It has become too frequent an experience in Lochgilphead to be stopped by tourists from all over the UK and the world and asked an awkward question: "Would you recommend anywhere in town for dinner?"
The honest - and lamentable - answer is that there are precious few dinner options in this famous wee town for tourists and residents alike.
This is a huge missed opportunity for the community and visitors alike. Compare and contrast with the restaurant options in busy Inveraray and Tarbert.
Lochgilphead has very good daytime cafes that offer great food and service - but the town’s only offering for dinner is the excellent but small Taj Mahal, which mostly concentrates on take-out meals.
At present, the only hotel in Lochgilphead that is open is the Stag Hotel, which offers rooms and a public bar - but dinner is for residents only.
The Argyll Inn and the Victoria Hotel are both currently closed - as is the once-bustling pub, The Commercial Bar.
The result is that while Lochgilphead can be busy during the day, the town can seem a sorry and dreary town of an evening as tourists and locals who want to eat out head to nearby towns.
Our research shows that councillors and officials of Argyll and Bute Council fully understand how bad the situation is - and are ready and keen to put things right.
But for that to happen, the owners of the closed hotels and pub need to get on board and work hand in hand with the council to give Lochgilphead a thriving evening economy once again.
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