Scotland's four 'best beer gardens' to enjoy drink in the sun this summer named
With the weather heating up, now is the perfect time to enjoy a pint outdoors.
Scotland's "best beer gardens" have been crowned. A new list of the top 30 beer gardens across Britain has been unveiled ahead of summer.
On Friday, May 1, Big 7 Travel shared a list of the "30 Best Beer Gardens in the UK". The list includes the pubs and bars that feature the best outdoor space to enjoy a drink when the sun is shining.
A total of four Scottish beer gardens are included in the nationwide roundup. The highest-placing is The Old Mill Inn in Pitlochry, which comes in at number four on the UK-wide list.
The Old Mill Inn is located in the heart of Pitlochry in Perth and Kinross. The pub dates back to the 18th century and was originally a mill—and still features a working water wheel to this day.
The Old Mill Inn features a 'beer tent', where visitors can make the most of the summer. Guests can enjoy a drink in the sunshine, while wood-fired pizzas are also available on selected days.
Big 7 Travel wrote: "The beer garden is tucked away to the side and back of the pub, offering a secretive recluse away from the town's main street, making it the perfect place to enjoy a quiet drink.
"Furthermore, the gentle splashes from the nearby stream add a relaxing feel to the atmosphere, and the bridge that connects the pub to the beer garden adds an extra layer of privacy and serenity."
Following behind in second place for Scotland on Big 7 Travel's list is the Ben Nevis Inn in Fort William. The hotel and pub, which is housed within a 200-year-old converted barn at the foot of Ben Nevis, placed at number 10 on the overall list.
The beer garden at the Ben Nevis Inn allows customers to enjoy food and drink surrounded by the hills of Glen Nevis. The venue serves up a variety of sandwiches and burgers, as well as a large selection of beers, ciders, wines, and spirits.
The experts described the Ben Nevis Inn as "arguably one of the best beer gardens in the world". They singled out the pub's "lush" green surroundings in particular.
Big 7 Travel stated: "Set at the foot of Ben Nevis, this pub was originally a stone-built barn to house cattle built in 1806, and if walls could tell stories, the walls of this pub would be award-winning novelists!
"Views up towards the snow-capped peak of Ben Nevis are hard to beat, but even the lush green fields and wild hills surrounding the pub make this not just one of the best beer gardens in the UK, but arguably one of the best beer gardens in the world."
Meanwhile, coming in at number 17 on the UK-wide roundup is The Dores Inn in Inverness. The Highlands pub and restaurant pub features outdoor tables and benefits from panoramic views down the length of Loch Ness.
According to the experts, The Dores Inn's beer garden is "fantastic". The pub's outdoor space allows visitors to enjoy drinks overlooking the world-famous loch and the surrounding rolling hills in the summer sun.
Elsewhere, the fourth and final Scottish pub to be featured on Big 7 Travel's list of the best beer gardens in the UK is Cold Town House in Edinburgh. The bar is located on the famous Grassmarket in the Scottish capital, below the iconic Edinburgh Castle.
Cold Town House's beer garden takes the form of a rooftop bar with views of the castle. The experts applauded the vistas as "breathtaking" and the "stuff of dreams".
For the full list of the "30 Best Beer Gardens in the UK", visit the Big 7 Travel website.
The Old Mill Inn, Pitlochry
Ben Nevis Inn, Fort William
The Dores Inn, Inverness
Cold Town House, Edinburgh
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Tiny UK airport named among Europe's best - but it's nowhere near London
This small airport in Scotland has been listed as one of the best in Europe by the Airport Service Quality Awards - one of only two UK airports recognised across all categories this year In an era of flashy global airports boasting waterfalls and amusement parks that put Heathrow to shame, there is one small UK airport that is a consistent star. This tiny airport in Scotland has been named one of the best in Europe for the past five years running, in fact. Inverness Airport has been recognised once again by the Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards. Inverness was listed among the top six airports in Europe which service under two million passengers annually. Airports Council International determines the best airports based on a survey measuring passenger satisfaction. The awards recognises airports with the top 20 percent overall satisfaction score - organised by size and region. Inverness was among six European airports recognised in its section, the only airport in the category in the UK. In fact, the Scottish airport was the only hub in the category not based in Spain. The only other UK airport included in the awards was Newcastle International Airport in the two to five million passengers per year category. Inverness Airport's exemplary staff also received recognition from the Airports Council International. The airport won another ASQ award for having some of the most dedicated airport staff in Europe - for the third year in a row. Graeme Bell, General Manager of Inverness Airport, said: "To win these awards for the fifth consecutive year is an incredible achievement and a proud moment for everyone involved with Inverness Airport. 'Being recognised for the third year running as the Airport with the Most Dedicated Staff in Europe as well is a testament to the hard work, passion, and commitment of our entire team,' Bell continued. Inverness Airport is located nine miles east of Inverness city centre and is a key transport hub for the Highlands and Islands. The airport hosts carriers including Loganair, TUI, KLM, easyJet and British Airways. It offers routes to the likes of London, Majorca, Belfast and the Outer Hebrides. If you interested in experiencing the exceptional customer service first-hand, you might want to consider a festive trip to Finland later this year. Inverness Airport will host a one-day trip to Lapland on December 13, 2025. Passengers will depart from Inverness in the morning and return the same day, experiencing husky rides and ice skating in Lapland in-between. 2024 ASQ Award winners for European airports servicing under two million annual passengers:
Times
2 hours ago
- Times
Why the Scottish Football Museum is one of the world's best
