A WELL-KENT island bar frequented by showbiz stars including Chick Young is in the running for a Scottish pub Oscars.

The Tavern on Millport's Glasgow Street has made the shortlist in the best customer category just months after new owners Tracy Hunter and Ian McBride.

The couple took over in May from long-serving Bobby and Jean Clark, who had run the popular hostelry for three decades.

Tracey said: "We are absolutely thrilled to be nominated, especially so soon after getting behind the bar.

"Bobby and Jean are local legends - in fact Bobby still comes in and still helps out doing shifts on Saturday afternoons. "We have a regular clientele who are terrific and very loyal - and we just had Chick Young in again last weekend!".

Tracey is originally from Jordanhill in Glasgow, but has lived on the island for the past 20 years, working in various jobs including at an estate agency and in hair and make-up. Ian is a retired designer engineer.

Tracey added: "He turns 70 this year so it would be the perfect birthday present if we could scoop the Oscar. "We always make sure we give a warm welcome to everyone who comes through the door. We take great pride in it as there are not many of these traditional island pubs left.

"We have made a couple of wee tweaks to the bar and some changes to the beer garden area. It's been money well spent to make The Tavern as presentable and sociable as possible."

The Oscar nomination came about as a result of licensed trade entrepreneur Susan Young, who is completing Scotland’s biggest pub crawl in the build up to the 24th industry awards

Susan has the challenge of checking a record 8,000 nominations in the quest to finding the bars and pubs that have made the biggest impression on Scottish customers this year.

The publisher of the DRAM and Hotel Magazine Scotland, who has travelled from Millport to Rothes, said: “Visiting and writing about great pubs and bars for a living and meeting extraordinary and dedicated people like Tracey and Ian is the best job in the world."

The Scottish Bar and Pub Awards 2019, hosted by the DRAM take place this week in the Hilton Hotel in Glasgow.

Photos: Alan Cawley