Proposals to change the name of the UK’s highest restaurant have ruffled a few feathers.
The new operators of CairnGorm Mountain want to rename the Ptarmigan, which sits below the well known peak.
Named after the gamebird which lives on the hills and reached by the mountain railway, the eaterie has been a firm favourite with skiers, walkers and tourists at the mountain range.
But Natural Retreats, which took over management of the ski area in June, wants to change the name to “1097” – reflecting the height in metres that the restaurant is situated at.
It also wants to change the name of the Day Lodge, which sits next to the mountain railway base station.
The proposed moniker is “The Storehouse”.
The company has applied for the name changes to the Highland Licensing Board, which will consider the request on Tuesday.
Natural Retreats has also asked to alter its on sales hours to 11am-11pm, meaning it could stay open three hours later than at present.
But the news has surprised many locals.
One local man said: “Since the original building opened in the 1960s, it has been known as the Ptarmigan. It is known throughout the country as the highest restaurant in the UK.
“To many of us, it will always be the Ptarmigan. It rolls off the Highland tongue far easier than 1097.”
He added that the Storehouse could be mistaken for an existing business in Easter Ross – The Storehouse at Foulis.
And one woman said: “If they have to change the name they should call it something more meaningful, like ‘Stormbound’.”
No one from the company responded to the Press and Journal’s inquiries yesterday.