GLASGOW
Around George Square
There are 22 pub trails in Glasgow. There are ten trails in the centre of the city, plus five in the West End, two on The Southside across the river and four going East.
Three trails explore three of the main streets in the city centre HOPE St; RENFIELD St and WEST NILE St
Two trails are around Squares; GEORGE SQUARE and the OLD FRUIT MARKET in Merchant City.
Another five, trails take in : QUEEN St & GLASSFORD St, JAMAICA St/ST ENOCH, BATH STREET , WATERLOO St & BOTTOM of HOPE St and CHARING CROSS .
Across the river Clyde, on the South side are PAISLEY ROAD WEST and QUEEN’S PARK trails.
Going east are trails for Around THE TRONGATE, up GALLOWGATE , DUKE STREET, Dennistoun and along to SHETTLESTON
In the West End there are more trails - St George's Cross subway to Kelvin Bridge , BYRES ROAD , KELVINBRIDGE , KELVINHALL TO PARTICK and MARYHILL
Plus the SUBWAY CRAWL - 15 subway stops and the closest bars.
Glasgow pubs around George Square
GLASGOW: GEORGE SQUARE TRAIL
From Glasgow Central walk to Queen St Station via the pedestrian areas along Gordon St and up Buchanan St. Turn right onto West George St and see Waxy O’ Connors a few doors along on the left.
From Queen St Station exit by the main door and walk along the alley opposite this (at the side of Dow’s pub) to the back door of Waxy O’Connors.
Leave here by the back door onto the alley. Walk along here to Queen St station and turn right to find Dow’s and The Vale (now closed) side by side.
Walk along the front of the station to George Square where Camperdown Place used to be under the main station building. Continue along the side of George Square and at the corner the Millennium Hotel has a bar called Georgics (The Alchemist) on the corner.
Walk along to the next corner and turn up to the left (North Fredrick St) and find The Ark on the right hand side. Come back down to George Square and turn left moving away from the Square to walk along George St for almost three blocks turning right at Albion St to walk down to The Press Bar. Walk down Albion St turning right and walk along Ingram St back towards George Square. Walk past Montrose St on the right then next right turn into a pedestrianised area hidden across the pedestrian area and then downstairs is Katie’s Bar. Then on the opposite corner is Committee Room 9. Walk back to Geeorge Square where on the next corner is The Piper. Leaving here and continuing round the square to the final corner. Her just down to the left is Drouthys and on the opposite corner is The Counting House. Next door (away from the square) is The Anchor Line. And next door again is The Citizens. Down an alley opposite and to the right from The Counting House is The Auctioneers.
A place this size is bound to have its own guides to illustrate the vast quantity, quality and styles of pubs.
CAMRA in Glasgow
Glasgow guide illustrating top ten pubs in different styles of drinking (and dining) eg Style pubs or Live Music pubs.
Timeout listing of best pubs
A good proportion of the pubs have real ale but many do not. The west coast still has a bit of a lager flavour - occasionally only lager. Real ale is not limited to trendy style pubs, and not even in many of these.
Glasgow does not have the tourist grouping of pubs as found in Edinburgh - they are mainly aimed at Glasgow folk.
Practically every pub offers food at lunch or all day
Waxy O’Connor’s ★
Waxy O’Connor’s is an interesting bit of a warren. The design is to give the impression you are sitting in rooms found in the roots of a tree (with organ pipes) From the front door you can go straight ahead or upstairs or round and downstairs. There are three levels plus a large landing space between ground and first floor. Once upstairs you can look down on the downstairs space. There are three serving areas and lots of small drinking areas some on raised floors giving it an intimacy.
Have one here and look around
Heavy : Camden Pale Ale; Chieftan; Neck Oil; Caffreys
Lager : Tennent's ; Heineken; Camden Helles; San Miguel
Cider : Magners Guinness
Dow’s Bar
The Vale now closed
The Vale is very basic pub where the service is excellent. Servery is to left with a nice curving counter rounding a corner. It also seems slightly higher than most bars. Seating or stools around the walls leaving a large space in the middle. The marble style floor is well worn (and patched) at the bar. Music venue /function room (for 40) is upstairs.
