HOTELIER FAMILY CELEBRATE HALF A CENTURY IN CHARGE OF FAMOUS ROSLIN INN
THE HARRIS family celebrate 50 years of ownership of The Original Rosslyn Inn in Roslin, just south of Edinburgh
Grahame Harris and his son, Richard, run the popular hostelry, and have put together a series of videos which are being released on social media featuring the family, the Original, and its customers and staff, to celebrate and commemorate the last five decades. The Harris family took charge on March 27, 1973, and will celebrate the exact date with a VIP party at the hotel.
The Original HospiTALEity…
Launching their 50 stories for 50 years video project to celebrate everyone involved with the Original Rosslyn Inn over the last 50 years.
Richard Harris 41 said “We feature regulars including Tam Murray, who is almost 80 and worked in the pub when he was a 10 year-old-boy, as well as the staff and family. We also answer lots of questions we are constantly asked – Why are there two dates on the building? What does the inscription above the fire mean? Did Robert Burns actually stay here?
“There are a few anecdotal and urban legend tales that will only ever be told on the barstools of the pub! And my dad, Grahame, obviously has more than a few of his own tales to share!
“We are having a couple of parties – one for trade partners and industry colleagues, and another for our customers. We are delighted to be celebrating with the community”
THE PAST
Grahame Harris, 71, was already a rising star in the hospitality industry when he arrived in the village with his parents Tom and Sheila, and turned the local pub with the main focus on drink, into a thriving hotel, bar and restaurant with the focus on events, good food, and homely coaching inn accommodation.
He said: “My dad wanted to harness my ‘youth and enthusiasm’ and create a family business. It’s been a pleasure to be welcomed into a village community that has given us so much. I’ve enjoyed serving them and being a part of it, and I take great pride in seeing Richard carry on the tradition. I have a few grandchildren I am hoping will want to be the fourth generation of Harris’s to run the business. And they and Richard have an advantage on me – they are Roslin natives. I’ll always be a ‘townie’ until my dying day!”
Over their 50 years, the Harris family has encountered ups and downs in its’ time as the Inn’s custodians, not least the Covid pandemic of 2020, and the surge of tourism in the village following Dan Brown’s best seller The Da Vinci Code putting the spotlight on the 16th century Rosslyn Chapel, just down the road from the Original. The neighbouring business, Dolly’s Tea Room, run by Richard’s wife, celebrates Roslin’s other claim to fame, the world’s first cloned animal, Dolly the sheep.
THE PRESENT
Hear the legendary STORIES over a drink or a meal. DINE with family & friends- for special events or celebrations or special occasions. STAY in well appointed rooms or attend LOCAL MUSIC EVENTS. Enjoy the WELCOME from the team.
Check out all the latest events.
THE FUTURE
Despite the challenges of the last few years, Richard is firmly forward focused and is ready to take the Original into the next phase, with modernisations of the accommodation, including green energy improvements, assisted by the Midlothian Business Gateway.
He said: “Our major goal for the next phase of the Original is to modernise our conservatory and create a space that brings the garden inside – we want to utilise our large garden space for safe, family dining.
“We are passionate about making green energy improvements and improving our green credentials. We’re exploring ground source heat pumps, consulting with planners about solar panels, and are excited about the advances in battery storage.
“We also want to expand our story-telling – our hospiTALEity, if you will and plan to have QR codes around the premises that will answer a lot of the guests’ questions about the legends of the hotel and the village.
“Most of all we continue to do what we do because we love doing it, and we hope that shows in the services we provide.”
Ends
1/3/2023
For more info, interviews, images, email: richard@toriteam.co.uk
Visit: www.theoriginalrosslyninn.co.uk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/originalrosslyn
LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/company/the-original-rosslyn-hotel
Instagram:https://instagram.com/theoriginalrosslyninn
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheOriginalRosslynInn
Notes to Editors:
- The Original Rosslyn Inn has been a family run business since 1827
- Grahame and Maureen Harris took over the business in 1973. Their son Richard’s wife Amy has run the neighbouring business, Chapelcross Guest House, and Dolly’s Tea Room, since 2013.
- Famous guests to have stayed at the Original over the years include Robert Burns, William Wordsworth, and Sir Walter Scott.
- The Original Rosslyn Inn has seven en-suite hotel rooms, and services offered include a family restaurant, private dining, a cocktail lounge, a piano bar, private events and functions, including weddings, christenings, funerals, bus parties, group bookings and corporate events,
- The Original has 10 full-time members of staff, and between 10-15 part-time/seasonal staff.
- Mr Harris’s Pate is still a firm favourite on the restaurant menu, and prepared to specific instruction and under the watchful eye of Grahame.
