When mental health issues threaten to overwhelm, there are people and places who can help - and the death of Craig Scott has highlighted that the community needs to work together to support each other. Blythe Robertson reports ahead of World Mental Heath Day on Thursday 10th October.
It was a grim old January day. I was in the woods not far from the Royal Brackla distillery with my friend. We’d just scattered the ashes of his late father. Battling against intermittent phone signal, a message came through asking: “You going to be near Aberdeen?” It was from Craig Scott (pictured), the owner of Bartenders Lounge, a bar I’d reviewed for Class and been hugely impressed by.
It was blowing a hoolie. When we got to the local tavern for a much-needed pint of Tennent’s lager and plate of scran, I checked the train and bus schedules. I was met with a red and amber board of cancellations and delays caused by the storm.
I replied to the message: “The weather is against me, sadly. Next time.” The reply came back with the “Next time”, followed by a heartbreak emoji. A few weeks later I saw that same heartbreak emoji from a succession of friends on my social media timeline and I got an awful sinking feeling. Much to my dismay, it was later confirmed that Craig had died by suicide.
In the aftermath of Craig’s death, there was a sense that people struggled to put their emotions into words or articulate things in ways that expressed their own personal grief while respecting the devastation felt by Craig’s family and close friends.
Lachlan Rooney, director at the legendary Voodoo Rooms in Edinburgh, was a long-standing friend of Craig. He said: “Craig’s death hit me pretty hard. In the early days I guided him into the industry, and helped him to learn the art of cocktail making. We eventually ended up in very similar roles.
Subsequently, I worried about the continuing impact I was feeling in my own high-stress situation. I’m grateful that I’ve been able to take a step back and reflect on things, and I think it’s so important for others to do the same.”
Friend and former colleague Ryan Snedden chose a visual tribute (see photos below). He has established a photo project designed to build awareness and offer a safe space for the type of personal connection and interaction that can be so vital at supporting people’s day-to-day mental wellness. Ryan said: “After a decade in the hospitality industry I’m no stranger to the dark depths of mental health. For years I’ve wanted to showcase the emotion behind the faces of individuals within the industry. I was finally ready to share space with hospitality legends and open up and discuss mental health as openly as they would allow me to, all while taking some headshots, and so the mental health portrait project was born."
Active supporter
Craig himself was an active supporter of mental health issues. He’d cycled to Paris in 2023 in support of The Lighthouse, a non-profit organisation in Perth providing a place of safety for people who are at a crisis point of self-harm/suicide. He’d supported the establishment of a hospitality mental health network in Aberdeen, hosting the first events at the bar.
Ahsoka Wallace was the driving force behind establishing that network and said: “Craig meant the world to me. He inspired me to stay in hospitality when I was at my lowest point in my life. I’m now working at Callooh Callay in London, a move I couldn’t have made without Craig’s support, along with support and guidance from organisations like Equal Measures UK. I recently contributed to work with Healthy Hospo for Neurodiversity Week. I’ll never forget the impact he had on my career as he encouraged me on a positive path forward and that growth helped me develop as an individual.”
Catherine Eadie, the founder of MH Scot Workplace Wellbeing, a social enterprise focusing on stress prevention and early mental health intervention in the workplace, offered practical advice for businesses to consider: “Creating a supportive work environments is more important than ever in the hospitality sector. MH Scot has partnered with industry leaders like Whyte & Mackay, The Scottish Whisky Experience, Beam Suntory, and Apex Hotels to create comprehensive mental health strategies. There is a critical opportunity for businesses of all sizes to strengthen their commitment to workplace mental health, thereby dramatically influencing their communities and the industry as a whole.”
Suicide is still a heavily stigmatised subject for many. The language around mental health awareness is gaining a stronger foothold. There are better supports in place across society and specifically for the hospitality community. Excellent work has been done, but it’s an ongoing issue and at times feels like a continuing uphill struggle.
Kaitlin Wilkes, from the Ada Coleman Project, summed things up: “I suppose the real feeling is you never truly know if someone is struggling. Craig’s death came as a huge shock to all of us in the hospitality community in Scotland. I feel this has definitely underscored the vital importance of connecting with one another. There is immense strength in peer-to-peer discussions about the hardships we face and the experiences we endure in our industry. As a community, we have to be more open in discussing mental health issues and be proactive in guiding our colleagues to the right resources. Knowing you aren’t alone in your feelings can be incredibly empowering.”
Bartenders Lounge has reopened and continues to thrive. Craig’s mum Michelle has stepped in to steer strategic direction while the business is in transition. She said: “The Cigarettes & Alcohol, one of our most popular cocktails, created by Craig, will remain a constant on our menu. But much of Craig’s best work was done behind the scenes. In lots of ways, what the bar achieves in the future is built on the positive environment and solid foundations that Craig put in place.”
For me, one of the undoubted joys of having been a part of the Scottish and wider UK hospitality community in recent years has been that strong sense of kinship. We’ve been pretty good at identifying some of the major challenges in the sector, then working together to design better ways to address them. We need to take Lachlan’s advice and reflect on what Craig’s life and death tells us, then think about what we can learn from him so we can make sure to honour his spirit, teachings, wisdom and love in all we do in the future.
Here are some of the resources available, should you need them: The Samaritans; The Lighthouse, Perth; Equal Measures UK; Health & Social Care Alliance’s ALISS; Ewen’s Room; James Support Group; MH Scot Workplace Wellbeing.