Have one here
Real ale : Jaw Drop Drift; Skye Red
Heavy : Caledonia Best
Lager : Tennent's ; Stella;
Cider : Magners
Camperdown Place now CLOSED
Camperdown Place is a small pub by the JD Wetherspoon chain standard. It is set below street level therefore is a bit dark inside. The stairs take you down to seating to the right with servery to the left and more seating in front of the bar. There is also outside seating by the road overlooking George Square
CAMRA Good Beer Guide 2013, not 2016
Have one here
Real ale : Hawkshead Windemere Pale ale; Hawkshead Bitter; Hawkshead Lager; Hawkshead Dry Stone Stout; Deuchers; March of the Penguins; Caledonian 80/-; Mermaid Red (Coronado Brewing Co)
Craft : Devils Backbone
Heavy : John Smith;
Lager : Tennent's ; Carling; Heineken; Amstel; Stella; Tuborg; Fosters
Cider : Strongbow Guinness (+ice cold)
CLOSED during refurbishment of Queen St Station
Georgics closed
Georgics is the bar of The Millennium Hotel. It has three distinct drinking areas. Closest to the bar is the blue area with a pool table. Round to the left of the bar is a red sitting area. Through from this is a tabled area along the wall size windows looking over George Square.
Have a half pint here
heavy: John Smith
lager: Fosters; Heineken; 1664
Cider: Strongbow Guinness
The Ark
The Ark is a big barn of a place. A sports bar with craft ale, mainly BrewDog) and no real ale anymore. Tall table and bench style seating to the right-hand side with bar along to the left. There are tall tables in front of bar with stairs on the far wall leading to a mezzanine second floor with its own small bar for busy periods.. In front of the bar to the left is a raised are with benches and dining style seating. Beyond the bar is a large outside drinking area (claims to be biggest in city). There are lots of small TVs, including some in booths, and one giant screens.
Have one here
Real Ale all gone now
Beer : Wingman; Power Plant; Easy Livin’; Long White Clouds; Punk IPA, Hazy Jane , Elvis Juice, Planet Pale, Ale 2 The King, Neck Oil; Lunar Haze
lager : Peroni, Tennent's ; Feierabend; Madri
Cider : Strongbow Dark Fruit, Inch’s Guinness
The Press Bar
The Press Bar has a rectangular servery accessing four sides. The servery brown wood with brass tubes along the front and chair style stools with red upholstery. The right side of the room has standing and a small shelve for resting glasses on. The left hand side is wider and has Banquette seating. At the back there is a recess up a few steps having banquette seating.
Heavy/bitter: Bellhaven Best; Neck Oil
Lager: Tennent’s; Madri; Birra Moretti; Bearface (Drygate)
cider: Strongbow; Strongbow Dark Fruit Guinness
Katie’s Bar ★
Katie’s Bar is hidden away in the building sitting as the focal centre of the pedestrianised area. The only indication of its presence is an entrance door with a large K at the side. This leads to a flight of stairs down to a large catacomb basement area with lots of bare stone arches supporting brick. The layout has several seating areas with a mixture of dining and tall tables and chairs including one with a small stage for performances. The servery is round to the right.
Lager: San Miguel; Brooklyn; Carlsberg
Cider: Kingstone Guinness
Committee Room No 9
Committee Room No 9 is basically one rather large room with very high ceilings. The sides to right and left of the door are higher up than the large central space which is down a short flight of stairs. The upper area has mainly dinning sized tables and chairs while the lower area has tall tables and stools. The servery is on the wall diagonally opposite the door. Large TVs and giant drop down screen for sports – BT, Sky, Prem
Beer: Camden Hells; Camden Pale, Belhaven best
Lager: Tennent’s
Cider: Magners Guinness
The Piper
The Piper opens to the bar straight ahead. In front of this is a large wooden floored area with stone walls and pillars. The tables are all dining style tables. There are some more dining tables in a narrow strip to the right of the bar.
Have a pint here
heavy: Caledonia Best; Ossian; Disco Forklift Truck; Innes and Gunn IPA
lager: Piper Lager; Tennent's ; Innes & Gunn Lager; Heverlee; Menabrea
Cider: Magners Apple; Magners dark Fruit Guinness
Drouthty’s
Drouthty’s
History
Heavy/Pale ale: Punk IPA; Chieftain; Camden Pale; Joker
Lager: Carling; Coors; Peroni; St Mungo; Lost (Brewdog); Innes & Gunn; ABK Hells German lager
Cider: Strongbow; Strongbow Dark Fruit Guinness
The Counting House ★
The Counting House (Wetherspoons) is on a corner facing George Square. It’s an old bank with an impressive dome window. Lots of seating in main area and in what would have been bank offices.
