Residents petition Stonegate to retain bar’s ‘creepy aesthetic’
Slains Castle, situated in Aberdeen, currently takes inspiration from Bram Stoker’s Dracula and is managed under the Eerie Pubs Company.
However, Stonegate Pub Company is set to change the site into a Slug & Lettuce venue.
An anonymous petition against this change has received almost 2,000 signatures and takes issue with a change in music selection.
Generic establishment
It reads: “Stonegate pubs are wanting to turn Slains in Aberdeen into a Slug & Lettuce.
“The only reason business is failing at Slains at the minute is because Stonegate pubs tried to appeal to the masses by playing chart hits and having acoustic nights, which completely defeats the point of having a creepy aesthetic.
“Sign this petition if you want to see Slains returned to its former glory, with rock music and live bands, not becoming another generic establishment.”
The pubco said it would respect the building’s historic status, a converted church that was built in the early 19th century.
The site’s current name makes reference to the cliff-side ruined castle said to inspire the vampire novel.
Exploring options
A spokesperson for Stonegate said: “Stonegate operates a range of types and styles of venues, and often assesses and explores the opportunities for the various brands and concepts across the businesses.
“Given Slaines Castle is a Grade B-listed building, we are exploring the options open to us as we plan our future investments.”
Plans to install new illuminated signage at the bar were approved by Aberdeen City Council.
Stonegate will seek more acquisitions in 2019, after growing its portfolio to almost 800 sites, The Morning Advertiser reported earlier this year.
