Famous Highland pub and nightclub put up for sale by founder
He has continued to operate it ever since but has now decided to put the venue up for sale through Christie & Co. The Irish-themed bar and restaurant has a capacity for around 520 people while The Den is Inverness' only nightclub.
It claims to be 'Home to the best Craic in the city' as part of its selling point and is known for live music seven nights a week, a selection of food and its riverside venue.
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Simon Watson, Business Agent at Christie & Co, is managing the sale and said, 'Being a frequent visitor to Inverness over the past 25 years, I have always enjoyed a night in Foxes.
'I am very excited to work on behalf of Don Lawson and his team to market Johnny Foxes and The Den, without doubt one of the most iconic and exciting opportunities on the Scottish hospitality scene. We are confident that there will be no shortage of interest.'
The remaining 25 years of the lease are also available to purchase.
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Edinburgh Reporter
3 hours ago
- Edinburgh Reporter
Winter fuel payment announced in England and Wales means uplift for Scotland
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It is believed that means-testing of the Winter Fuel Payment will save around £450 million, subject to certification by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) compared to the system of Winter Fuel Payments for everyone regardless of income. In Scotland this payment is devolved and the UK Government said the government will receive a 'mechanical uplift' in their funding as a result of the change in England and Wales. It is thought that might be around £100 million. Social Justice Secretary, Shirley Anne Somerville, said: 'The UK Government's decision to cut the winter fuel payment was a betrayal of millions of pensioners and that is why the Scottish Government took action to introduce a winter heating payment for all pensioners in Scotland. 'I welcome any extension of eligibility by the UK Government, but this is a U-turn the Chancellor should have made a long time ago. But there is still no detail about how the Chancellor intends to go about that. Unfortunately, it still sounds as if many pensioners will miss out. 'We have once again not been consulted on the policy and its implications in Scotland and will scrutinise the proposals carefully when then are announced. I would therefore urge the UK Government to ensure the Scottish Government is fully appraised of the proposed changes as soon as possible. 'The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government wrote to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury last week to urge the UK Government to share its plans with us as quickly as possible, so that we can understand any implications for our own programmes and, crucially, our budget.' Previously the UK Government announced that Winter Fuel Payments would be restricted to pensioners in receipt of Pension Credit. When First Minister, John Swinney, attended the round table meeting in London at the end of May he asked the prime minister to restore winter fuel payments to all pensioners regardless of means. The costs will be accounted for at the Budget and incorporated into the next OBR forecast. The Chancellor said she will take decisions on funding in the round at that forecast to 'ensure the government's non-negotiable fiscal rules are met', and confirmed that this will not lead to permanent additional borrowing. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, said: 'Targeting Winter Fuel Payments was a tough decision, but the right decision because of the inheritance we had been left by the previous government. It is also right that we continue to means-test this payment so that it is targeted and fair, rather than restoring eligibility to everyone including the wealthiest. 'But we have now acted to expand the eligibility of the Winter Fuel Payment so no pensioner on a lower income will miss out. This will mean over three quarters of pensioners receiving the payment in England and Wales later this winter.' HMRC will reclaim the payment from anyone earning more than £35,000 and no-one is required to take any action or register for the payment. Winter Fuel Payments are worth £200 per household, or £300 per household where there is someone over 80. Shared payments are made to pensioners not on an income-related benefit. Scottish Labour Scottish Labour Social Security spokesperson, Paul O'Kane, said: 'This is welcome news that will bring even more money to Scotland – on top of the record funding settlement Labour delivered in the budget. 'The last Tory government left our public finances in chaos but Labour has made good progress cleaning up the mess it inherited. 'The Winer Fuel Payment is a devolved payment in Scotland and Scottish Labour has long been clear that we want to see it reinstated for the majority of pensioners up here – but despite their loud spin, the SNP voted against our attempts to do so. 'The SNP must not go ahead with plans that would rob poorer pensioners in order to fund payments for millionaires. 'The SNP must re-examine their own proposals in light of this game-changing announcement, ensure payments reach those most in need, and give a cast-iron guarantee that no struggling Scottish pensioners will be left out of pocket under their plans.' Scottish Greens Scottish Greens Social Security spokesperson Maggie Chapman MSP said: 'Cutting the Winter Fuel Payment was one of the first acts of this Labour government. Elected on a promise of 'change' they brought in sweeping austerity that harmed older people across the UK at a time when the cost of living remains sky high. 'There is no doubt that the damage has already been done, families will have lost loved ones, and illnesses will have been caused over the winter months because of the brutal decision by Rachel Reeves and the Labour Government. 