Regular in Good Pub Guide, including 2023, 2024
Have one here
real ale: Moose River American Pale Ale; Old Jock; Black adder Stout; Doom Bar; Abbot; Belhaven 80/-; Pacific Simco Pale; Kelburn Sunriser
heavy: John Smiths, Belhaven Best; Joker IPA; Punk; Innes & Gunn Original; Planet Pale
lager: Coors Light, Tennent's, Stella; , Heineken, Corona, 1664; Joker Lager; Bud Light; Innes & Gunn Lager; Leffe
Cider: Thistly Cross; Stowford Press Guinness
The Anchor Line
The Anchor Line
A central rectangular bar dominates this room. The counter has a marbles top and has red chair stools all around the four sides. The room has tiled floors and ornate ceiling. Booths to right and left of servery with seating in the window area overlooking the road. A cocktails and food establishment, as different from JD Wetherspoon’s, next door, as you can get except for the ornate ceiling.
Bitter: Belhaven Best
Lager: Anchor Line Lager; Budweisser ; Samuel Adams; Schiellhalion Guinness
The Citizen was The Trading House
The Citizens
This is a large room with ornate ceiling and the servery on the right-hand wall. At left of servery you can see racked kegs which deliver to the fonts. Tall tables and stools at front window and opposite bar counter. The pub stretches back beyond the end of the counter. Just beyond entrance is a flight of stairs leading to a floor above and overlooking the bar. This floor has more seating
Heavy/Pale Ale: Gladeye IPA (Drygate); Caledonia Best; Disco Forklift Truck
Lager: Tennent’s; Heverlee; Kelvin (Drygate)
Whereas when it was the Trading House:-
The Trading House - Difficult to know what beers are on offer as few fonts have labels. This is deliberate policy so that you can ask their knowledgeable staff. They can direct you to the Beer menu or the 75 page beer Almanac.
Keg: Passionate Blond, Trading House Lager; Samuel Adams, Pacific (New World Trading Co)
Lagers: Brahma; Peroni Red; Quilmes; Sol; Pacifico Clara; Asahi Super Dry; Red Stripe; Heineken; Budvar Original; Krombacher Pils; Beer Lao; Narragansett; St Austell; Alhambra Reserve; Peroni; Estrella
Wheat Beers: Erdinger Hefe-Weizen; Erdinger Alkoholfrie; Paulaner;
Blonde Beers: Leffe; Kona Big Wave; Duvel; Affligem Blond; Delirium Tremens;
Pale Ale: Little Creatures; Sierra Nevada; Gamma Ray (Beavertown); Fuller's Honey dew; Kona Fire Rock; Lancaster Bomber (Thwaites); Honkers Ale (Goose Island); 8 Ball (Beavertown)
India Pale Ale: 13 Guns (Crafty Dan); All Day IPA (Founders); Goose Island; Proper Job (St Austell); East India PA (Brooklyn); Raging Bitch (Flying Dog); Snake Dog (Flying Dog);
Dark Beer: Anchor Porter; Black Betty (Beavertown); Nutty Black (Thwaites); Millionaire (Wild Beer Co); Nitro Milk Stout (Left Hand); Ticketybrew (Dubbel)
Fruir beer: Hollows Ginger Beer; Strawberry Lambicus (Timmermanns); Cuvee Brut (Liefmans); Kriek (Lindemans)
Speciality: Tank 7 (Boulevard); Samichlaus; Rum Finish(Innes & Gunn) Cuvee Rene Gueuze (Lindemans); Wild Goose Chase (Wild Beer Co); Duchesse De Bourgogne;
Auctioneers
Auctioneers is found down a short side street. It is a large pub set out for dining during the day. Entrance takes you to a seating area and then onto the bar with a large standing space. Round to the right is a big seating area with dining style tables.
No real ale anymore
Have one here
Heavy/Pale ale: Punk IPA; Chieftain; Camden Pale; Joker
Lager: Carling; Coors; Peroni; St Mungo; Lost (Brewdog); Innes & Gunn
Cider: Strongbow; Strongbow Dark Fruit Guinness
PLACES TO VISIT WITH PUBTRAILS
The towns and villages highlighted on this web site have a wide variety of pubs and beers in them. All of the places are great to visit, whether for a day or longer, and most have tourist attractions for all of the family.
There is a large variety of pubs throughout the different towns shown below. Some you may wish never to visit again but even discovering these can be interesting. There are pubs that you would not take your wife into. While some you could not take your girlfriend into. A few you would not take either into. However, most of the pubs are very pleasant.
