Scotland’s beer scene is booming, says the Good Beer Guide

The brewing and pub scene across Scotland is booming, according to the Good Beer Guide 2020, CAMRA’s premier publication featuring the very best pubs to find a great pint in the UK.

It reports that across Scotland and Northern Ireland 18 new breweries have opened:

1. Beer Story Brewing Co, Insch

2. Big Fish Brewing Co, Stonehaven

3. Bodachra Brewing Co, Potterton

4. Reids Gold Brewery, Stonehaven

5. StoatCraft Revolutionary Beers, Aberdeen

6. Lowland Brewery, Lockerbie

7. Mote & Bailey Brewery, Annan

8. Faking Bad Brewery, Prestonpans

9. Overtone Brewing Co, Glasgow

10. Ride Brewing Co, Glasgow

11. Glen Spean Brewing Co, Spean Bridge

12. Knoydart Brewery Ltd, Knoydart

13. Loomshed Brewery, Tarbert

14. Coul Brewing Co, Glenrothes

15. Ovenstone 109 Brewery, Ovenstone

16. Seven Kings Brewery, Dunfermline

17. Blunt Chisel Brewery, Blairadam

18. Bun Dubh Brewery, Sandaig

In addition, the Bridge Inn in Peebles has been named one of the best pubs in the UK, making its way to the next stage of the competition in the nationwide search for CAMRA’s Pub of the Year.

The Bridge Inn is a cheerful, welcoming, town-centre local which is also known as ‘the Trust’. The mosaic entrance floor shows it was once the Tweedside Inn. It has a bright, comfortable bar which is decorated with jugs, bottles, pictures of old Peebles and displays relating to outdoor pursuits. There is a cosy corner with a log burner and a small room to the rear. The sun trap patio overlooks the river and hills beyond.

It will now compete in the next round of the competition, hoping to be named one of four finalists – and stay in with a chance of becoming the overall winner, to be revealed in February 2020.

The Good Beer Guide, which reviews over 4,500 pubs across the UK, is the definitive beer drinkers’ guide to the very best pints in a variety of styles of pubs to suit individual tastes. Compiled by thousands of independent volunteers, it helps identify significant trends and themes locally and nationally.

Tom Stainer, CAMRA’s Chief Executive said: “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. 

“What makes the Guide unique is that all the entries are compiled and vetted by a huge volunteer team, based around the country. We work hard to ensure that all areas of the country are covered and, unlike with some competitor titles, inclusion in this book is dependent only on merit, not on payment.

“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.”