Good Beer Guide to the West Highland Way

[Buggiba]

When we took on the WHW three years ago we aimed for cheap(ish) accommodation and, being a member of Camra, visiting lots of Good Beer Guide pubs.

Arriving in Milngavie we stayed overnight in The Best-Foot-Forward B+B, a great place, not cheap, but Morag has it sorted. The Travel-Lite people will pick up your rucksack from here, so you don't need to even carry it to the official start The Talbot Arms in Milngavie serves an excellent choice of beers.

The Carbeth Inn at Blanefield comes highly recommended, having been in the 2010 GBG.  Next up there is Drymen: the Winnock Hotel was where we stopped but this year, we intend visiting the Clachan Inn (listed in the 2011 GBG).

Sadly there's not much to report until you reach the Bridge of Orchy Hotel, with three traditional ales and excellent bunkhouse accommodation. Have not visited the Drovers at Inverarnan yet but intend making it a lunch stop this year. There is a bar at Beinglas Farm, but it's nothing special.

The Kingshouse in Glencoe has been in several issues of the GBG over the years and rightly so. It serves a superb range of ales but accommodation is not cheap.

Next to Kinlochleven and the Tailrace Inn. Good beer, but choice has reduced in the past couple of years from two handpumps to one. There is, however, the rarity of a fish & chip shop opposite. There is good bunkhouse accommodation in Kinlochleven.

Finally, Fort William. There are 3 listings in the 2011 GBG. The Ben Nevis Inn, at the start of the path to the great mountain, is excellent, if a little out of town.  On the High Street you have two hostelries close together: the Cobbs at Nevisport and the Grog & Gruel are both adjacent to the 'new' finish of the WHW.

Happy walking (and drinking)
Apologies to the Oak Tree Inn at Balmaha, serves excellent traditional ale.

Sadly the Atlas Brewery, mentioned in the WHW Rucksack Reader, in Kinlochleven, is no longer there!! It closed in 2010 and production was moved to Orkney. I was looking forward to a brewery tour this year but I am NOT walking that far!!

[TomAMoore]

 
My kind of post!

Tom

[Buggiba]

Got back from a very wet (in both senses) and tiring WHW on 20/05/2011. The following is a precis of drinking establishments we encountered during the 7 days of our 'stroll'
Talbot Inn, Milngavie: Hyde's Amazing Grace, Wychwood Hot Chocolate, Deuchars IPA. All excellent.
Carbeth Inn, Carbeth: Cairngorm Trade Winds.
Beech Tree, on the 'Way': All keg beer - no Traditional Ale at all.
Clachan Inn, Drymen: Ossian Ale.
Ptarmigan Bar, Winnock Hotel, Drymen: Deuchars IPA, Caledonian 80.
Rowardennan Hotel, Loch Lomond: All keg beer.
Drovers Inn, Inverarnan: Deuchars IPA - £3-80 a pint!!
Ben More Hotel, Crianlarich: All keg beer.
Bridge of Orchy Hotel: Deuchars IPA, Harviestoun Bitter + Twisted and, in bottle, Schiehallion traditional lager. All £3-80 a go!
Kingshouse Hotel, Glencoe: Cairngorm Stag, Cairngorm Sheepshaggers (honest!!). £3-40 a pint.
The Tailrace Inn, Kinlochleven, is now totally keg, a long way down from my first visit when they boasted 3 handpulls!
Both the Cobbs Bar at the Nevisport and the Grog and Gruel (both in Fort William) had astounding beer portfolios, including Fraoch Heather Beer on handpump. Between them they had 15 real ales available.
I think we had an enjoyable time.

[steve-o]

Good to know that you found the grog and guel in FW.  Great place with a great choice of whiskys as well.  Hope it all went ok

[Buggiba]

Cheers Steve-o. The entire event was seamless. The Travel-Lite bag carrying company did exactly what it said on the tin. Only had to wait once for our luggage and that was because we were early!! The accommodation was as booked and very good. The self-catering cottage at Crianlarich was 'to die for' and I intend taking my wife up there in the near future for a mid-week break. Because of the weather forecast on the Tuesday we set off at 6am to walk the 15 miles from Bridge of Orchy to Kingshouse to avoid an afternoon soaking. Arrived at our overnight stop at 11.15am!! Bar was open! Feet are now recovering well and, weather apart, it was most enjoyable. How's the foot?

[steve-o]

Wow, sounds like it was great.  Sorely missed out on the event...

My right foot has now gone to a size 10..from a size 9. No idea what attacked it..It looks normal, there appears to be no swelling anymore and thankfully the pain has gone. The vets saw me three times in one week, which is extremely rare as they normally see me once year....hey ho

A day didn't go by last week when I was thinking of where I should be but by the sounds of it we got the better weather.  I'm looking at mid July at the mo for the event, other than that I've got to postpone it until next year

[Buggiba]

Glad to hear things are improving. Trust me it is really hard going underfoot and not to be undertaken if anything less than 100%. The last day is a real killer, especially if the weather is bad. Walking poles are a must, imho, and take so much pressure of the knees and ankles. The weather was certainly better down here and I'm glad we did it last week and not this!! Keep me informed of your plans, particularly if you decide to leave it until 2012. I suppose I could be persuaded to do it for a third time!!