Jazz star Dom Pipkin will launch Cronies Piano Lounge at Stirling’s historic Golden Lion Hotel on July 9
A world-renowned jazz and blues pianist is set to bring his signature New Orleans sound to one of Scotland’s most historic hotels next week.
Dom Pipkin, hailed as “one of the world’s greatest exponents of New Orleans piano,” will perform at the Golden Lion Hotel in Stirling on Wednesday, July 9.
The intimate gig will mark the launch of Cronies Piano Lounge, a new live music and cocktail space inside the centuries-old venue.
The 66-bedroom Golden Lion has stood in the heart of Stirling for nearly 240 years and is famously linked to Rabbie Burns, who stayed there during a visit in 1787.
According to legend, the poet was inspired by the dilapidated state of Stirling Castle to write his controversial “Stirling Lines” and etched them into a pane of glass in his second-floor bedroom, only to later return and smash the window with the butt of his riding crop.
Hotelier Gary Atinson said he was delighted to be welcoming Pipkin to such a storied venue. “We’re thrilled to have a true British jazz legend tinkling the ivories as we create Cronies Piano Lounge – a new home for superb music and classic cocktails,” he told Herald Scotland.
“My partner Ros and I have had the pleasure of seeing Dom perform initially in Ronnie Scotts in London, with Morcheeba in Cologne and, of course, in our Aberdeen hotel a few times. Once he dons that iconic hat and starts to play his unique mix of Big Easy sounds and songwriting with blues, it simply takes your breath away.”
Pipkin’s impressive career has seen him share stages with legends like Ray Davies and David Byrne, tour as a member of Morcheeba, and lead his own acclaimed band, The Ikos.
He’s a regular performer in New Orleans and is considered one of the UK’s most respected interpreters of the city’s musical traditions.
Alongside his musical career, Pipkin has also made appearances on screen, including roles in Netflix’s Black Doves and A Thousand Blows , the gritty historical drama from the creators of Peaky Blinders .
His performance in Stirling won’t be a one-off either. The hotel plans to build on the momentum by hosting regular lounge sessions, with top pianists lined up for Friday evenings, Saturday afternoons and nights, and relaxed Sunday jazz lunches. Pipkin himself is set to return for more performances later in the year.
The Golden Lion stands on the site of The Gibb’s Inn Tavern and Lodgings, rebuilt in the 1780s by Stirling businessman James Wingate and designed by the renowned Scottish architect Gideon Gray.
It sits proudly on King Street, formerly known as Quality Street, renamed in 1820 to honour King George IV.
Outside the hotel lies the historic “New” Port Gate, a marker of Stirling’s medieval past. It was here, legend says, that around the year 900 a wolf’s growl alerted guards to a Danish Viking raid, helping to save the town. The wolf still features on Stirling’s coat of arms as a symbol of its survival.
Overlooking all of this stands the Golden Lion statue, a fixture of the cityscape for nearly two centuries. “It has presided over many changes in our city, the ups and downs, the comings and goings,” the hotel says on its website.
“However, one thing remains constant: we continue to strive to provide a valuable service to visitors and travellers to and from Stirling alike.”