clyde pubs

[1114C]

was reading the depressing tales of Tarbert on the pub/restaurant forum here which led me to think are there any decent pubs with anchorage/moorings in the Clyde then?

when we started in the Clyde just five years ago, Tarbert was good, Kames too and even Ardentinny was passable (just). Have not been out much this year alas but have a weekend coming up and the only good one I can think of is Colintraive with Tarbert now sounding like it is going downhill and Ardentinny having been a write off for a couple of years now - can anyone recommend a different one?

I do like a pub at the end of a long sail - what is good on Arran and are any much good in Tighnabruaich this Summer? I have always found Rothesay a bit depressing I have to admit but maybe have been going to the wrong places

Ta

 

[JimC]

We've just returned from 5 weeks cruising the Clyde and Loch Fyne, our first time up there. We loved the places and the sailing but not the pubs, which we found over-priced (e.g a small glass of wine for about the same price as a bottle of similar stuff at an off-licence) and totally lacking in proper beer (i.e. real ale). There is a real ale brewery on Arran but its beer isn't widely available. Regarding Rothesay: best place we found was a bar just off the front behind the post office, where Margaret Zavaroni (cousin of the late Lena) sings to entertain the customers at weekends. In Tarbert the Victoria wasn't bad.

 

[Superstrath]

The pubs are generally awful. Finding a pint of real ale is very difficult. The Kames Hotel is hit and miss, the Royal has a good bar (and beer), and a nice restaurant. Their dinghy pontoon was lethal last october, might be fixed now. Colintraive, as is well noted, is terrific. Arran: Well, avoid Lochranza Hotel, it's dreadful. PHT in Lamlash can entertain at times, but lousy beer. Try the Glen Isle Hotel about half a mile south. Forget the Drift Inn. I don't know anywhere in Brodick that I'd go to again.
Rothesay - the Black Bull is a great pub. Problem is, it's in Rothesay. Last time I was there we got a lock-in because there was a murder outside, cops told us to stay inside. Nice.
I agree with all that's been written about Tarbert, hardly worth a visit these days.
Take youself up to Inverary and spend some time in The George, great pub, great beer. It's a long way up, but you can stop off at Creggans Inn for a night, which has a lively bar at weekends, decent beer and moorings.
The Oystercatcher at Otter Spit is a nice anchorage to spend a night, but the pub is odd, to say the least. I've had some good times in there, though. Don't take the landlady at face value.
Stonefield Castle Hotel, has moorings, or anchor, and for a very posh place were very friendly towards scruffy blokes in wellies. Lovely gardens to wander around in as well.
St Blaine's Hotel in Kilchattan Bay is getting real ale (Highlander/Pipers Gold) this week, so they say, but a bit lacking in character. You can sit outside, get a seat near the Midge-Muncher.
That's my contribution. All in all rather disappointing, I have to say. I'll just keep trying though!

Alistair

 

[Thistle]

Can't remember its name but the first pub you come to as you walk out of the Holy Loch marina has had good food each time we've een there.

 

[Gordonmc]

Superstrath has summed things up pretty well. Last visit the Kames had one real ale pump on... Highlander and Deuchars seem to be the regulars in turn. I have never been stuck for a mooring and the food is good at reasonable prices.
The Royal bar is OK but the restaurant is over-priced IMO. If you can travel inland the Kifinan on the road between Tighanbruich and Otter Ferry is listed in the Camra guide.
Glendaruel Hotel has Highlander on draught, but again its a car job. Its in the valley feeding Loch Riddon.
Colintraive had Directors on tap and Loch Fyne ales by the bottle last weekend. Most moorings were empty and the blackboard menu looked tempting.
If you can pick up a mooring in Port Bannatyne on Bute the Royal Hotel has a Russian bar with gravity fed barrels of real ale on the counter, but be warned, the owner is an odd-ball who seems to have barred most of the locals.
Enought already spoken of Arran that I can't disagree with as I can't remember the name of the pub/hotel in Whiting Bay which had a guest ale... a nice walk from Kings Cross Point.
Tarbert is on my "off" list. Otter Ferry has moorings and the food is good if you can get by the owner. She barred my ship's dog while letting her mutt wander around begging.
Creggans Inn (?) at Strachur had TT Landlord on last time I was in. No moorings, though.

 

[1114C]

thanks for that

i quite liked the royal in tighnabruaich although as superstrath said, the dinghy pontoon is very tricky to get off from with corroding metal to walk across. It was a Saturday night we were there but there was not another soul in the pub apart from us which seemed odd
I will try the Kames again, was last there a few years ago with unfriendly owners who I think have now moved on
So sad that tarbert is not the great place it should be - very frustrating but how typical of scottish tourism in my experience
re the kilfinnan that you mention - had the misfortune to spend a night there last year and it was truly awful - I think it is up for sale but needs a great deal of work done on it, owners were p*ssed all day in the bar which is very off putting

 

[Superstrath]

[ QUOTE ]
Creggans Inn (?) at Strachur had TT Landlord on last time I was in. No moorings, though.

[/ QUOTE ]

Can anyone confirm whether or not the moorings are still at Creggans?

