Reviving Highland Culture: What I’ve learned on the journey of creating MacGregor’s Bars and Blazin’ Fiddles.
By Bruce Macgregor, Macgregor’s Hospitality
https://www.macgregorsbars.comIn the heart of Inverness, MacGregor’s Bar stands as more than just a pub. It has become a hub of community, music and identity – a place where Scottish and Highland culture is not only preserved but celebrated. Its story is intertwined with our renowned group, Blazin’ Fiddles – together, they offer a lesson in how cultural tourism can transform a nation’s sense of self.
Blazin’ Fiddles began with a moment of realisation abroad. While visiting a fiddle school in California, I was struck by the passion American musicians had for Scottish music. They adored Scotland, yet they assumed the tradition had all but disappeared back home. That assumption sparked the creation of Blazin’ Fiddles – an effort to bring Scottish music back into the spotlight, both domestically and internationally.
As the band toured the world, one detail stood out: nearly every post-gig gathering took place in an Irish pub. Night after night, the same thought returned – why were Irish pubs everywhere, but barely any Scottish equivalents? Scotland, a country with a deep love of music and one of the richest cultures in the world, had not created spaces abroad that proudly carried its cultural identity.
That question inspired MacGregor’s Bar in Inverness. Since opening, it has been named Best Bar in Scotland twice, as well as Best Music Bar twice. Travel writer Rick Steves has even hailed it as one of Scotland’s must-visit cultural destinations. Why? Because it embodies exactly what cultural tourism should deliver: authentic experiences rooted in music, history and community.
And yet, Scotland still lags behind. In Ireland, four out of five visitors note music and culture as their reason for travel, generating around €10 billion annually for the Irish economy. By comparison, the Highlands lack a clear cultural tourism strategy. Talented young musicians graduate from prestigious programs, but too often they leave Scotland to pursue opportunities elsewhere. Initiatives such as Fèis, Gaelic choirs and pipe bands – pillars of preserving and celebrating our cultural heritage – struggle for sustainable funding.
We cannot take these traditions for granted. Without proper investment and a framework for cultural tourism, the pipeline of talent and the vibrancy of Scottish music are at risk. Visitors driving the North Coast 500 may complete the route in a day or two, but without structured cultural experiences along the way, they leave without truly connecting to the heartbeat of the Highlands.
The successes of Blazin’ Fiddles and MacGregor’s Bar show what is possible when music, culture, and community come together. Now the Highlands must build on that momentum. Cultural tourism is not just an economic opportunity – it is a way of keeping traditions alive, of telling our Scottish and Highland story to the world, and of ensuring future generations inherit a culture that is thriving, not fading.
At our event in August, The Highlands in focus – unlocking the Highlands potential as a global leader in sustainability, tourism and cultural ambassador for the Highlands, and indeed, for Scotland, Bruce MacGregor joined the panel to give his thoughts on the future of our cultural heritage and how an investment strategy is critically needed to ensure it is protected, celebrated and shared with the world.
Our community interest company’s vision is for the Highlands to become a global leader in sustainable development, investing together and across the region in our cultural heritage, communities, the local economy and our environment.
Bruce will also be joining the tourism panel at The Highland Sustainable Development Summit on 26th November 2025 at the Kingsmills Hotel in Inverness. Find out more and get tickets here.