HOME MAP of places visited
Alnwick Ambleside Anstruther Bakewell Bamburgh Barnard Castle Bath Berwick upon Tweed Birnam & Dunkeld Bourton on the Water Bowness on Windermere Bridge of Allan Chester Chichester Dunblane Dunoon Edinburgh Ely Fort William Glasgow Gourock Greenock Helensburgh Inverness Kelso Keswick Knaresborough Largs Linlithgow Lyme Regis Melrose Montrose Newton Stewart North Berwick Norwich Oban Pebbles Penzance Portree Pitlochry Quorn Richmond Rothesay St Andrews Seahouses Seend Shrewsbury Skipton Stirling Stratford-upon-Avon Stockton Heath Whitby Windemere Whitstable York
Links for Glasgow city centre Pubtrails
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Trail 1 - Around George Square
(blue with black dot icon)
Waxy O’ Connors
Dow’s
The Vale (now closed)
Camperdown Place (closed)
Georgics
The Ark
The Piper
Committee Room No 9
Katie’s Bar
Drouthys
The Counting House
The Anchor Line
The Citizen (was The Trading House)
The Auctioneers
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Trail 2 - HOPE STREET
(light blue icon)
Stereo
The Old Hairdressers
The Society Room
The Pot Still.
Molly Malone's.
MacConnell's
Ardnamurchan (was Trader Joe's)
Rufus T Firefly
NYC Bar
Ad Lib
The Toby Jug
The Smokin' Fox (formerly The Hope)
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Trail 3 RENFIELD STREET
(green icon)
The Merchant
The Maltman
The Raven
Lauders.
The Atholl Arms
Walkabout
The Renfield Bar
Revolution
Missoula
Revolucion De Cuba
The Drum and Monkey
The Horseshoe.
Dury Lane Bar & Kitchen
Yes Bar - closed
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Trail 4 - WEST NILE St
(red icon)
Vroni's Wine Bar
The Shilling Brewing Co.
The Iron Horse - closed
The Station Bar
The Intermezzo
Alfie’s (was Alfredo's)
Cul Cuil (was The Courtyard)
All Bar One
Innes & Gunn Talroom
Los Iguanas
Revolution
Ross's Original Bar
Tabac
August House
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Trail 5 - AROUND THE FRUITMARKET
(grey icons)
Bar 91
Beer Cafe
The Metropolitan
Marmalade Skies (was Boudoir Wine Bar) - closed
Bar Square
The Tap Room (was Steak, Rattle and Roll which was Bar Espagnol Mercado)
O'Neil's
Bar Soba
Bar Gandolfi.
Bar Home
Babbity Bowster,
Strathduie (was Macgregor's Pie & Ale Howf and before that Strathduie !)
The Black Bull
McChuills
Connolly’s LIQR (was LIQR and before that The G-Lounge)
Blackfriars of Bell St
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Trail 6 -A circle around Waterloo St & Hope St
(yellow icon)
The Smokin’ Fox (was The Hope)
Kitty O'Shea's
El Camino (was The Drop)
Rhoderick Dhu
The Woods
The Waterloo
The Duke’s Umbrella
Sir John Muir
Oswald’s (was Kellys ;was Quarter Gill)
No 16 Bar & Kitchen (was Sotto; was The Two Heided Man)
Denholms
Solid Rock Cafe
The Alpen Lodge
The Park Lane
26 Hope St
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Trail 7 - Queen St and Glassford St
(purple icon)
Biere Halle
The Lab
Wonderbar
Sloans
Rocky O' Sullivans CLOSED
Strata CLOSED
Max's Bar & Grill
Thundercat
The Spiritualist
Cairns
Steps Bar
Blane Valley
Bacchus
Rab Ha's
The Pavement
The Doghouse
The Gallery Bar
The Amsterdam
The Oriental (closed)
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Trail 8 - Jamaica St- St Enoch
(brown icon)
O'Neil's (was The Royal Scott)
The Grant Arms
The Crystal Palace
Macsorley's
The Imperial
The Mint & Lime
Lauristons
Gallagher’s (was Kelly’s and was Coyote)
Hootenanny
Times Square
Crafty Joe's (taken over by Times Square)
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Trail 16 - Charing Cross
(yellow with small square)
Bavaria Baurhaus
Slug & Lettuce
Bon Accord
Chinaski’s
The Locale
Driftwood
The Hall
Nico’s
Kilt & Kocktails
The Hengler’s Circus
The State
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Trail 10 - Bath St
(red with small square)
Golf Loung
Buck’s Bar
Bloc+
The Butterfly and The Pig
Palomino
Slouch
The Griffin
Tiki Bar and Kitsch Inn
St Judes
Howlin’ Wolf
Malones
The Bay Horse
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Trail 19 - Paisley Rd West
(dark blue teardrop)
Lauriston Bar
The Quayside bar
The Union Bar
The Old Toll Bar
The Viceroy
The Bellrock
Grapes
The District bar
Kensington Bar
Park Bar
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trail 22 -Queen's Park
McNeil’s