'Labour's cutting of the Winter Fuel Payment, refusal to end the two-child benefit cap and regressive austerity measures are forcing people into poverty in Scotland and across the UK 'The reinstatement of the Winter Fuel Payment for some is a welcome move, but we must go further, the Labour government must end the two-child benefit cap which hits working class families the hardest, and they must reverse their cruel austerity policies. 'Poverty isn't inevitable. It's a political policy, a policy which Rachel Reeves has forced upon hundreds of thousands of people across the UK. If Keir Starmer has any shame, he would finally call an end to her disastrous time as Chancellor.' Independent Age Chief Executive Joanna Elson, CBE, said:'We are pleased that the UK Government has listened to the voices of older people on a low income and reconsidered what was an incredibly damaging change to the Winter Fuel Payment. By widening the eligibility criteria, more older people in financial hardship will now receive this vital lifeline in time for winter. 'Our helpline receives thousands of calls from older people making drastic cutbacks just to get by and the changes to the Winter Fuel Payment made this worse. For millions living on low incomes, the entitlement supports them to turn their heating on and stock up on food during the colder months. 'While the changes to the Winter Fuel Payment are positive, they are not a silver bullet that will end pensioner poverty. Around 2 million older people still live in poverty, and measures must be taken to ensure the long-term financial security of all people in later life. There needs to be a cross-party consensus on the adequate income needed in later life to avoid financial hardship. Once this is established, every older person should be supported to receive this amount. Nobody should have to live in poverty as they age.' Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: 'Commonsense has finally prevailed as the winter fuel cut is reversed for most pensioners. Whilst this is an important step forward, questions will be asked about how this disastrous decision was made in the first place, the damage may not easily be reversed. 'Leadership is about choices and the choice to pit workers against pensioners was simply wrong. 'Instead of what seems to be a never-ending cycle of cuts, Labour needs to revisit the fiscal rules and bite the bullet on a wealth tax. Britain is the sixth richest economy in the world, the idea that we would be picking the pockets of our pensioners was unnecessary and unforgivable.' When the government announced it was cutting the winter fuel payment, Unite mounted a campaign to get the decision overturned. This included organising a vote at Labour conference opposing the cut in winter fuel payments, and grassroots campaigning which got the cut partially reversed in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Westminster Like this: Like Related
Leader Live
4 hours ago
- Leader Live
TikTok creating more than 500 new British jobs as UK users top 30 million
The Chinese-owned social media firm said its UK workforce would expand to 3,000 this year as part of its 'deep commitment' to the UK. It will also open a new 135,000sq ft office in London's Barbican, which is set to open early next year. The group already has its UK headquarters in Farringdon, London, which were opened in 2022. TikTok unveiled the plans as it said it now has more than 30 million regular users in the UK each month, which makes the market is biggest user community in Europe. Adam Presser, director of TikTok UK and global head of operations and trust and safety, said: 'Whether through direct investment in jobs and innovation, or the wider economic contribution from millions of British businesses on TikTok, we're pleased to be increasing our investment and presence here in the UK, an important hub for TikTok.' But it comes after Cabinet minister Pete Kyle signalled he was looking at measures to restrict the amount of time children spend on their phones, including through a possible 10pm curfew. Mr Kyle was asked on Sunday morning whether he would look at limiting the time children spend on social media to two hours per app after the Sunday People and Mirror reported the measure was being considered by ministers. The Online Safety Act has passed into law, and from this year will require tech platforms to follow new Ofcom-issued codes of practice to keep users safe online, particularly children. Hefty fines and site blockages are among the penalties for those caught breaking the rules, but many critics have argued the approach gives tech firms too much scope to regulate themselves. TikTok's Mr Presser said that, as well as its UK expansion plans, the group also invests 'significantly' in safety. He said: 'What underpins our continued growth is our deep commitment to safety and to creating an enjoyable and secure digital space to sustainably support creators, entrepreneurs and the wider economy, which is why we also invest significantly in safety.' TikTok first launched its UK operations in 2018 and is financially incorporated in Britain. The group was fined 530 million euro (£446 million) by the Irish data protection watchdog last month for breaching EU privacy rules around transferring user data to China. The video-sharing app was also sanctioned for not being transparent with users about where personal data was being sent and ordered the platform to comply with data protection rules within six months. TikTok said it would appeal against the decision. The social media giant, which is owned by China-based ByteDance, has been under scrutiny from regulators around the world over how it handles personal data, and is also facing a ban in the United States over its China links, which the US government has said is a national security issue.
