The 50 Pub Challenge

by Ron Elder

This year, CAMRA celebrates 50 years of Campaigning for Real Ale in Scotland. To mark this milestone, the Scottish Branches Committee issued a challenge to real ale drinkers to visit 50 real ale outlets in Scotland. The Bronze award is for visiting 50 pubs selling real ales anywhere in Scotland. Silver is awarded for visiting 50 pubs in the 2024 issue of the Good Beer Guide (GBG), anywhere in Scotland. The Gold award is for 50 GBG pubs in 10 areas from a total of 12 individual areas detailed in the GBG. The ultimate, Platinum, is awarded for visiting at least 5 GBG pubs in each of the 10 selected individual areas.

I decided to take up the challenge, and visited my first pub, the Navaar House Hotel in Penicuik, on the first of January. My final Platinum award pub, the Robert Nairn in Kirkcaldy, on 21st of February. It was an interesting exercise, visiting 50 pubs selling cask beers in different towns and cities throughout Scotland, and all in a relatively short period of time. The quality of the beers tasted was, generally, of a high standard (as one would expect from a GBG listed pub) with only five being below par, in my opinion on the day of my visit.

I found that Perth had the highest consistent quality of cask beer, closely followed by Dumfries. Dumfries also enjoyed the cheapest average price for a pint at £3.60 (I excluded Wetherspoons outlets from my price calculations). I enjoyed all of the pubs visited, but would like to identify the following for being the most welcoming: Bridge Inn, Peebles; Jolly Judge, Edinburgh; Tappit Hen, Dunblane; Cherrybank Inn, Perth; and Corriegarth, Inverness. The majority of beers tasted were Scottish with only nine coming from south of the border, which I took as a good indication of the popularity of Scottish cask beers. The most beers tasted from a single brewery were from Fyne Ales (8), closely followed by Stewart Brewing (7).

Part of the fun was in the logistics of planning the trip around Scotland, and choosing the pubs to visit. As a holder of a National Entitlement Card, I decided to use bus travel. This proved to be a good decision, as the long distance bus network is generally efficient and regular, with one exception – since the withdrawal of the direct bus service between Penicuik and Dumfries, it is now impracticable to do the trip in one day whilst allowing sufficient time to visit the five pubs in that town. Therefore, a train journey, via Carlisle(!), was the solution.

For those who prefer to travel by train, it is easy to visit ten of the designated areas, certainly from the central belt. However, there is one problem area – the Borders. The new railway service to Tweedbank only gives access to four GBG listed pubs – two in Galashiels, and two in Melrose. The alternative is the X62 bus from Edinburgh to Peebles, Innerleithen, and Galashiels, perhaps returning on the X95 bus or train from Galashiels (a 24 hour ticket from Borders Buses is £10.15). So, why not take up the challenge – you have until the end of this year to submit your completed entry! My itinerary was based upon travel from Penicuik, but choose your own route from wherever. All you need is a 2024 copy of the Good Beer Guide and your personal choice of pubs from its contents – perhaps old favourites, or pastures new. Happy Hunting!