Mull
‘The Mish’, near the pier on the harbourfront, is a favourite hang-out for visiting yachties and a great place for a pint, with a very convivial…
Must-see nightlife in The Highlands & Islands
Loch Ness
Set in an 18th-century manse a half-mile east of the main road, the Benleva is a rough diamond of a pub – a bit frayed around the edges but with a heart…
Inverness
Decked out in timber and tweed, this bar strikes a distinctly modern chord. There's a huge selection of Scottish craft beers on tap, and even a beer 'set…
Islay
If you're serious about whisky, you'll want to stop by this attractive bar to try one of its 700-plus malts. Though customer service can vary, the owners…
Oban
An authentic Scottish pub, Aulay’s is cosy and low-ceilinged, its walls covered with old photographs of Oban ferries and other ships. It pulls in a mixed…
The Trossachs
Callander's best pub isn't in Callander − it's a mile west of town. It pulls a good pint (with its own real ales), and next door it has a shop with a…
Lerwick
This upstairs port-side bar has a distinctly nautical, creaky-wooden feel. There’s a cross-section of young ’uns, tourists, boat folk and older locals. It…
Oban
It's a pleasure to see this four-square 18th-century pub open again after some years closed, with its solid walls, flagstone floor and roof beams in the…
Lerwick
Tucked away behind Lerwick's tourist office, the Lounge features an earthy downstairs bar populated by friendly local characters. The attractive upstairs…
Islay
In Portnahaven, near where the seals bask on the rocks, this cosy little pub turns out some decent food (noon to 8pm Friday to Tuesday, to 4pm Wednesday…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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.
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.
Ullapool to Kyle of Lochalsh
Set in an enchanting location, overlooking a sheltered yacht harbour at Badachro, 5 miles southwest of Gairloch, this old Highland inn doesn't do the…
Oban
A traditional pub with a lovely old island bar, polished brass fittings, stained glass and a beer garden, the Lorne serves local real ales, as well as…
Pitlochry
This is the place to go to meet locals and have a big night out. Live music at weekends, weekly karaoke and DJs make this Pitlochry’s most popular place…
Inverness
Stuck beneath the ugliest building on the riverfront, Johnny Foxes is a big and boisterous Irish bar with a wide range of food served all day and live…
Portree (Port Righ)
Portree's pubs are nothing special, but the Isles Inn is more atmospheric than most. The Jacobean bar, with its flagstone floor and open fires, pulls in a…
Ullapool
Known as the FBI, this character-laden waterfront inn is a popular spot where locals and visitors go to mingle. The food isn't anything special but it's…
Skye
You can enjoy a bar meal of Cullen skink or roast venison (food served noon to 9pm) washed down with Isle of Skye Brewery ale at the public bar in the…
Fort William
The lounge here enjoys a good view over the loch, and the bar exudes a relaxed, jovial atmosphere where climbers and tourists can work off leftover energy…
