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Revolution heading for Inverness as bar plans progress

Picture by SANDY McCOOK  3rd February '17
The former McEwans of Perth store (left) on Church Street, Inverness which could possibly be converted to a pub and restaurant.
Picture by SANDY McCOOK 3rd February '17 The former McEwans of Perth store (left) on Church Street, Inverness which could possibly be converted to a pub and restaurant.

A deal has been reached to transform a historic building in the heart of Inverness into an upmarket bar and restaurant.

The old McEwens of Perth department store in the city’s Church Street has been sold to a private investor for £490,000.

The move is a major step forward for Revolution Bars’ plans to open its first nightspot in the Highlands.

The unnamed investor has already agreed a pre-let deal with Revolution, a well-known chain which already has outlets in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

The firm has also begun recruiting for senior managers for its “brand new site opening” in Inverness.

The Press and Journal revealed the plans in February after Highland Council officials previously approved its bid to create a two-storey bar and restaurant at 11-19 Church Street.

Built in 1908 to a French Renaissance style, the building at 19 Church Street is B-listed and internally linked to 11.

McEwens of Perth operated at the site between 2000 and 2013, when the company went into administration.

The planning applications, which included listed building consent, attracted objections from the neighbouring serviced apartments at Inverness City Suites.

They raised concerns that the bedrooms of their apartments would be affected by noise disturbance and nuisance from revellers entering and exiting the premises in the late evening and early morning.

But planning officers said such a bar in the city centre was “entirely commensurate with existing and surrounding uses”.

Shepherd Chartered Surveyors handled the sale of the former McEwens of Perth store.

Neil Calder, associate at Shepherd’s Inverness office, said: “We are delighted to secure this deal for a property that will be converted into a two-storey bar and eatery, enhancing the hospitality offering in Inverness city centre.

“This deal marks the latest evidence of a buoyant market for investment in Inverness’s hospitality sector.”

Revolution Bars Group was valued at £100million when it debuted in the London Stock Exchange in March 2015.

Now boasting 53 Revolution Vodka bars and nine under its Revolucion de Cuba brand, the company made a pre-tax profit of £7.1million last year, up from £2.9million.