Glasgow
Relaxed and friendly bar that starts out publike and gets louder with gay anthem DJs as the night progresses. Entry is free and it serves food until 9pm,…
Must-see nightlife in Scotland
Glasgow
With an easily missed entrance between a Spanish and an Italian restaurant, this basement bar is a friendly LGBT pub with a pool table and regular gigs at…
Old Town
With outdoor tables on sunny afternoons and cosy candlelit intimacy in the evenings, this comfortably cramped Tuscan-style wine bar offers a tempting…
Edinburgh
Tucked in a basement, the Bailie is a Stockbridge stalwart – a dimly lit, warm and welcoming nook with a large circular island bar, a roaring fire in…
Old Town
An elegant traditional bar lined with gleaming wood, mirrors and polished brass, the Royal Mile serves real ale (Deuchars IPA and Edinburgh Castle ale),…
Scotland
Grab a pint of real ale and settle in among the leather booths and vintage curios at this Victorian local, which offers speciality beers, whisky and rum…
Kirkwall
Tucked away in the Orkney Hotel, this refurbished bar is best visited for its fabulous selection of single malt whisky, with over 800 different bottlings…
Southern Highlands & Islands
This friendly hotel has one of Scotland's best whisky bars, the perfect place to learn more about the Campbeltown distilling tradition and to taste the…
Southern Scotland
In Robert Burns’ poem 'Tam o’ Shanter', Tam spends a boozy evening in this pub, which now bears his name. Opened in the mid-18th century, it's an…
Leith
A cosy warren of timber-lined nooks and crannies housed in a single-storey red-brick building (once a waiting room for ferries across the Firth of Forth),…
Edinburgh
This spectacular bar, with its huge, chunky beer-hall tables, leather-sofa booths and polished black-and-white tile floor, makes a grand setting for the…
Glasgow
Unlike many Irish pubs, there's actually something rather authentically Irish about this place, which has an aged wooden floor, unusual booth seating, a…
Islay
One of Islay's key whisky bars, Lochside Hotel has a fine selection of local malts and a good atmosphere, with locals rubbing shoulders with distillery…
Dundee
A perfectly unpretentious local pub, serving a wide range of Scottish and international craft beers and an all-day menu of tempting pub grub (mains £8 to …
Old Town
A traditional-looking pub with dark wood and subdued tartanry, the Malt Shovel offers a good range of real ales and more than 40 malt whiskies, and serves…
St Andrews
Good beer, good food and good company are the order of the day in this friendly, modern brewpub, with 18 beers and ciders on tap (including several of its…
Inverness
Just over a mile northwest of the city centre, on the bank of the Caledonian Canal just off the A862, is this delightful old coaching inn (with beer…
Edinburgh
A dark, downstairs den of traditional beersmanship, with bare wooden floorboards and dark wood tables and chairs, the long-established Antiquary has…
Edinburgh
Housed in a former wine merchant's office, tiny Kay's is a cosy haven with a coal fire and a fine range of real ales. Good food is served in the back room…
Aberdeen
One of the most attractive traditional pubs in the city, with a lovely stone and timber interior, stained-glass windows and a relaxed atmosphere – a great…
Highland Perthshire
The heart of Kenmore, this hotel has a bar with a roaring fire and some verses scribbled on the chimney by Robert Burns in 1787, when the inn was already…
Old Town
The historic Beehive, a former coaching inn, is a big, buzzing party pub with a range of real ales, but the main attraction is sitting out the back in the…
Inverness
Beautifully refurbished, this is the most traditional of the pubs in the city centre, with a mahogany horseshoe bar and several real ales on tap,…
Aberdeen
Tucked down an alley off Union St, Aberdeen's best-known pub boasts the longest bar in the city, a great range of real ales and good-value pub grub. Quiet…
Edinburgh
Set in an 18th-century house with a cobbled courtyard, the Pear Tree is a student favourite with an open fire in winter, bright modern decor inside, and…
Perth
The smallest and friendliest pub in Perth offers great entertainment every week (open-mic Thursdays from 9pm, live-music Saturdays from 9pm), fine ales…
Leith
If you’re serious about spirits, the Scotch Malt Whisky Society has branches all around the world. Membership of the society costs from £65 a year and…
Portree (Port Righ)
This adjunct to a popular pizza restaurant (upstairs beside the Royal Hotel) serves excellent Italian espresso, and also has an extensive range of Italian…
Aberdeen
The original flagship bar of northeast Scotland's most innovative craft brewery brings a bit of industrial chic to Aberdeen's pub scene along with a vast…
Scotland
This chic yet laid-back bar, which doubles as a casual restaurant, flies the flag for wine, craft beer and artisan cocktails, some made with seasonal…
Glasgow
This traditional pub is Scotland’s oldest gay bar. It attracts punters of all ages. It’s very friendly and, with a large group of regulars, a good place…
Leith
The Starbank is an oasis of fine ales and good, homemade food on Edinburgh's windswept waterfront. In summer there's a sunny conservatory and in winter a…
The Cairngorms
Lively local pub that operates under the wing of the Cairngorm Brewery. It's popular with hikers and climbers, and serves a good range of real ales and…
Borders Region
This unusually shaped pub by the river is cosy with moulded ceilings and wooden panelling. There's a very convivial atmosphere and a few excellent craft…
Glasgow
Downstairs on cosmopolitan John St, Underground sports a relaxed crowd and, crucially, a free jukebox. You’ll be listening to indie rather than Abba here.
Inverness
Offering a tempting selection of craft beers, this pub has a wee suntrap of a terrace out the front. It's a great place for a pint on a summer afternoon.
Fort William
The Grog & Gruel is a traditional-style, wood-panelled pub with an excellent range of cask ales from regional Scottish and English microbreweries.
Glasgow
This popular Manchester club's Glasgow branch is a cheery spot, not too scene-y, with all welcome. It makes for a fun place to finish off a night out.
Inverness & the Great Glen
The Anderson hotel serves good pub grub, a range of real ales (including Belgian beers and Somerset cider) and more than 200 single malt whiskies.
Glasgow
Chilled out vibes and cocktails bring a young crowd to this lane hideaway where the cosy, contemporary interior is complemented by DJs regularly spinning…
