Some things I appreciated about Scotland on this trip…
- It’s always sunny
- Complete disinterest in the Rugby World Cup among locals
- Fewer lorries on the dual carriageways
- Train stations mandatory within a mile of any GBG pub
That’s a civilised country, if you ask me.
OK, there aren’t masses of trains, but just enough to make BRAPA (de)basing himself in Perth or Dunkeld in 2030 a viable option.
The Moulin Inn brew pub is 22 minutes walk from Pitlochry Station, or 19 for folk without long hair to weigh them down.
Moulin is gorgeous. Enjoy this video of a babbling brook leading to the hotel entrance.
One clue as to who can afford to stay here, and it ain’t me or Si.
It could be one of those National Trust pubs, the Bretforton or Stourhead of the North, with the homebrew a middle class affectation.
But it had a bit of character, and a near absence of overpowering menus, laminated or paper.
The Moulin pump clips are weird, but I liked the attempt to obscure them with jars of Double Deckers and cookies. There may have been a machine to deep fry them out back.
I think that, as with the Queen’s visit to the Bridge at Topsham, the idea is you buy a pack of ales to take home, rather than actually drinking them there.
I fancied the seat by the fire,
so I let the man go in front of me, where to my horror I realised he’d never been in a pub before and had no idea how to order food and drinks. I never learn.
My own purchase of a half of Light (it was a long day) was barely simpler, as a complete lack of coinage meant a barman having to drive to Perth to get my 20p change.
The ale was lightweight and watery (NBSS 2), but let’s not be churlish, it was worth £1.80 to sit in front of the fire and listen to gentlefolk ask what was in the neeps and tatties.
The piped music was playing at such a low volume that it defeated my “Name That Tune” app.
And in the Gents I found a challenger to the Evelyn and Crabtree dominance of posho pubs.
It’s not quite true to say there is a total lack of interest in RWC in Scotland; it just doesn’t last so long due to the national team’s distressing inability to survive beyond the group stage.
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I’m afraid that’s why I mentioned it. In fairness, I listened to the Japan v Scotland group decider, possibly the only rugby match I’ve ever listened to. A great tussle.
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At last -a pub I have been to -I seem to recall I had a rather splendid Yorkshire pudding (of course ) filled with delicious stew.It was Winter when we went there & it was dark & atmospheric -love this part of Scotland
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I bet it’s great in Winter but I’m glad I was up there in the dry months!
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There was snow when we were there -we were staying at a resort near Gleneagles courtesy of some “richer than us ” chums who have some sort of holiday bond (don’t understand how it works,but sometimes we get “free ” holidays ,which generally escalate in cost with flights,beer prosecco etc )
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Yes, my parents had a share in Holiday Property Bond which owned smart hotels, often next to golf courses. Rubbish value.
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Pauline,
A deep fried Yorkshire Pudding ?
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The Moulin beer has always been a bit homebrew, but they really got it wrong with the names; the Braveheart sold on the name (and isn’t that great) when the Ale of Atholl was the best tasting beer by a wide margin.
The lowering of the drink driving limit in Scotland is ensuring that all the rural outlets in the GBG are trending to being public transport accessible. Those are probably the only ones selling cask in any case.
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The fact I could do so many by train was a factor in my abandoning Orkney plans and heading to the Highlands.
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Scott,
“The lowering of the drink driving limit in Scotland is ensuring that all the rural outlets in the GBG are trending to being public transport accessible” – but is that because public transport accessible pubs are the only ones active members now know or because those active members think that GBG owners will only be able to get to public transport accessible pubs or both ?
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From my experience, it’s only the accessible outlets that are getting visited/voted for. Vicious circle.
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Good answer.
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Good question.
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Scott,
Not just Scotland.
In my branch it’s the pubs in the two main towns that get most of the visits and votes, or to be more precise the pubs with several beers on in the two main towns
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If the Anchor in High Offley hadn’t been in the Guide for 30 odd years would it get in now?
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Er, I think the answer there must be a ‘no’.
And with the branch allocation being reduced by nearly a third over the next three years there must be serious doubts as to how much longer it will be in.
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That’s a scandal. Not joking.
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Er, I think the answer to that must be a ‘no’.
And with the branch allocation being reduced by nearly a third over the next three years there must be serious doubts as to no much longer it will be in.
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Just catching up on the 15 blogs you’ve posted since I nipped out for a pint of milk. This pub is a cracking building in a lovely area but the beer is as you and Scott describe. I know all you really want is a Brewer’s Fayre in Glenrothes.
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But the slightly stronger one was pretty good down the road in Blair Atholl.
My photos of cask being purchased in Scottish pubs are being sent for authentication to the chap who proved the Surgeons photo of Nessie was genuine.
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Paul/Scott,
Is that why Ashby de la Zouch and Coalville get overlooked due to a lack of train station?
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LAF,
Probably, but I think Newcastle under Lyme has a few GBG entries.
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“it was worth £1.80 to sit in front of the fire and listen to gentlefolk ask what was in the neeps and tatties” –This is a good summary of what your blog is all about for me; the beer is a factor, to be sure, but it’s the unique experiences of all these far flung visits– the odd and unrepeatable little details– that really count in the end.
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You could say that Americans pay £20 to walk round an old house at Windsor and they don’t even get a cup of tea!
Pubs let you in for free and for a few pounds you get a nice seat, fire, tat and can eavesdrop on weird conversations. Easy choice.
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Mark,
That’s the only two good things about this time of year, sat in front of a proper pub fire and the chance of a pint of Old Tom in Stockport.
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