GLASGOW
12. Byres Road
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 Byres Road
GLASGOW: BYRES ROAD
Take the subway from anywhere and alight at Hillhead. Turn right and almost next door is the The Curler's Rest. Spin back to the subway station and walk past it turning left at the corner into Ashton Lane which has several pubs along it. The first is a multi-roomed food and drink experience called The Ubiquitous Chip which has firstly in the lane The Wee Pub and around the corner The Pub which has a ground level bar an upstairs one as well. Continue down the right side and find Innes & Gunn Westend Brewery Tap. Then opposite here is Brel. Walk back up this side to Vodka Wodka and opposite The Pub is Jinty McGuinty’s.
Continue along the lane (called Great George Lane) past the car park and cross over the road then continue along the lane (Cresswell Lane) which has cafes and shops. At the end of this lane, cross over and up to the right is the lane (Burgh Lane) continuing. This has the backs of businesses and their rubbish bins. At the end of this lane to the right is The Hillhead Book Club and directly opposite is The Parlour.
Walk down to the Byres Road and turn right walking up to the corner to the church which is now Oran Mor at the traffic lights. Cross over and walk down to BeGin. Continue walking down Byres Road and find Tennents. Cross over and walk down to Bar Soba and then further down to The Hill. Cross immediately over the road to The Aragon. Continue to walk down to Gumbo (closed) and then find the entrance door (look carefully) to The Record Factory. At the bottom of Byres Road and across the street is The Three Judges. Walk along to the subway and opposite it is The Bag O'Nails. Cross over to Kelvinhall Subway
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 - controversial
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
Curler’s Rest
Curler’s Rest has two entrance doors with both taking you into a large room with low ceiling. There is a mix of seating with banquette seating around walls and under windows either side of the doors and on the side walls for a short distance. There are taller tables and stools in middle of the room and opposite the servery. Half way in the room changes shape where the servery is along the right-hand wall. Half way along the servery and opposite the counter there are stairs for upstairs and the main room opens out after this. Here there are some large low tables with low slipper chairs and there is a dining room feel beyond this. The low ceiling, subdued lighting and dark wood furniture combine to give a relaxing atmosphere. Food served
Have a pint here
Has been a regular in Good Beer Guide including 2024
Real ale: Curler’s rest IPA and Proper Job (both St Austell); Jack Black , Stewart’s 80/- (both Stewart’s), Oragutan (Bays Brewery)
Heavy/Pale Ale; Neck Oil; Faith Hazy Pale Ale; ; Joker IPA,
Lager: Corona, Camden Helles, Innes & Gunn, Pravha, St Mungo; Peroni; Madri
Cider: Mortimer Orchard, Mortimer English Berry Guinness
Pub Jukebox:
Alcohol themed music to listen to while you browse.
tequila makes her clothes fall off - Joe Nichols
The Wee Pub
The Pub (upstairs)
The Ubiquitous Chip is a drinking and eating complex with Brasserie, Restaurant, rooftop terrace and three bars - The Wee Pub, and at the corner a ground level bar and an upstairs bar, plus some outside seating by the lane.
Upstairs there is a long thin bar area with the servery on the right hand wall. There is a mix of table styles along windows opposite servery. Stools at wooden servery with copper metal counter. Greene King purchase
Half pint here
Bitter/Pale Ale: Bitter & Twisted, Clwb Tropical, Edinburgh PA
Lager: Estrella Gallia, Fustenburg , Liquid Chip Craft Lager, Heidi weiss
Cider: Old Mout Cider, Thistle Cross Guinness
Innes & Gunn West End Tap
Innes & Gunn West End Tap door to bright front of house with large screen on wall round to right showing beers available. Into the room there are long wooden tables and benches. The room gets darker as you move into it but is well lit with usual orange lights. The servery starts a quarter of the way into room against far right wall. and opposite the servery fare our seater wooden tables. A corner has some green banquette seating for those avoiding benches.
pint here
Drink selection shown in picture up above
Brel
Brel is at thin restaurant bar with a narrow entrance. The bar is round to left, restaurant entrance straight ahead, while to the right and up a few steps is a larger seating area. There is a tall servery along the back wall with three small tables opposite it. The restaurant is up and behind the servery. The seating up to the right is dining style with bench seating and plain chairs set in a room with white brick tiled wall. Light wood dominates servery, tables, floor and seating. Through from the restaurant area is an attractive outside drinking/dining area.