Alistair

 

[cliff]

Why do you think RB has such a well stocked bar not to mention her cellars and kitchen / galley?.
--------------------

"Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity"
sailroom <span style="color:red">The place to auction your previously loved boatie bits</span>

 

[starboard]

Best pint on the upper Clyde is "Directors" at the Colintrave hotel. The best equal was at the "Columba" in Tarbet wich up to last year did a great pint of "Loch Fyne" ale. Unfortuneatelly the "Columba" is now closed for about a year after they discovered the whole hotel was being supported by an acrow prop that had been hidden behind plaster board and subsequently the building condemed!!!!!!

If you get a chance to get to Carradale walk up the hill to the Carradale hotel, the last time I was there I tried hard to talk the owners son into getting in some "Loch Fyne" ale....lets hope he took my advise!!

Happy drinking............and oh yes if you come across the good ship "Flap" Gordon generally has a good stock of bottled real ale!!!

Paul.

 

[Gordonmc]

Fesh...

That's a wicked rumour spread about by ne'er-do-wells and rapscallions bent on seeing me to a pauper's grave.

Stap me vitals!

 

[Superstrath]

[ QUOTE ]
Why do you think RB has such a well stocked bar not to mention her cellars and kitchen / galley

[/ QUOTE ]

Ah, Cliffy, we must compare sometime. The hospitality on RB is indeed fine, but SC has her fair share of vittels on board. No Blak Bush at present, but if you call in advance....
That would also give me time to get the hand-pulled draught Strathaven Ales moved from hoos bar to yat-bar....
Think twice before bringing SWMBO, though, if you really want to stay mono-hulled!

Alistair

 

[jimi]

Byres road might be worth a visit

 

[Superstrath]

[ QUOTE ]
Naked at Bobar is an exciting and daring idea which will appeal to those liberated individuals out there who want to take part in a first of its kind project and make their Sunday a little bit more interesting than it normally may be."


[/ QUOTE ]

I can assure you that my Sundays are a bloody sight more interesting than lying on the floor of a poseur-pub in Byres Road, naked, with lots of flabby West-End limp-wrists.
Oh, sure, I've done that, but it was ages ago. And it was not my fault. Honest.

 

[Aja]

Can confirm that the Creggans has two moorings. We pass every friday evening and quite often a Mobo is parked there.

Colintraive. Excellent
Tarbert. Slip sliding
Rothesay. Best Indian in the area
Otter. Odd
Port Royal. Odder
Kilfinan. Used to be great
Kames. Much improved. Need a mooring? Mine is usually free at the weekends. marked 'Rebel'. If an odd woman comes down the shore and shouts at you to get off the mooring, just ignore her. It's my mother.
Royal. Over priced. Quite nice though.

Wee secret. Loch Gair Hotel. Very welcoming.

Donald

ps Mooring free for next three weeks - I'm off on my hols....

 

[Superstrath]

[ QUOTE ]
Wee secret. Loch Gair Hotel. Very welcoming.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sorry to disagree, Donald, but no it wasn't, when we went last summer with the kids. In fact they were pretty bloody rude, made us all sit in the foyer even though they were fully open, and the beer was dreadful.
There were three adults and my three kids. We might have had dinner there, for a treat, but they lost out on that not insubstantial opportunity.
Loch Gair itself is nice though.

Harumph.

 

[Aja]

Just goes to show you the inconsistency (hit & miss) on the west coast. Just like the weather I suppose.

Fish & chips were excellent - nice big bits of fish... oh and the Guinness was quite nice too!

Donald

 

[Bejasus]

[ QUOTE ]
Byres road might be worth a visit

[/ QUOTE ]

aye, maybe 30 years ago.


Personally I always prefer the Dowanhill in that area.

 

[Sgeir]

Don't know that area. Is the Dowanhill the old fashioned (but "arty") one on a cormer? Real ale, yoonie types, journos etc? Nice pub, awfy busy after work on a Friday.

Doublet's no' bad though.

 

[Sgeir]

Thanks for the PM. Yes, I remember Chris McLure. Glasow was a really vibrant place in 60s, possibly early 70s. Memphis Slim used to play there regularly, Alex Harvey when he was basically blues and a bit of jazz. Loads of jazz and blues (and folk), which all seemed to influence the rock/pop end (which wasn't really my bag).

On the other hand, Glasgow in the 60s was a bloody nightmare if you were a teenager, gangs all over the place, people carrying, etc etc. Ugh. I remember one of the gangs, maybe the Cumbie, hacking their way through the wooden walls at a dancehall on the south side, Clarkston way (tennis pavilion, forget name, no, remember, Whitecraigs) when Dean Ford and the Gaylords (later Marmalade?) were playing. A wee guy actually hacked a hole in the wall from the outside, stepped through followed by about 20 of his pals, re-holstered the fireman's axe back into into his mod suit, "Eff off. Ahm dancing wi' this burd etc etc". The two bouncers, both off duty polis, scarpered.

Years later, I bumped into one of these guys, who'd done very well professionally, at a company meeting in London. Looked awfy familiar. Quickly ascertained that we were both soothsiders, and I mentioned the hole in the wall incident. Said he was there. I asked, "Were you the guy with the firman's axe inside the jacket of the mod suit?"

"No", he said, "I was the one with the sword doon ma trooser leg".

 

[Bejasus]

ah, those were the days. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Yes the Dowanhill was a bit arty, all actors etc The Taggart bunch used to drink in there. Haven't been for a few years now. The Doublet used to be ok too.
Ah think wee Jamesie is reminiscing aboot Byers Road when ra Curlers an yon studenty pub up near Hillhead used tae be aw the rage.(was it the Byre?)