Last orders at The Creel Inn as owners announce final day

The Catterline restaurant has been on the market since last summer.

By Ellie Milne

August 7 2024, 7:33 pm

The Creel Inn in Catterline will close this weekend. Image: Kenny Elrick/DC Thomson.

The owners of a coastal restaurant near Stonehaven have announced they are preparing to close.

The Creel Inn, perched above Catterline Bay, will have its final day on Saturday after a “fantastic” 12 years in the hands of Marc and Fiona Dawson.

The pair listed the restaurant and bar for sale last summer but have been unable to find someone to take it on.

They hope new owners can still be found to reopen The Creel Inn in the future.

Inside of The Creel Inn — The interior of the seafood restaurant. Image: DC Thomson.

A post shared online states: “We are sad to announce that our time at The Creel Inn is coming to an end, this Saturday will be our final day.

“Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to sell or let the business. We have not taken this decision lightly, but we feel that our family comes first and over the last few months we haven’t had the right work/family balance.

“We have had a fantastic 12 years as owners of the Creel and hope new owners can be found to continue this wonderful restaurant that’s been a huge part of our lives.”

The Creel Inn closing as owners say goodbye

The Creel Inn is a popular dining spot and community pub which specialises in fresh local produce, including crab and lobster caught in Catterline Bay.

It was the first premises opened by Robert Lindsay, owner of Six Degrees North, who sold it on to the Dawsons in 2012 to finance the building of a brewery.

The clifftop seafood restaurant hit the market again a year ago, originally at offers over £500,000 and later reduced to £475,000.

It is also available to let at £30,000 per annum.

View from The Creel Inn window over Catterline Bay — The Creel Inn sits atop a hill overlooking Catterline Bay. Image: Kenny Elrick/DC Thomson.

The owners have also taken the opportunity to thank their loyal customers and staff.

They added: “We would like to thank all our wonderful customers we’ve had through the years without you we wouldn’t have been here this long. Also, we would like to thank the locals we see most nights in the bar.

“To the staff we’ve had through the years (too many to name), without your hard work and dedication we couldn’t have done it without you.

“Many of you will still have vouchers to use, we realise this is short notice so if you can’t use them before we close, you can email us on info@thecreelinn.co.uk and we will redeem them if they haven’t expired.

“If you do wish to visit one last time, could you please book in advance. We look forward to seeing you all again in the future.”