
Samantha works closely with her staff, many of whom are students, to educate them on the working environment and provides training on all aspects of the business.
“Perhaps if more businesses around Aviemore took this approach, they would gradually find themselves able to open for longer as they build a good strong team starting from scratch.”
What else is to blame?
Becky, 32, has lived in the area for around seven years and says locals are used to the reduced hours.
“For me, the times aren’t really an issue,” she added.
“However, having recently been into Edinburgh mid-week for a concert and not finding any eateries open at 10.30pm, I’m aware of how frustrating it can be if your schedule and activities dictate when you can get food and are then unable to.
“There is a huge problem with housing and staffing.
For me, the times aren’t really an issue.”
Becky Lindsay
“Nobody can get a place to rent unless you can pay through the nose – I was recently quoted £890 per month for a two-bedroom bungalow – which is largely due to all the short-term and holiday lets.
“That means businesses aren’t able to accommodate new hires and are left stretching staff for longer shifts. If you’re not being seated until 9pm, the staff aren’t getting home until midnight and that’s just not viable right now.”
Conversation