Scotsman
5 hours ago
- Scotsman
Edinburgh institution Ali's Cave to close after 44 years
An Edinburgh institution which has been serving locals for more than four decades has announced it will close its doors for the final time this summer. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Ali's Cave is one of the Scottish capital's largest independent stores and is a one stop shop for household, DIY and seasonal products. The family-run business arrived at Lothian Road in 1988 and has been a familiar sight to anyone that has lived in the capital since. But with recent years seeing a decline in footfall owing to changes to shopping habits and neighbouring offices relocating to different parts of the city, the owners behind one of Lothian Road's flagship shops have made the difficult decision to close in August. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Father and son, Anwar and Adnan Ulhaq have announced their legendary Edinburgh shop, Ali's Cave will close in the summer | NW Speaking to the Evening News, Anwar Ulhaq, who founded the business with his brothers, said: 'It is with a sad heart that we're having to close the doors. 'I'll miss coming in and seeing regular faces and this will be an emotional time, but everything moves on I suppose. Life changes and you've got to move on, but I will miss the conversations with the customers. 'Business trends have changed and the customer flow has decreased in the city centre. We used to depend a lot on office workers and I think that's the same for a lot of the trade in this area in city. But with fewer workers coming into the financial district, that has made it difficult for us to survive.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The family opened their first Edinburgh shop in South Bridge in 1981, before relocating to a larger venue in Lothian Road seven years later, where it became one of the city's most well-known shops. Ali's Cave first opened in Edinburgh's South Bridge in 1981. The shop name derived fro Anwar's father's name, Ahmed Ali Recalling the early days at South Bridge, the 67-year-old said: 'We wanted to provide a service for the local community so we could help them as much with all the products that they need for everyday use. We tried to provide value for money. 'We were so successful at Southbridge we thought we needed another unit and Lothian Road looked like the right site. Lothian Road was a lot quieter at that time - Earl Grey Street was mostly empty apart from Goldbergs at the back - but it was still good enough to trade and it got a lot busier later on.' Anwar's son and fellow co-owner, Adnan Ulhaq, said: 'I always wanted to carry on our family business because this shop has meant so much to so many people and means so much to our family. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'We know a lot of regulars, including one lady called Charlotte who is 104 years-old and has lived in Grindlay Street her whole life. Customers like her become a part of the fabric to us and part of our family. 'The banter and rapport we have with the elderly is fantastic because while we may speak to a lot of people every day, we might be the only people they speak to every day so we always make them feel special. I think it's very important and I think that's why a lot of our customers keep coming back to us. 'The strength of Ali's Cave has seen us survive the recession in the 1980s, the 2008 crisis and Covid - we were always able to act very quickly on what our customers wanted. But due to the downturn in office workers coming in, with Standard Life being closed at the moment, with Aberdeen Asset being closed, with Capital House becoming a Premier Inn - there's a lot of empty offices in Edinburgh's financial hub at the moment. I think that has played a part in helping us make the decision to close down. Ali's Cave is set to close in early August, with the popular shop offering a 50 per cent discount on all products starting next week. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Sharing a final message to their loyal customers, Adnan said: 'Thank you very much for all the support over the years. You've made a small family feel very appreciated. As a small business we feel very fortunate to have built so many relationships throughout the community.'