The Regent
Titwood Bar
TheBbungo
Allison Arms
MJ Heraghty
Victoria Bar
Ryan’s bar
The Bell Jar
The Rose reilly
Queen’s Park Cafe
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Trail 9 - Around The Trongate
(orange with large square icon)
Grace’s Irish Sports Bar
Buck’s Bar
Boteco do Brazil
Maggie May's
Avant Garde
13th Note -(closed)
Old Empire Bar (closed)
Whistler on the Green
The Old Ship Bank Bar
The Winds
The Victoria & Clutha
The Scotia
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Trail 17 - up the Gallowgate
Chrystal Bell & Co
MacKinnon’s
The Gate (check opening)
Bar ‘67 (check opening)
226 Gallowgate
Hielan Jessie
The Wee Man’s Pub
The Drover
Van Winkle (check opening)
Luke’s & The Flying Ox
Traders Lounge
The Old Burnt Barns (check opening)
Braemar
Tollbooth Bar
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Trail 18 - Duke Street, Dennistoun
The Bristol bar
The Louden tavern
The Duke Bar
the Crown Creighton
The Alexandra Bar
The Snug
The Palais
Redmond’s of Dennistoun
The Drover
The Wee Man’s Bar
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Trail 21 -Shettleston
Snedden’s Inn
The Palaceum
The Town Tavern
The Cottage Bar
The Marquis
The Drum
The Portland Arms
The Railway tavern
The Kirkhouse
Miller’s
Links for Glasgow West End & Subway Pubtrails
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Trail 11 - St George's to Kelvinbridge
(lime green with tick icon)
The Castle Vaults
The Hug and Pint
The Scallion (was Munro's then The Bull and now ..)
Wintersgills
The Lansdowne - closed
Webster's
Inn Deep
Cooper’s
Bakehouse
The Left bank
Stravaigin
The Doublet
Schoolhouse
Dram!
Arlington
The Carnarvon Bar
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Trail 12- Byres Rd
(light blue icon)
Curler's Rest
the Wee Pub/The Pub
Innes & Gunn Brewery Tap
Brel
Vodka Wodka
Jinty McGinty’s
Hillhead Book Club
The Parlour
Oran Mor
BeGin
Tennent's Bar
Bar Soba
The Aragon
The Hill - closed
Gumbo - closed
The Record Factory
The Three Judges
Bag O'Nails
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Trail 13 - Kelvingrove
(red with tick)
Dirty Duchess
Lebowskis
Taphouse
The Grove
The Big Slide
The Snaffle Bit
The Butchershop
BrewDog
Dukes Bar
The Islay Inn
The Park Bar
No 78
Kelvingrove Cafe
The Ben Nevis
Finnieston
Brass Monkey
Strip Joint
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trail 15 - Kelvinhall to Partick and back
(maroon circle with square or tic)
To To
Kelvinhall Patrick Stumps Bar Three Judges
The Fiddlers The Dolphin
Victoria Bar Bag O’Nails
Quarter Gill Storm Queen
The Linsmor Smiddy Bar
Sparkle Horse Tenement Bar
Bauhaus Windsor Tav.
Record Factory Rosevale Tav.
Gallus Deoch An Dorus
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trail 20 - Maryhill
LOWER
The Castle Vaults
The Tower
the Star & Garter
Munn’s
The BrewHaus
The Botany Bar
The Woodside Inn
The Royalty Bar
UPPER
The First & Last
Kelvin Dock
The Punch Bow;
The Viking Bar
The Lockhouse
Harvey’s Bar
The Ram’s Head
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Trail 14 - Glasgow Subway
Waxy O'Connors
Jackson’s
Castle Vaults
The Hug
The Doublet
Curler’s Rest
The Bag O' Nails
Deoch and Doris
Brechin's
The Louden Tavern
Kensington
The Bellrock
Stanley Bar - closed
The Old Toll Bar
The Lord Nelson - closed
Laurieston
Times Square
Interesting pages and sites
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Books on Beer
A variety of recommended books to improve your knowledge of beer and brewing
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Stevenson & MacKay
Craig Stevenson and John MacKay use their bus passes to visit pubs the length and breadth of Scotland.
They have recorded their adventures in seven books.
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Books on Pubs
A veriety of recommended books that describe the history and development of the public house.
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CAMRA
The Campaign for Real Ale
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Who owns your pubs?
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Interesting articles to read
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Who owns your beer?
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Comparing pubs in Scotland with England
ANSWER: 9