Catering Scotland

Arranging insurance for companies and individuals throughout the Scottish catering, hospitality, travel and tourism industry in Scotland, Bruce Stevenson Insurance Brokers are well placed to advise on the most suitable policies and packages for businesses of all sizes and complexity.

Many such enterprises can be found along the North Coast 500, Scotland’s answer to Route 66. Stretching along Scotland’s northern coastline and taking in some of the most breathtaking views in the country, this magnificent tour d’Ecosse is now a major tourism attraction and in recent years has become a jewel in the country’s tourism crown. The 516-mile route, which starts and finishes at Inverness Castle, was recently named the most spectacular drive in the UK, and it was for this reason that Bruce Stevenson’s Glasgow-based account executive, Carol Ward, set off with her husband and a group of friends last May to explore the legend. Here’s her account of her time on the road…

The evening before my trip I presented, with The Royal Bank of Scotland, the CIS Excellence Independent Hotel of the Year Award to Windlestraw, near Walkerburn. Enjoying some of the best hospitality that Scotland has to offer was a fitting start to my tour and the following day I took the train to Plockton via Inverness to catch up with my husband and friends who had arrived the day before. The train journey gave me a chance to enjoy the stunning scenery on the way and when I arrived I jumped onto the Harley to ride the Bealach na Bà (Pass of the Cattle) to Applecross. Definitely not for the faint-hearted!

The weather was a stunning 75 degrees and we enjoyed lunch in the sun in Applecross before spending our first night in Gairloch where the warm temperatures made it feel like we were abroad.

The next day we travelled from Gairloch to Ullapool, stopping in at the Corrieshalloch Gorge and staying over at the Bettyhill Hotel with beautiful rooms, lovely hospitality and arresting vistas.

The following morning we headed off to Dornoch. The scenery changed as we left the west coast, from the dramatic hills and beaches to the romantic seaside villages of the east coast. Stopping at John O’Groats for lunch and then Helmsdale for a walk, we carried on to Dornoch and enjoyed a lovely night out in the Dornoch Castle whisky bar, sampling the best of Scotland’s national drink.

Heading home, the journey to Glencoe was nothing short of spectacular and having enjoyed ourselves so much we all decided to stay away for another night.

Scotland is truly a beautiful country and coupled with the outstanding hospitality we enjoyed, it made for an unforgettable journey which I would highly recommend adding to everyone’s bucket list.

For more information regarding our hospitality sector, visit www.brucestevenson.co.uk.

The CIS Excellence Awards 2018 take place on Thursday 31st May at the Hilton Glasgow. Visit cis-excellenceawards.com for more information.