new seafood bar opens at crinan

A Seafood Bar which uses only sustainable fish has opened in Crinan. The Crinan Hotel has gone back to its roots by creating a dedicated seafood bar.

Years ago the hotel was renowned for having some of the best seafood in the area but a surge in bar meals saw the owners having to shelve their seafood restaurant as demand for pub grub increased. But now owners, Nick and Frances Ryan, have resumed to providing a dedicated seafood menu.

Mr Ryan, who can count Rick Stein as being a fan of his hotel, said: "We've created an environment for all seafood lovers. The prawns are landed here, in Crinan, by local fisherman, Chris Brown, and we want to use only sustainable fish stocks."

Head chef, Gregor Barra, said: "I'm very excited about the seafood bar. It makes sense for us to do this as we are so close to the sea; that's what made us famous in the past so we're just getting back to our roots." The seafood bar is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner.

First published in The Argyllshire Courier - Jan 2011

Call Crinan Hotel on 01546 830 261 for reservations and further details

Crinan receives accolades from 'Scotland the Best'

At the head of the Crinan Canal which joins Loch Fyne with the sea, you will find Nick Ryan's landmark hotel in a stunning setting and some of the best seaviews in the UK. Outside on the quay is the boat which has landed those massive prawns sweet clams and other seafood which are cooked very simply and brought to your table.

Nick's own beautiful boat outside your window completes the view. This hotel has long housed one of the great seafood restaurants in the UK; the chef has that sure, light touch. Nick's wife (the notable artist, Frances Macdonald ) pictures of these shorelines and those of son, Ross, are hung around you and for sale. Both lounges on the third floor offer the perfect sunset setting for your apperitif. Last but not least, there are beautiful flowers.

Choose Westward dining room or perfect pub grub in the Seafood Bar.

Crinan 8km off A816 - On coast, 60km south of Oban (Lochgilphead 12km)

Scotland the Best / 2010 (Published by Collins)

Call Crinan Hotel on 01546 830 261 for reservations and further details

crinan gallery in the news

Well known Crinan-based artist, Frances Macdonald, held a private viewing of her first exhibition of 2011 last Saturday on the evening of February 5th.

Entitled 'Frances Macdonald and Gallery Artists', the exhibition takes place in the Gallery of the Crinan Hotel, which Frances owns with her husband, Nick Ryan. As well as displaying work from artists out with the area, the exhibition includes pieces from local artists: Ross Macdonald Ryan. Rob Walker. Rebecca Barnett, Melanie Chmielewska and Caroline Hunter.

The exhibition rims until March 3. Frances also hopes to hold monthly exhibitions with the next one taking place during March and April; it will house a selection of artists from across Scotland.

First published in The Argyllshire Courier - Feb 2011

Call Crinan Hotel on 01546 830 261 for reservations and further details

crinan hotel features in ion magazine

Extract from February 2011 Edition:

Crinan is the sort of place you want to visit, to breathe in the fresh air and marvel at the stunning skyline of mountains and islands that lets you know quite definitely that you're in Scotland.

At first glance, not much happens in Crinan; it's best known historically for the Crinan canal - originally built in 1801 by John Rennie to provide a shortcut for commercial vessels from the Clyde to the inner Hebrides. Now there's the Crinan Hotel! Situated on the west coast in Argyll and Bute, the hotel and its rooms have some of the best views around, overlooking Loch Crinan and out towards the sound of Jura, and the islands of Scarba and Mull.

The hotel boasts a certain air of eccentricity, just like the family who have owned it for the last 40 years, Nick Ryan and his artist wife, Frances MacDonald (be sure to check out her original paintings exhibited in the rooftop gallery). Rooms are clean, spacious and comfortable, with the decor more country farmhouse than boutique chic ... and of course, they all have those picture postcard views.

After a walk along the canal in glorious autumnal sunshine, taking in the spectacular scenery, we dined in the hotel's Westward restaurant; a fine dining restaurant that produces good quality dishes from fresh and local produce. The meal was as enjoyable as you'd get in any of the better restaurants in Edinburgh or Glasgow.

Nick, who had trained in the kitchens of the Queen Mary in another life before becoming owner of the hotel, started the Loch 16 restaurant at Crinan back in 1970, introducing world famous dishes such as Clams Henry Morgan to a reluctant public. Soon, the restaurant was winning awards and had Its own following including Louis Vaudable. the then owner of Maxim's de Paris who visited regularly and had a penchant for the Coquilles St Jacques. Media attention also grew for the restaurant with various holiday programmes choosing to film here, usually paying particular interest in the Jumbo Prawns Corryvreckan, Lock 16's restaurant's signature dish, consisting of fresh jumbo prawns and tropical fruit, that Nick first came across on his travels in the Pitcairn islands.

This year, Crinan Hotel has decided to go back to "its roots and reintroduces Loch 16 seafood restaurant where visitors will tuck into first rate seafood, usually clams, prawns, lobster and white fish, all caught that day by local fishermen in the fishing grounds on the Atlantic side of Jura, and unloaded about 50 metres from the hotel. And Jumbo Prawns Corryvreckan (named after its nearby neighbour, the infamous Corryvreckan whirlpool) are back on the menu.

Loch 16 will undoubtedly be reason alone to travel to Argyll but you'll be even happier you did so when you breathe in that air and breathtaking scenery too... Our own little Padstow of the North!

Call Crinan Hotel on 01546 830 261 for reservations and further details