Beer fans in Scotland will soon be able to get their hands on this year's CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide, which celebrates the very best pubs here and around the rest of the UK. Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, there are over 60 new Scottish entries to the 2023 guide.
The guide's award-winning author Laura Hadland has showcased the local beer highlights across Scotland, picking out the best place to get a pint across the country.
The Good Beer Guide 2023, which is published annually by CAMRA (The Campaign for Real Ale), helps beer lovers take a barometer of the local beer scene. As well as covering 308 of the very best pubs across Scotland, it keeps track of brewery numbers, and notes there are now 25 new breweries across the country.
Speaking about the thriving scene in Scotland, Hadland notes that although the nation has a proud and exciting brewing heritage, “real ale availability can still be quite sparse in comparison to other regions".
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Adding: "This isn’t particularly surprising when you consider that the distance between the most northerly brewery, the Lerwick Brewery on Shetland, and the most southerly, Five Kingdoms in the Isle of Whithorn, is some 400 miles!"
The experienced beer writer singles out Scottish breweries such as Arran Brewery, on the Isle of Arran, and Fyne Ales – whose Session Blonde beer Jarl won the Champion Beer of Scotland competition in 2021 – for praise.
Shockingly, they recorded that 17 Scottish breweries also closed this year.
More than 4,500 pubs were surveyed by thousands of independent volunteers, and this year, there are 66 new Scottish pubs added to the guide, with the likes of
CAMRA National Chairman Nik Antona says: “For nearly five decades, the Good Beer Guide has been a comprehensive guide to the UK’s breweries, their ales, and the best outlets to find them in across the country.
"The Good Beer Guide has always had an important role in acting as a barometer of the beer and pub industry. We believe information gleaned from the Guide is absolutely vital in the drive to save our pubs from closure and campaign for policies that better support pubs, local brewers and their customers.
"Whilst we experienced a boom in the brewing industry over recent years, it’s clear that the effects of COVID-19 and subsequent cost of living and cost of goods crisis has been keenly felt. I’d encourage everyone to use this Guide to seek out the very best examples of pub excellence and support these locals by visiting them."
The guide is £16.99 and is available to buy here.
Which pubs are included in the Good Beer Guide?
In Scotland, 308 pubs are included in the guide, with 66 new pub entries this year. Here are all of the new entries for Scotland in the 2023 Good Beer Guide:
Aberdeenshire
Stag, Aberdeen, Crown Street, AB11 6HB
Under the Hammer, Aberdeen, North Silver Street, AB10 1RJ
Invercauld Mews, Braemar, Glenshee Road, AB35 5YR
Royal Oak Hotel, Cullen, Castle Terrace, AB56 4SD
Belvedere Hotel, Stonehaven, Evan Street, AB39 2ET
Shepherds Rest, Westhill, Straik Road, AB32 6HF
Argyll and the islands
Creagan Inn, Appin, Creagan, PA38 4BQ
Tigh-an-Truish Inn, Clachan Seil, PA34 4QZ
Ingrams, Dunoon, Ferry Brae, PA23 7DJ
Cuilfail, Kilmelford, PA34 4XA
Markie Dans, Oban, Victoria Crescent, Corran Esplanade, A34 5PN
Black Bull Inn, Rothesay, West Princes Street
Macs Bar, Rothesay, Castlehill Street, PA20 0DA
Ayrshire and Arran
Black Bull Inn, Darvel, 24 West Main Street, KA17 0AQ
Auld Brig, Irvine, 15 Fullarton Square, KA12 8EJ
Paddle Steamer, Largs, Gallowgate Street, KA30 8LX
Mill House, Stewarton, 4 Dean Street, KA3 5EQ
The Borders
Ancrum Cross Keys, Ancrum, The Green, TD8 6XH
Clovenfords Hotel, Clovenfords, Vine Street, TD1 3LU
Rutherfords, Kelso, The Square, TD5 7HL
Border, Kirk Yetholm, The Green, TD5 8PQ
Dumfries & Galloway
Douglas Arms, Dumfries, 75 Friars Vennel, DG1 2RQ
Harbour Inn, Garlieston, 18 South Crescent, DG8 8BQ
Masonic Arms, Gatehouse of Fleet, Ann Street, DG7 2HU
Creebridge House Hotel, Newton Stewart, Minnigaff, DG8 6NP
Edinburgh & The Lothians
Duck's Inn, Aberlady, Main Street EH32 0RE
Black Cat, Edinburgh, 168 Rose Street, EH2 4BA
Sandy Bell's, Edinburgh: Central, 25 Forrest Road, EH1 2QH
Artisan, Edinburgh: East, 35 London Road, EH7 5BQ
Clark's Bar, Edinburgh: North, 142 Dundas Street EH3 5DQ
Mather's, Edinburgh: North, 25 Broughton Street, EH1 3JU
Stobsmill Inn (Bruntons), Gorebridge, 25 Powdermill Brae, EH23 4HX
Black Bull, Mid Calder, Market Street, EH53 0AA
David Macbeth Moir, Musselburgh, Bridge Street EH21 6AG
Prestoungrange Gothenburg, Prestonpans, 227 High Street EH32 9BE
Greater Glasgow
Coach House, Bridge of Weir, Main Street, PA11 3NR
Hudsons, East Kilbride, 14-16 Cornwall Way, G74 1JR
Ben Nevis, Glasgow, 1147 Argyle Street, Finnieston, G3 8TB
Clockwork, Glasgow, 1153-1155 Cathcart Road, Mount Florida, G42 9HB
Counting House, Glasgow, 2 St Vincent Place, G1 2DH
Doublet, Glasgow, 74 Park Road, Woodlands, G4 9JF
ValleyScotia Bar, Glasgow, 112-114 Stockwell Street, G1 4LW
Habbies Bar & Grill, Kilbarchan, 25 New Street, PA10 2LN
Clydesdale Inn, Lanark, 15 Bloomgate, ML11 9ET
Talbot Arms, Milngavie, 30 Main Street, G62 6BU
Lord of the Isles, Renfrew, Xscape, Kings Inch Road PA4 8XQ
Highlands & Western Isles
Badachro Inn, Badachro, IV21 2AA
Cawdor Tavern, Cawdor, The Lane, IV12 5XP
Bothy Bar, Fort Augustus, Canalside, PH32 4AU
John O'Groats Brewery & Tap Room, John O'Groats, The Last House, KW1 4YR
Suie Bar, Kincraig PH21 1NA
Loch Ness Inn Lewiston, Lewiston, near Drumnadrochit, IV63 6UW
Whitebridge Hotel, Whitebridge, IV2 6UN
Fife
Ceres Inn, Ceres, The Cross, KY15 5NA
Guildhall & Linen Exchange, Dunfermline, High Street, KY12 7DR
Golden Acorn, Glenrothes, 1 North Street, KY7 5NA
Auld Hoose, Kinghorn, Nethergate, KY3 9SY
Robert Nairn, Kirkcaldy, Kirk Wynd, KY1 1EH
Loch Lomond, Stirling & The Trossachs
Tullie Inn, Balloch, Balloch Road, G83 8SW
Allanwater Brewhouse, Bridge of Allan, Queens Lane, FK9 4NY
Clachan Inn, Drymen, 2 The Square, G63 0BL
Orkney
Bothy Bar (Albert Hotel), Kirkwall: Orkney, Mounthoolie Lane, KW15 1HW
Tayside
Counting House, Dundee, 67-71 Reform Street, DD1 1SP
Capital Asset, Perth, Tay Street
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