Blair Atholl, near Pitlochry:
Attached to the Atholl Arms hotel, but definitely a pub. Really nice, funny barman, really good food and a nice place to pause our journey south. The hotel looks quite grand, the bar is pleasant and confortable.
Category Archives: Scotland
The Kinlochbervie Hotel
Kinlochbervie, Sutherland, Scottish Highlands:
Yes, it’s a hotel. It’s also the only public bar in town, and it’s where the locals drink, so it counts for “pub”, an allowance we regularly make in Scotland.
The bar itself is a bit noisy and echoes a lot, so it was tricky hearing over the couple of blokes at the bar conducting a conversation at full shout, but the staff were pleasant and we chose as quiet a table as we could. No cask ale, Heineken alcohol-free, and decent if basic bar food, which was welcome after the long journey.
The bar had some locals and some tourists, but was pretty busy: it is the only pub for some distance, but this is also a pretty sparsely-populated area.
Taphouse Bar & Kitchen
Glasgow:
Another stripped-out craft bar. No cask ale, but a slection of craft bollocks. Food, which was apparently decent (we bumped into colleagues who had eaten there).
Music was on but at a sane volume, the place ws sbusy enough to have a buzz but not rammed.
The Duke’s Umbrella
Glasgow:2
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).
The Counting House
Glasgow:
It’s a ‘spoons, so nothing to see here. Crowded, as it’s right in the middle of Glasgow. Cheap beer etc.
The Brass Monkey
Glasgow:
A bit stripped-out craft bar, but pretty pleasant. No ale but good choice of crafty bollocks, pleasant atmosphere.
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 Cross Keys Hotel
Canonbie, Dumfries & Galloway:
Our southbound overnight stop, just about in Scotland. We arrived at just before 3pm, to find it locked, but happily by 3pm, our check-in time, one of the owners turned up, checked us in, and served us a drink shortly later, so comfortably by 4 we were sat outside in the early autumn sunshine with cold beer and wine.
It’s a big old coaching inn, with 10 bedrooms, a bar/lounge, and a seperate restaurant. We ate in the bar. Friendly locals, lovely staff, decent food. No ale, but decent lager. Comfortable room too, and loads of decent parking over the road.
Currently up for sale if anyone fancies it.
The Stag
Aberdeen:
Nice city-centre pub with really friendly, helpful staff. Decent beer, decent food. The staff helped us find a table that wasn’t a high one. There was quite a delay on food, I think there was a problem in the kitchen, but the staff apologised, so all good there. Interior traditional Scottish, with the head of (unsurprisingly) a stag looking down on us.
The Grill
Aberdeen:
Whatpub Link
Website
Pub Heritage Link
Star pub of the holiday. Beautifully restored 1926 interior, wood panelling. Really pleasant staff.
Austere from the outside- the windows are small and etched, with clear sections previously used for signs, but the inside is a place of wonder.
This was a male-only pub until that became banned by law in 1976. As payback, the ladies toilet, which was (obviously) the gents, is upstairs, the gents being down a steep staircase in the basement, but they had to wait until 1998 to get it!
Large whisky selection, great beer, decent wine, lovely surroundings.