Iconic Scottish whisky bar put up for sale

One of Scotland's most iconic whisky bars has been put up for sale by its owners. 

Published 6th Mar 2019
Updated 21 st Sep 2023

The Grill in Aberdeen is considered to be one of the best whisky bars in the north east, if not the country, and has been serving drinkers in Aberdeen as a bar for nearly a century.

The Grill in Aberdeen. Picture: Trip Advisor

Put up for the sale by the family who have run the bar since the 70s, it has been listed on the market by Christie & Co for offers around the £1 million mark.

Hugely popular for its traditional interior and extensive whisky collection on its gantry, The Grill hit the headlines in 1973 when a group of women, who weren't allowed to drink in the premises at the time, stormed the pub.

Having previously featured a sign on its door saying ‘no ladies please’, the protesters with and the ensuing Sex Discrimination Act forcing the bar to rethink its policy.

Some things never change though and the bar, which featured in a film about the incident in 2018, only installed a female toilet in 1998.

Now more famous for its status as a haven for whisky fans, the Union Street bar is considered something of a 'must visit' for fans of the uisge beatha visiting the north east.

Director at Christie & Co Stuart Drysdale told online magazine The Social that this is the first time the pub has been on the market in more than four decades.

He said: “The Grill presents a new owner with the rare opportunity to acquire a pub which has been a part of the local leisure circuit for over a century.

“The Aberdeen institution is available for sale on the open market for the first time in 48 years. A traditional wet led pub, The Grill enjoys consistently healthy levels of profit with a strong management and staff team in place.

“The owners have decided to sell to enjoy their retirement and we expect a good amount of interest from local and national operators.”

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Driven by a passion for all things drinks-related, Sean writes for The Scotsman extensively on the subject. He can also sometimes be found behind the bar at the world famous Potstill bar in Glasgow where he continues to enhance his whisky knowledge built up over 10 years advising customers from all over the world on the wonders of our national drink. Recently, his first book was published. Dubbed Gin Galore, it explores Scotland's best gins and the stories behind those that make them.
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