Tag Archives: Scotland

The Duke’s Umbrella

Glasgow:2

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We went in here because it’s opposite the restaurant we ate in that night.

Inside is nicely traditionalish, exposed brick vaulting, leather seating, and the place is best described as “gastropub”, in that it is a pub, just, and describes itself as such, but there’s a heavy food bias (which looks good, TBH, even with the cardinal sin of writing “£4.50” as “£4.5”, the pretentious fuckers).

As it was, it was nice. Staff were pleasant, the beer and wind was fine. They even lit the candles on request (for some reason one colleague wanted this).

Revisit: The Grove

Glasgow.

Original post here
Whatpub Link

Back in Glasgow, back to The Grove, having also repeated Mother India nearby. One old colleague (but not the one that bailed), one new one, and my better half meant we went in.

I’m not sure if that visit back in 2011 means I’ve changed, the pub has changed, it was quieter, or a bit of all three, but I suspect it is me that has changed; the pub was lovely. Busy, but not rammed. Good staff, good seating, music at a sane volume, nice atmosphere. Very traditional inside.

The Douglas Arms

Banchory:

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Pleasant hotel with a nice lounge at the back, and a sun terrace beyond that. Great beer (Cairngorm IPA in good condition) and really friendly owner, nice lunchtime food, but sadly no evening meals at present due to staff difficulties.

Sadly the heritage interior public bar is now a coffee shop, with the bar being at the back in the lounge. The lounge itself is pleasant- modern but not soulless.

The Auctioneers

Inverness:

Another spoons-a-like, really. A big shed of a place. Sister pub to Platform 8, and the same sort of stuff. No GK ale though, so instead it was misogynistic bell end beer, which was fine. Lunch was OK, or at least mine was, Stymistress’s less so. Keen prices and helpful staff though, but you have to wonder why a place advertising itself as a sports bar would find rowdy rugby fans a problem: I don’t care for them myself, but if you enter a sports bar when rugby is on, you shouldn’t be expecting peace and quiet.

The Glenalbyn Bar

Inverness:

“The oldest pub this side of the river”.

Most of the pubs are the other side of the river 😉

A nice, traditional Scottish pub. No ale, but there looked to be a good selection of keg beer, though I drank water as it was a bit early, or at least, felt it for some reason.

Very much a locals drinking pub rather than a tourist trap. Nice layout of booths, and a small carpeted area with fireplace one end. Evidently once had 2 rooms, but now opened out.