May 1976, Scotland v England at Hampden Park. In the 49th minute, with the score 1-1, Joe Jordan rampages down the left wing and crosses to Kenny Dalglish. As a nation holds its breath, Dalglish shimmies past an England defender and fires a shot. To everyone's surprise, the normally reliable Ray Clemence lets the ball slip between his legs and trickle into the net. From Kirkwall to Kirkcudbright, Scots respond with the kind of collective roar usually reserved for the likes of Bannockburn. This seminal moment in sporting history is played endlessly in a video loop at the Scottish Football Museum at Hampden, which Live Football Tickets has just named the third best football museum in Europe. Bettered only by museums in Greece and Serbia, the Hampden museum was streets ahead of the National Football Museum in Manchester, which limped in at ninth. Another historic win for Scotland. For the full Hampden experience, the museum manager, Andy Kerr, leads hour-long tours behind the scenes, through players' and match officials' dressing rooms and into the tunnel leading to the pitch, followed by as long as visitors like in the museum. • Scottish Football Museum honours women's game The original Hampden was built in 1903, and three decades later a world record crowd of 149,415 crammed in to watch Scotland beat England 3-1. It was demolished in the 1990s to make way for a downsized modern stadium. The dressing rooms are smart and functional rather than luxurious, allowing players representing club or country to focus on what they are here for. But they are helped to feel at home with national and club emblems on the walls of their respective rooms. The atmospheric climax is walking through the tunnel towards the Hampden Roar, which must make a few hairs rise. I can only imagine the thrill. Every year two teams emerge hoping to win the oldest association football trophy in the world, the Scottish Cup, which has pride of place in a glass case here at the museum. It is a handsome trophy crafted by silversmiths in 1873 for 56 pounds, 7 shillings and 11 pence, now estimated to be worth an eye-watering £1 million. For this reason it never leaves the stadium. After being presented to the winning team and paraded in a victory lap, it is returned to the museum for safekeeping and the team is given a replica. The stars of the collection are undoubtedly the portraits of dozens of players, managers and personalities. Dalglish is prominent among them, along with Denis Law, 'Slim Jim' Baxter, Graeme Souness and Alex Ferguson. • Five of the best heritage museums in Scotland There are surprising names among lesser-known lights of the game, notably Robert Smyth McColl, who scored a hat-trick in a 4-1 victory over England in 1900. He became known as 'Toffee' Bob a year later when he founded a newsagent with his brother. There was also a licensed-to-kill secret agent by the name of James Bond, aka Sean Connery, who played for Bonnyrigg Rose juniors for a couple of seasons in the 1950s. 'Big Tam' is remembered for a fashionable brown corduroy jacket and an entourage of doe-eyed local girls, though he was offered a trial by the Manchester United manager Matt Busby, which he wisely declined for an acting career. A set of 1903 iron and wood turnstiles leads to a motley collection of historic football strips, medals, posters and clunky leather boots that look as if they were designed for coalminers. Speaking of which, the exhibition From Pit to Pitch: A Story of Coal Seams & Football Dreams, running until the end of the year, investigates the mining communities across central Scotland that incubated great footballers and managers, including Bill Shankly, Jock Stein and Busby. One exhibit brought back fond memories of my early career as a trainee sports reporter, showing a section of the old press box with a phone booth that adorned the roof of the old stadium. I still remember climbing a spiral iron staircase and the smell of an old wooden corridor leading to our eyrie overlooking the field of dreams and much of Glasgow, as far as Ben Lomond. The thunderous roar of the crowd still rings in my ears. Entry to the Scottish Football Museum is £8 for adults and £3 for children; entry plus stadium tour costs £16/£9 (
Daily Mirror
4 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Beautiful seaside town crowned one of the best in Europe for major feature
The small market town of Lymington in Hampshire has been named as one of the best in Europe - and it's perfect for foodies looking for the best seafood in the continent This small British seaside town has been awarded as one of the best in Europe thanks to it's delicacies. During the summer the market town of Lymington comes alive as it holds the annual Seafood Festival showcasing the best of the English south coast. Nestled in the south east of England, Lymington in Hampshire has earned it's spot on the map when it comes to foodie hotspots. For three sunny July days, Lymington is abuzz with bustling street food vendors, live music, and entertainment Named on the global travel site Big 7 Travel, Lymington was included in the Top 25 Best Summer Food Festivals in Europe, providing inspiration for foodie travellers who want to enjoy some of the best local food cuisines. Lymington was also crowned by Which? as one of the UK's top seaside towns to visit, boasting awe-inspiring sea views of the Needles in the Isle of Wight and picturesque Georgian properties. Although it lacks a beach, it compensates with a nature reserve, a hidden lagoon, and a seawater bathing spot, reports Surrey Live. So instead of jetting off in the hope of some good food, Lymington is the perfect destination. The boutique festival is crammed full of epic street food and pretty much every fishy delight to sample across the three days. Visitors can graze their way around 80 different food stalls, with seafood at the forefront of each vendor from locally sourced garlicky prawns to zingy fish tacos, as well as meat, vegetarian and vegan options too. There is also the Chefs Stage which hosts the very best local chefs showcasing local seafood and local produce from the region all while visitors can learn their secrets and tricks in the kitchen. For those who enjoy cooking, the Cookery School invites guests to brush up on their skills, as the local chefs put on masterclasses. Once you're full up, you can make the most of being by the seaside and seeing some of the nearby beaches as here are lots close by. The closest sandy beaches to Lymington include Lepe Beach, Highcliffe Beach, Steamer Point Beach, Friars Cliff Beach and Avon Beach. Other close beaches that are shingle beaches include Milford on Sea and Barton on Sea. To get there, Lymington has its own railway station. Mainline trains link London Waterloo to nearby Brockenhurst, there's then a short journey by train or bus to Lymington. Regular bus services with Bluestar connect Lymington from Bournemouth and Southampton. There is a regular ferry service from the Isle of Wight offered by Wightlink ferries. The festival will run this year from, July 11 to July 13, 2025.