Half pint here
Pale Ale: Neck Oil
Lager: Birra Moretti , Weihenstephaner, Heineken Silver, St Mungo, Amstel
Cider: Strongbow Guinness
Vodka Wodka
Vodka Wodka is a very narrow bar which means only a couple of small tables and the rest standing. There is a large outdoor seating area with heaters at some covered tables and also at back of the three levels. The servery is against the back wall and is tall and long with a door to left of the servery accessing the outdoor area.
Half pint here
Lager: Asahi
Cider: Strongbow Guinness
Jinty McGuinty’s
Jinty McGuinty’s is an Irish styled bar with a long thin interior, with a small conservatory and large outside garden and benched area. The compact servery is round to the left taking up the left side wall. The room stretches out in front of it with sectioned off booths down the left and barrel tables down the right against the window. Its Irish credentials are shown by the flag and various quotes on the wall from famous Irish writers. There is an attractive fireplace where the room gets narrower at the far end. there are a few round tables dotted outside the front on Ashton lane. The rear outside area has rows of picnic tables for sitting at and more barrel style tables for standing around.
pint here
Heavy: Ember 80/-, Seven Peaks (Drygate)
Lager: Stella; Tennent’s; Heverlee, Staroperamen
Cider: Magners Guinness
The Hillhead Bookclub
The Hillhead Bookclub name gives the idea of a community cafe/bar however it may welcome the community but it is a large place, with a wow factor from being on two floors with a mezzanine landing on way up to top level which overlooks the ground floor rather than covers it. Upstairs and mezzanine have dining style tables while the ground floor has tall tables opposite the servery and beyond that lots of booths with dining table seating. The lighting inside is low, but attractive, which combined with the dark wood makes the large room rather dark and relaxing. Above the mezzanine area is a large screen. A nice long servery against the right hand wall has a gantry well stocked with spirits and books.
pint here
Bitter/Pale Ale: Jubel beer cut with peach, Neck Oil, Camden Pale, Leveler
Lager: Tennent’s; Corona, Heverlee, Bones lager, Camden Helles
Cider: Guinness
The Parlour
The Parlour is a one roomed bar with plenty of outside seating. The servery is along right side wall with dark tiles and wooden counter. there are two long tall tables in front of servery then beyond that two lower tables. there is red banquette seating back and left side. Along the windows are glasses shelves with chair backed stools overlooking the outside seating. Stone tiles on floor and brickwork and tiled walls give a contemporary feel with plenty of light coming in the windows.
Half pint here
Bitter/Pale Ale: Icebreaker, Yardbird PA
Lager: Pravha, Parlour Scottish Craft Lager , Asahi, Peroni, Staroperamen
Asahi
Cider: Carling Cider, Aspall Guinness
Oran Mor ★
Oran Mor is a very successful converted church. There are two restaurants (John Muir and a brasserie); live music and Victorian bar. It is famous for lunchtime “pie, a pint and a play”.
The servery a long oval in the middle of the room. Wooden flooring, pillars supporting ceiling and stained glass windows as expected from a converted church. There are small booth like areas with banquette seating and tables down the left hand wall. To the right of the servery is a double row of tables down the room and more tables against the left wall. The seating/tables are broken into small areas and booths. Servery now has two sets of eight taps set on a curved copper pipe on each side of the oval.
Lighting is subdued and with the furniture, counter and gantry being dark wood the large room has an intimate feel with great use being made of stained glass.
Have a pint here visited by MacKay & Stevenson in Still Goin’ Round
Real ale: Deuchers; Lia fail; Dark Oran Mor; Pentland (Stewart’s)
Heavy/Pale Ale: Caledonia Best; Gladeye IPA; Ember; Innes and Gunn Session Ale; Jubel Beer with Peach
Lager: Tennent’s; Heverlee; Kelvin Pilsner; Menabrea; Hells (Camden)
Cider: Magners 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
BeGin
BeGin is the bar-diner of The Hilton. There is a small balcony for limited seating outside and then the entrance takes you to a large rectangular room with the square servery coming off the right-hand wall at the very end. Opposite the counter are two tall tables and a large TV screen. The main area contains round and small tables for dining. Stools are around the servery and free salty snacks are offered. The ceiling is low and so is the lighting, though during the daylight hours a lot of light comes in the front window.
