Gillian Grant

Gillian Grant, 39, is the duty manager of Inverness' Redcliffe Hotel. She calls herself an 'honorary Invernesian' as she has spent almost twenty years living and working in the city centre. Gillian tells us about the changes she has noticed throughout the city and how this 'big town' has evolved.

“I was born just outside of Helensburgh in Rue but have lived in Inverness for 18 years. It felt like the big smoke when I first moved here coming from such a small place. I live here now with my partner and my 5 year old daughter, who is definitely an Invernesian! I can really see myself staying here for the foreseeable future. Inverness is home to me now.

There have been a lot of changes in Inverness over the last 5, 10 years. When I moved here, it wasj just a big town. It didn't have all the businesses you would expect. Now, you can see that that's no longer the case and it's a proper city. Housing has expanded a great deal. Sometimes I feel like the shopping side of the city centre is lacking a bit. There are retail units lying empty. I suppose that's to do with retail parks but then we all love our retail parks! It's a real shame when the butcher, the baker and the candlestick maker go. Luckily, there are new places opening up all the time to keep the city centre thriving.

Before starting at The Redcliffe, I worked in an Italian restaurant called 'Palio' in Queensgate, in the city centre. A local couple bought the building and renovated it. It used to be a building society. The restaurant was open for 9 years and I was with them from the very beginning, right through to when they sold it. It was a real shame when that happened. It was popular, lots of people liked it and full of great, fresh food. It was probably the only authentic Italian restaurant in the city centre at the time, specialising in hand-thrown pizzas. A lot of Palio's customers visit me here, at the Redcliffe, and they really miss that good quality mediterranean food. It's great that Zizzi is bringing that real Italian flavour back to Inverness. I've been to a branch in Leith and the menu really is beautiful. It seems relaxed and easy going. Somewhere that you can visit with your girlfriends or sit with your partner in a candle lit table in the corner. I want somewhere I can go and have a meal with my daughter that serves great olives and salads. She's not a cheese pizza kind of girl!

Inverness' history is great for drawing the tourists' in which is something that we really rely on. But for the people that live here, it doesn't make a great impact. I suppose it's the same as anywhere else; when something's on your doorstep, you don't bother with it as much. I'm certainly proud to be an Invernesian, or rather I call myself an 'honorary Imvernesian'! The beauty of Inverness and where it is placed is that you can go 2 miles out in any direction and you're in the country. You can cycle, you can hike, you can climb the mountains. There are lots of outdoor pursuits but Inverness is not completely on the outskirts. It's definitely becoming more and more accessible. Inverness is such a beautiful part of the country and now it's opening up to the world.”