UKC

I see the Crask is no longer on the market... has it sold or what?.. and can we look forward to more similar when we visit those super far north hills?

In reply to normie boy:

Why not pick up the phone and ask them? That way you'll get an answer from the horse's mouth'' as it were.

In reply to allanscott:


You mean, like, communicate, real time, with real live people and not just through the medium of the interweb?
And actually go find something out / solve a problem, yourself - without just passing the buck on and asking a random question?
What a novel idea but I suspect it won't catch on.

In reply to normie boy:

No a lot of passing traffic!

In reply to subtle:

But the question remains: Is the place open or shut? Personally I don't really care but if I was heading up that way I think my suggestion might pay dividends We should be told!

In reply to allanscott:


That's a bit of a churlish response! Someone might have the answer to hand. Try and be more helpful in future. And that goes for your partners in churlishness, your three likes.

In reply to allanscott:

Well, I rang at a quarter to five this morning and didn't get an answer.
It must be closed down.

In reply to normie boy:

There was a for-sale sign last week. But despite that, I think it has been taken off the market. Not that they couldn't be persuaded if you wanted to buy it! It definitely hasn't been sold.

In reply to normie boy:

I like the Walk Highlands comment .......Let's hope that the new owners do not change the character too much.

Typical of someone who has no idea of running a business in one of the most remote locations in the Highlands. What the Crask needs is a huge change of character or it won't progress. A real shame, the Crask goes the way of the Tomdoun and many others. Unfortunately it probably won't survive as a pub, and it was a great pub, but times change.

In reply to normie boy:

Was there for a night early last month. Place appeared run down compared to previous visits. Owners as agreeable as ever but keen to sell.

In reply to estivoautumnal:

TBH I don't think it was a great pub. It had "character", the primary one being that it was in the middle of nowhere, and it was always good for a beer after a walk up Ben Klibreck but beyond that there was nothing special. I can't remember if it even did real ale and, even if it did, the problem with remote pubs and real ale is that there isn't enough traffic to get through the barrel quickly enough. The locals tend not to drink it.

In reply to Removed User:


It was never really a pub though. We had a couple of very special nights there, the first on a bike tour when we arrived knowing nothing about it and were treated to some proper old school hospitality. It is (or perhaps was) totally unique.

In reply to Removed User:

I've stopped in it twice for coffee and cake in the bar and both times had great 'open space' conversations with other customers and the proprietors. Thats what made it for me, not the quality of the coffee etc.

In reply to normie boy:
We went in there after doing Ben Klibreck in foul weather.. I thought that it probably would not be open as it was Sunday night(wee-frees and all that) and there was no outside light on the road side. Yet when we went in, there were three other people in there gassing away....in French. They were up there on a shooting holiday. The food looked good, despite the proprietor wearing wellies,but sadly we could not stay as we had to get back to Forest bunkhouse south of Ullapool. I liked the place, so I hope that it stays open.

In reply to Removed User:

They have or had red kite ale from black Isle brewery and another I cannot recall... and it was very good when I was there last year on a cycle run..we had plenty!

In reply to normie boy:


Must've got in at the front of the barrel

TBF, I get what everyone is saying. It certainly was (is) unique but, as someone else pointed out, it has a very tough business model to deal with the main one being that even the locals have to drive there.

In reply to veteye:

When I went there a couple of years ago it was just us, the owners, the owners' English brother and, you guessed it, a party of French. They love the big open spaces, so they said, the like of which they just don't get in France despite its size: 'There's a house around every corner'.

In reply to normie boy:

The owners Mike and Kai are moving out of The Crask and into the house across the road, which they are converting back from a bunkhouse. They had a sale of the Inn which fell through at the very last minute not long ago and have decided they are going to stay for now, in fact Mike has just bought more cattle so it looks like they are staying. What will happen with the running of the Crask Inn I'm not sure, maybe things will be clearer come spring but as suggested already - just call.

In reply to Steve Perry:

The only reason I can think of to move into the inn would be the absence of neighbours, so that's torn it...