Half pint here
Heavy: Goose IPA; Honker’s Ale; 312 Goose Island
Lager: Stella; Tennent’s; Leffe; Blue Point Toasted Lager
Guinness
Tennent’s Bar ★
Tennent’s Bar is a large high ceiling square room on a corner spot. The square room is dominated by a large three-sided bar coming off of the back wall. This servery is in turn dominated by 12 real ale pumps and beers are cheaply priced. The room is light due to the high windows. Seating is around the walls on three sides. there is a couple of tall tables in middle of room. Plenty of room for stools around counter and for standing close to bar. Dark wood to half-way up wall then windows or light green paint. Food. Basement bar with DJ
Have a pint(s) here
CAMRA Good Beer Guide 2024
Real ale: The Rev James; St Peter’s Golden Ale; Bass ; Doom bar; Tribute; London Pride; Pedigree; Deuchers Jarl; Landlord; Belhaven 80/-; Bitter & Twisted; Siren Half Mast - now only 8 pumps
Heavy: Punk IPA; Belhaven Best; Neck Oil; Hazy Jane
Lager: Carling; Peroni; Tennent’s; Madri; St Mungo; Innes & Gunn Lager; Asahi; Coors
Cider: Magners Guinness
Topolabamba (was Bar Soba )
Topolabamba is a Mexican street food place rather than a bar. Although there are some stools at the counter where the two taps are.
This was previously Bar Soba
Half pint her
Lager: Elbooacho; Elmelor
The Hill (closed)
The Hill is another corner bar, however this one is more of a triangular shape. It has windows on two sides and the servery angled against the left wall with an attractive modern gantry behind it. There is seating around the windows. Armchair style stools are along the bar counter. Some tall tables are in the middle of the room. there is outside seating
Have a pint here
Heavy: Peculiar IPA; Coast to Coast
Lager: Fosters; Redstripe; Amstel
Cider: Strongbow cloudy Apple
The Aragon
The Aragon keeps most of the traditional bar feel missing from lots of drinking places in the west End. The servery is to the left of the entrance. Banquette seating around the walls and standard tables and chairs. The room goes round to the left beyond the bar counter.
Have a pint here
Real ale: Aragon Bitter
Heavy: Tartan; Belhaven Best
Lager: St Mungo; 13 Hop House; Birra Moretti; Innes & Gunn; Stella; Tennent’s; Heineken; Fosters
Cider: Strongbow Guinness
Gumbo (now closed)
Gumbo has two door entrances. The left is aimed at dining and has a servery on the right and small tables around a narrow room. The right takes you to a long servery on the left with a large performance area at the far end. There is seating along the left-hand wall and lots of stools at the bar counter. Lighting is subdued and the exotic nature of the pub is not enhanced by the plastic plant decoration along the top of the bar. The two rooms are linked by a corridor after the servery counter stops
half pint here
Heavy: Joker
Lager: Innes & Gunn Lager; Heverlee; Tennent’s; Budweisser
The Record Factory
The Record Factory has very little frontage on Byres Road. A door entrance and corridor takes you to a large room with a bar on the far wall. There are booths around two sides of this room and sofas in the middle. There is another room to the left of the servery cut off from the first room by a curtain area. This opens to a large performance area with tall tables at side and sofas in the middle. It has the biggest beer garden in the area and is open until 2am 7 nights with regular music.
Scottish Licensed Trade News Award “Best venue To Watch The Match” 2022 (sponsored by Sky)
Have a pint here
Heavy: Caledonia Best;
Lager: Tennent’s; 13 Hop House; Innes & Gunn; Bud Light; Heverlee
Cider: Blackthorn Guinness
The Three Judges ★
The Three Judges is a triangular room in a corner pub. Two sides have windows letting in a lot of light and the servery is along the back wall. The point of the room has a small raised area with seating on stools at the window. Banquette seating and tables along the window walls.. Wooden floor, stools at counter plenty of standing room with no pretentions.
Regular in Good Beer Guide, including 2023, 2024
Sunday Jazz and regular meet the brewers’ nights
Have a pint(s) here
Real Ale: Yorkshire Heart (Silver Heart); The Monster Hop (Redcastle); The Red Lady (redcastle); Jack Back (Stewart); Stranger (Handsome); Venture (Nethergate); Champion
Heavy/Craft: Belhaven Best; Punk IPA; Caesar Augustus
Lager Tennent’s; Birra Moretti; Stella; St Mungo; Willenstephen
Real Cider: Lilley tropical; Cherries & Berries; and Bee Sting Perry
Cider Strongbow; Strongbow dark Fruit Guinness
Glasgow pub trails map
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
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 Pub (and/or The Wee Pub)
Innes & Gunn Westend Tap
Brel
Vodka Wodka
Jinty McGuinty’s
The 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
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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 tick
To To PARTICK subway KELVINHALL subway
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 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
Links to 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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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: Harry Chapin