The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Famous restaurant to close after six decades
City spot will cease trading next month
A much-loved Inverness restaurant will close its doors after six decades next month.
The Castle Restaurant on Castle Street has been among the city’s most popular eateries since it opened in 1959.
Speculation had been mounting online that its days were numbered and, while its owners were not willing to speak at the restaurant today, a staff member confirmed it will cease trading on August 4.
It is understood that it will reopen as a fish and ship after a major revamp.
Fans of the restaurant – affectionately known as Castle Snacks – have little over a week to sample its famed steak pie and crinklecut chips for a final time.
The building was listed for sale at offers over £325,000 by ASG Commercial and is still on the market.
The closure news prompted hundreds of disappointed messages online.
Inverness Central councillor Bet McAllister said it was an institution in the Highland capital.
She said: “I have a lot of fond memories of it; its macaroni was always to die for.
“It’s one of the most wellknown places in Inverness and a lot of people will desperately miss it.
“I am amazed; it’s obviously not doing as well as people thought, which is surprising.
“I worry for the staff, will they be kept on in the new business?”
John McDonald, Inverness Bid’s community safety manager, was sad to hear about the Castle Restaurant but added he hoped the new business would open as soon as possible.
“It’s sad to see the end of a business that has been in place for 60 years,” he said. “It has served the public and visitors well and it will be sorely missed by the majority of people.
“We don’t like to see any empty sites in Inverness and hopefully the plans that are being suggested come to fruition very quickly.”
The restaurant, which can cater for 72, is in one of the city’s oldest buildings, dating from 1744.
There was a question mark over its future back in 2015 when long-time owner Brian Lipton retired and put the business up for sale.
It was started by Mr Lipton’s grandmother Patricia Boni and uncle
Joe in 1959.
Later Mr Lipton’s parents Roma and Clem took over, with another uncle Samuel and his wife Emma joining.
Roma Lipton was one of its best-known faces, particularly for her steak pie – made fresh daily.
Brother and sister Ewen and Katie MacKinnon took over in October 2015, and said at the time they were not planning to make any changes to the business.