Scotland Trip Advice?

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jmgrub

real Gs move in silence like lasagna
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Heading to Scotland with my folks from October 9-20. First stop is Inverness to play Nairn and Royal Dornoch. Second stop is Edinburgh to play St. Andrews Old and New Course and Carnoustie. Anything to recommend in either of these locales? Also happy to bring a few bottles to share/trade if anyone has any interest.
 
Dunno if there's anyone from Scotland on this site. You'd get a better response from locals if you post to the UK forum on Ratebeer.

In Edinburgh, definitely visit the Hanging Bat for great UK craft beers. Bow Bar and Cloisters are a good pubs for local cask ales and the BrewDog bar is also worth a visit.
 
Dunno if there's anyone from Scotland on this site. You'd get a better response from locals if you post to the UK forum on Ratebeer.

In Edinburgh, definitely visit the Hanging Bat for great UK craft beers. Bow Bar and Cloisters are a good pubs for local cask ales and the BrewDog bar is also worth a visit.

Thanks! I'll give the RateBeer UK forum a shot before I head out there. Cheers.
 
Ug, gotta navigate RB for info.

Heading to Glasgow area end of March for work. Maybe I'll just islay myself to death.
 
Heading to Edinburgh in August for a week. I can report back here on my findings, if any. In the meantime, any advice would be greatly appreciated!
 
Brewdog was by far the best spot in Edinburgh.
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Bump. Edinburgh is awesome. I'd love recommendations besides BrewDog if anyone has updated info.

Hanging Bat and Stockbridge Tap are on my list.

Also, whoever told me Scotland would be cold in August can go **** themselves.
 
Hanging bat >>> brewdog:)
Bow bar for amazing scotch selection, brew lab for excellent coffee or fortitude. Mother India for delicious Indian tapas.

jmgrub What are you looking for as far as recs? I spend a week in Scotland each year:)

Well, my trip was almost two years ago so I'm not looking for any recs at the moment, but I do look forward to getting back to Scotland soon and am jealous of your worldwide travel regimen!!
 
Also, whoever told me Scotland would be cold in August can go **** themselves.

I was there in July and it was miserably hot. I pretty much just wandered around slowly and drank anywhere that had AC. I can't complain. Of course I went to Berlin the next week and it was 110 degrees. Ugh.

Luckily, my hotel in Edinburgh was about a block from Hanging Bat.
 
Just returned from Scotland so I thought I'd drop my experiences here for posterity.

We traveled around the Highlands first and picked up some of the "craft" brews we found in grocery stores or local pubs including some by Black Isle and Skye Breweries. Their lineups are comparable to say Sam Adams - nothing terrible but no reason to drink another. We ended up picking up a Lagunitas IPA at a grocery store one day just to taste something hoppy. Stick to whiskey and gin outside the major cities or stock up in Edinburgh (see below) before driving around the country.

We ended in Edinburgh and I had noted the Hanging Bat and Stockbridge Tap while researching the trip. Had planned on hitting one or both of those but luckily we stumbled upon a place called the Salt Horse about a half block from our hotel. Great bar and bottle shop with a few taps where you can drink in or take out. Cantillon RdG and Kriek 375s, 3F, Westy 12, Fantomes, Cloudwater cans, and lots of other great stuff on the shelves all at great prices. Selection is much larger than what is listed on the website. Very knowledgeable lad in there schooled us on the local/Euro scene. Highlights we drank included Tempest Mexicake, Temptest Brave New World, Beavertown Black Betty, and a Fieldworks collab called Travel Notes.

We weren't there for the beer so finding this place was just a bonus. The country is awesome. Highly recommended trip.
 
Just returned from Scotland so I thought I'd drop my experiences here for posterity.

We traveled around the Highlands first and picked up some of the "craft" brews we found in grocery stores or local pubs including some by Black Isle and Skye Breweries. Their lineups are comparable to say Sam Adams - nothing terrible but no reason to drink another. We ended up picking up a Lagunitas IPA at a grocery store one day just to taste something hoppy. Stick to whiskey and gin outside the major cities or stock up in Edinburgh (see below) before driving around the country.

We ended in Edinburgh and I had noted the Hanging Bat and Stockbridge Tap while researching the trip. Had planned on hitting one or both of those but luckily we stumbled upon a place called the Salt Horse about a half block from our hotel. Great bar and bottle shop with a few taps where you can drink in or take out. Cantillon RdG and Kriek 375s, 3F, Westy 12, Fantomes, Cloudwater cans, and lots of other great stuff on the shelves all at great prices. Selection is much larger than what is listed on the website. Very knowledgeable lad in there schooled us on the local/Euro scene. Highlights we drank included Tempest Mexicake, Temptest Brave New World, Beavertown Black Betty, and a Fieldworks collab called Travel Notes.

We weren't there for the beer so finding this place was just a bonus. The country is awesome. Highly recommended trip.
Thanks for the tip on Salt Horse! Incredible to go selection. Best I've seen in ages. Super-nice people, too.
 
I see a lot on here about Edinburgh and happen to be ending my trip there. I see some great recommendations so thank you.

Anyone want to meet up for a pint around the 18th or 19th of March?

Also, does anyone know where I can get bottle shippers in Edinburgh?
 
We also loved Edinburgh...our favorite little big city. Awhile back, Digita7693 gave me some great recs and tips on hitting Islay (a trip I plan to FINALLY take with friends for a whisky week, now hopefully in 2020), but my wife and I want to head to Scotland and Ireland while she can medically still fly (due early August), so no later than early June. She wants to see the countryside -- specifically Isle of Skye and Loch Ness. Any tips on how to go about it? Other must-do's in that direction? I assume renting a car is the way to go and ideally we'd like to stay in B&Bs along the journey.
 
We also loved Edinburgh...our favorite little big city. Awhile back, Digita7693 gave me some great recs and tips on hitting Islay (a trip I plan to FINALLY take with friends for a whisky week, now hopefully in 2020), but my wife and I want to head to Scotland and Ireland while she can medically still fly (due early August), so no later than early June. She wants to see the countryside -- specifically Isle of Skye and Loch Ness. Any tips on how to go about it? Other must-do's in that direction? I assume renting a car is the way to go and ideally we'd like to stay in B&Bs along the journey.


I’ll respond more later, but go here!
http://www.cairngormreindeer.co.uk/

Cause who doesn’t want to hang out w reindeer and feed them!!!
 
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