Wick Hotelier Fined £2 for Booze Violation and Dunnet Head Hotel Plans

Wick: So, there was this hotel owner in Wick, James Cormack, who got into a bit of trouble. He was fined £2 because he had way too much booze at his hotel. Apparently, he had over 13 gallons of whisky and a bunch of other spirits. The court found out he was keeping more than a gallon of excisable liquor, which is a big no-no.

His defense was that a lot of the liquor was there before the town went dry, and some belonged to private parties who didn’t want to get involved in the court mess. They just let it go. Cormack claimed he didn’t know he was breaking the law, but the magistrates weren’t too lenient. They took the booze, worth about £100, and said it would be sold, with the cash going to local funds.

On another note, there’s some buzz about a new hotel project at Dunnet Head. The Caithness Planning Committee is backing it and wants the Secretary of State for Scotland to approve it. But a housing plan for the same spot got shot down. Some locals were worried it might hurt tourism, but the planning officer thinks it could actually bring more visitors.

Local MP Robert Maclennan isn’t too keen on the hotel idea, calling it unrealistic. He reminded everyone that they still want to focus on industrial development in the area. It’s a mixed bag of opinions, but it looks like the hotel idea is still on the table.