Resurrection work ongoing at nightspot

Acouple looking to revive a former west end nightspot in Aberdeen have vowed to shake off its stuffy image and make it welcoming to all.

Simon Cruickshank and his wife, Christie, are already in the thick of a sixfigure overhaul of The Albyn, having been granted a licence to trade back in April.

The couple had been living abroad with their two young children when the opportunity to own the former Albyn Place office building turned adult-only bar, closed in 2018 after 13 years’ trade, came up.

For Mr Cruickshank, raised working in the various Granite City pubs his father operated, it was too good a chance to miss.

“We were in Europe for four years working in hospitality, doing something different helping a friend and learning another aspect of the trade,” he said.

“I’ve been in this business all my life and I want to bring that experience to something iconic like The Albyn.

“What is important for us is that it is familyorientated. We have a young family, and we want that.

“We want to accommodate everyone and make them feel welcome – so we are changing the whole image.”

The dark wooden bar at the front of the building remains, but the couple say they have exciting plans for

the venue now the keys are in their hands.

But they are staying tight-lipped to build the suspense ahead of their planned opening in August.

Construction workers have already been clattering around the bar for weeks, causing passers-by to peer through the gates to try to catch a glimpse of the inside.

The Cruickshanks have promised a “complete refit” of the main floor, changing the layout to suit a number of different types of customer.

He added: “We will have the terrace and the bar at the front, a signature room in the middle and the restaurant at the back.

“The signature room is one of the big secrets.

“We want everyone to feel welcome and enjoy what we are doing with the place – all will be revealed in a few months’ time.

“It’s very important for us to support local, from the construction right through to the whole structure when we open – as much as we can.”

WATCH THIS PLACE: Simon Cruickshank outside The Albyn, which is being revamped.