7 daysin thelife of

Effie MacRitchie, general manager of The Ceilidh Place in Ullapool, where Easter trade is suffering due to foot-and-mouth Monday

NO two days are the same in this job. As general manager, I have to oversee everything, which includes the running of the bookshop, coffee shop and hotel. I've been in the business for 31 years and every day is different. Not your average nine-to-five job, I can tell you. I usually start work at about 7am, depending on what needs to be done. The foot-and-mouth crisis has proved to be a bit of a nightmare, especially here in the Highlands. We are normally fully booked for Easter and the weekends in March are also very busy. This year, it has just not happened and the whole area has suffered.

Tonight's local action group met to discuss the crisis. It was well-attended and got a really positive outcome. It has been agreed that some people will get together to create a professional database to let businesses and tourists know this area is still open for business. Certainly, trade is starting to pick up now but that is bound to happen over a holiday period.

Tuesday

WE have not taken on any more staff this Easter because we've not needed to due to the crisis. It is the guests who suffer too. We mainly get Americans visiting us or people from central Scotland but there have been lots of cancellations from walking groups who still think this area is not safe. They have cancelled as far in advance as mid-June. The Highlands are a big hit with climbers too and a lot of our custom is from these groups. Unfortunately, there is very little we can do except sit tight and hope that it will be all be over soon.

Wednesday I'VE got today and tomorrow off work so have left the other 15 staff in charge while I get stuck into the usual household chores. It is my sister-in-law's 50th birthday on Saturday and so I've been helping my brother organise a surprise party for her. She is from Australia and so there are going to be lots of people both past and present there to wish her well. It should be a really good night. The cake is absolutely huge. About 3ft by 2ft and will be decorated with lots of things relating to her life.

Thursday

THE garden needed a good clear-out, so I spent most of today trying to make some headway.

Friday

BACK to work today. We're currently adjusting our menus for the summer and are naturally taking foot-and-mouth concerns into consideration. It might become difficult to get meat. We already sell a lot of vegetable-based dishes so it wouldn't be a problem to introduce more if need be. So far, our supplies have not had any trouble getting through to us. Let's hope it stays that way.

Tonight, we have a traditional songwriter - Iain Macdonald - performing. We get all kinds of entertainment throughout the week but not on any specific night. We approach performers and they approach us, which works out well. If musicians are passing through and we can get them to perform, they're always a big hit with the guests.

Weekend

AGAIN, no two weekends are the same and that is what makes the job so enjoyable. Since the coffee shop started life in 1970, the whole Ceilidh Place business has grown from strength to strength. We have 13 rooms in the hotel itself and a further 11 in a bunkhouse across the street, which we affectionately refer to as "roughing it". I am always kept busy and, despite trade not being as good as normal, it can be guaranteed that this weekend will keep all the staff on their toes. Last night, we had a group called Shine performing in the hotel, with a traditional singer and clrsachs, which gives a real authentic feel to the night.

The hotel is in a nice wee spot so all this traditional music adds a nice touch to the atmosphere. It is not just Scottish music that is performed here. There are also a good number of classical, jazz and blues musicians who come and play. We hope that, by the end of May, we'll have evening entertainment four nights a week and that trade will pick up to its usual heights before too long.

Interview by Sheena Macrae

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