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.
Tag Archives: hotel
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.
The Lamb Inn
Old Town, Eastbourne, Sussex
Very old, very traditional, and lovely pub with rooms/hotel, but it feels like a pub for sure.
The room we were in was food focused, and that’s what we were there for: we got Sunday dinner as an early evening meal, and excellent it was too. The food business is obviously busy, but with other rooms it isn’t just a restaurant. Friendly, helpful staff, real ale on offer.
The Royal Hotel
Bolton-le-Sands;
Hotel on the A6. It’s a bit more pub with rooms than hotel, though the “wait for a member of staff” sign that we ignored makes it a bit less pubby. Nice place for lunch, decent cask ale, nice staff.
Car park is the wrong side of the A6, which could prove interesting….
The Wagon and Horses
Lancaster:
A pub with rooms down by the river. It’s a Robinsons house, traditional but tidy and bright inside. Pleasant staff. Decent layout, good ale. Could do without the scatter cushions though!
Revisit: Ye Olde Fighting Cocks
Arnside.
Unlike The Albion just up the way, which was unchanged, this had had a refurb from very traditional to a bit more modern. Decent beer, friendly staff.
Revisit: The Royal
Heysham.
Not a good experience this time- it’s still pleasantly slightly posh, but when we went to the bar and asked about the possibility of sandwiches, the response, while not actually rude, was terse enough to make me wonder if I’d asked if there were any kittens I could stamp on.
My IPA was vinegary, and the terrace outside had the joy of someone conducting a long, loud, grating video call on speaker.
I left half my (pricey) pint and we left.
The Kings Head Hotel
Beccles:
It’s a ‘spoons. A hotel ‘spoons. You know the drill.
It’s quite a nice ‘spoons, though. Obviously a pub/hotel for a long time, and it did provide the contrast in pricing to the Southwold pubs.
The Crown
Southwold:
Whatpub Link
Pub Heritage Link
Website
This is a hotel, but it has a back bar that feels very old-fashioned pub. There’s a restaurant at the front, too, which wasn’t cheap, but was excellent.
It’s another part of the Adnams empire, and again, cashless.
Great staff, the usual selection of Adnams beer, nice atmosphere. Nice outside space at the front on to the High Street.
The Pied Bull
Chester:
This is an actual hotel, but the bar is very pubby indeed. A historic building, with some very old paintwork above the fireplace, and allegedly the oldest coaching inn in Chester, as well as the hotel there’s a brewery producing some great beer. Friendly staff too.