Jock's Bar 

A Community of Tradition and Atmosphere.

Jock’s Bar is our traditional bar that has a thousand tales to tell. Come in for a dram, watch the match and join in with the lively conversation. It was named after John ‘Jock’ Robertson a former owner and a real Meldrum character. ‘Jock’s Nights’ were legendary in the village.  The atmosphere and tradition continues on!

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Morris’s Hotel is the proud host of two blue plaques. The Hotel was the home of two of Aberdeenshire’s most famous Doric musicians.

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Willie Kemp

This singer, entertainer and broadcaster was born in Oldmeldum in 1889 and grew up in the tradition of the bothy ballad. His parents owned this Hotel and he entertained the customers which then led him to become a popular entertainer in church and village halls. He became well known as a broadcaster with the opening of the BBC Aberdeen studio in 1923, and between 1929 and 1939 he recorded for the Beltona label. Popularly known as The King o’ the Cornkisters he continued to make stage appearances almost up to the time of his death in 1965.

George Morris

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George Smith Morris was known as The Buchan Chiel. He was born in Aberdeen in 1876 and died in 1958. He is best known as a singer and writer of Doric comic songs. George started out as a blacksmith but in 1912 he married Agnes Kemp, the sister of Willie Kemp and moved to Oldmeldrum in 1919 where the Kemp family ran a hotel business.  During his time in Oldmeldrum he started performing and writing. By 1930 he came to the attention of the Beltona record label and during the following decade he recorded more than 40 pieces, either bothy ballads or cornkisters some of which he composed himself or in collaboration with Willie Kemp.