The Great Glen - JD Wetherspoon — Restaurant in Scotland

I do not normally comment as I believe that everyone has bad days, even restaurants….but this experience merits a review…

So originally we planned on going to another restaurant further down the road, but it started raining heavily and our baby would have ended up soaking wet in the buggy by the time we arrived so we decided to enter the first restaurant which happened to be The Great Glen - JD Wetherspoon.

We waited for a few minutes but nobody greeted us. My wife stopped a waitress to request a table for two adults and a child, only to be told to find one ourselves….STRIKE 1

We found a table that was dirty and sat there. Approximately 15 minutes passed with several waiters passing by but none of them bothered to clean the table. We then asked two different waiters to clear and clean the table but their reply was that they were very busy….fortunately a while later the people sitting next to us left so we put whatever was on our table onto that table and cleaned our table with baby wipes….STRIKE 2

The menu looked vast and interesting so we planned on ordering two dishes that weren’t very common in other restaurants. When we went by the bar to order (because it is self service), we were given a list of items that weren’t being served. Basically all one could order are burgers, pizzas and a few other items….STRIKE 3

Whilst waiting for the table to be cleaned (may I reiterate that we ended up cleaning it ourselves), we noticed two tables being served drinks, so naturally we assumed that drinks were served by the waiters. When we ordered the drinks by the bar, the barmaid took the order and payment, and went on to serve other customers. Some time later, a waitress approached our table with our drinks and told us off because according to her, the barmaid told us to wait for our drinks, which was false….STRIKE 4

After all this, my wife went to have a look at the shop opposite this restaurant before the food arrived. All of a sudden, our baby started crying just like what every baby does. One of the waiters promptly came up to me and said, “so you know, children are not allowed in here after 2200hrs”. I looked at my watch and it was still 2045hrs…..seriously???? You were “too busy” to clean our tables but you found time to say this just because the baby started crying????….STRIKE 5

All in all this was my worst experience in a restaurant so far! Most of the staff were rude and have no idea about how to treat customers. With the rudest staff ever and a terrible service, I strongly DO NOT RECOMMEND this restaurant and in the future, I would much rather sleep hungry than set foot in this...

I prefix every review of a Wetherspoon pub with "It's a Wetherspoon pub..." because I believe in reviewing where you went rather than where you wish you went.

You don't buy a Fiat 500 and then complain that it doesn't have an onboard champagne chiller, lambswool rugs, a home cinema, leather seats, and a twin-turbo V8.

So why do people go in a Wetherspoon location and bellyache that the food is microwaved, you have to make your own tea, the toilets are located in another country, and they don't have that special artisan sake you fell in love with while you were backpacking through Hokkaido?

Wetherspoon is fast, amazingly good value, relatively simple menus with no nasty surprises and a good selection of drinks. You can go in, order your food, and be eating a very good meal in less than twenty minutes. And you can absolutely stuff your face, have a pint or two, and leave with change from a £20 note.

Be realistic, folks.

So, to the review.

This is a lovely place. The staff are quick, efficient, but never unfriendly. The food is tasty, and the price is right.

This was my first visit to Scotland and I felt immediately at home in The Great Glen.

The location, on the High Street, is good. I was staying at Premier Inn in Fort William which is a very brisk ten minute, slightly more leisurely fifteen minute walk away but who cares? (If want something nearer there's a Travelodge next door.)

You wouldn't be in Fort William if you weren't at least a little bit fond of walking, and a stroll before dinner helps you work up an appetite and after dinner when you've eaten a little too much, helps the food go down. There's nothing nicer than a fat, sleepy walk back to the hotel, getting you knackered out and ready to jump in bed with your duvet pulled up to your nose and a movie on TV before it's time to turn in.

And when the Caledonian Sleeper breaks down, or gets lost or delayed (and you know it will) what better way of passing the time than by hitching up in the pub with a big dish of apple crumble and a...

Due to the rainy weather, The Great Glen – JD Wetherspoon was our only option. We were a group of nine, and after ordering food, we decided to get some beers. During our visit, a random ID check was conducted. One of my friends had unfortunately left their ID in the car. We asked if we could swap the beer for a non-alcoholic option like juice, but the staff refused.

What stood out more, however, was the behavior of one of the employees, Ameerah. She took the unopened beer — still with the glass — and placed it in the fridge. I overheard her telling a colleague that she would save it for herself to drink during her break. She said this assuming I didn’t understand English, which came across as both unprofessional and disrespectful.

To make matters worse, when one of my friends politely asked for a glass of tap water, they were told to “drink from the toilet sinks.” That response was not only rude but also completely unacceptable, especially in a hospitality setting.

Ameerah’s overall attitude was dismissive and unwelcoming. She spoke to us with visible frustration and handled the situation with a lack of professionalism and courtesy. Her comment about keeping the customer’s drink for herself raises serious concerns about staff conduct and service standards.

In addition, there was an older man who seemed responsible for clearing tables. He was impatient and abrupt, reaching over us to grab items without saying a word. His behavior made us feel like a burden rather than paying customers who had just ordered food and drinks. There was a general lack of respect and hospitality that tainted the entire experience.

Overall, our visit to The Great Glen was extremely disappointing. What should have been a simple, warm shelter from the rain turned into a surprisingly uncomfortable and disrespectful experience. I hope this feedback is taken seriously, as the conduct we witnessed does not reflect the standards we expected from a JD Wetherspoon...