ANSTRUTHER
Anstruther is small fishing town in the East Neuk of Fife. The East Neuk of Fife has many picturesque fishing villages full of craft shops to visit. St Andrews, home of golf, is close by. There are many National Trust and Historic Scotland attractions to visit.
Anstruther is famous for its fish and chips and for its Scottish Fisheries Museum.
A winter weekend away coincided with snow and the visiting of several pubs with cosy fires and others not so warm. Winter in a summer tourist village leaves all of the pubs searching for customers with mixed success.
It was not unexpected to find nautical connections in name and decoration of pubs and there is a fair amount of varnished wood in the pubs.
Excellent for a winter weekend or a week in summer.
Disappointingly, four of the ten pubs visited have now closed making Anstruther a less attractive place for a crawl.
Visitor guide
The Craw’s Nest (closed for housing)
The Craw's Nest hotel WAS the large classy hotel in the town but do not let that put you off visiting. There is a large long lounge to the right with a restaurant leading off of it. No bar stools in the lounge which needs lots of people to make it busy. To the left of reception is the Cocktail bar with tables, stools and TV.
No real ale but certainly worth a pint. lager: Carlsberg heavy: Independence, Craw's Nest Best, Calders Cider: Blackthorn Guinness
The Dreel Tavern ★
The Dreel Tavern, Anstruther
The Dreel Tavern is an old (16th Century?) building. The bar is to the right with an eating area just beyond this. The wall between these has a real fire heating both areas. There is a conservatory and garden, and to the left of the bar is the necessary pool table. Food was excellent and very good value. Live musicians at weekends.
Good Beer Guide some years … 2023, 2024, 2025
Yes, have a couple of pints here.
Real ale: Gem, Santa's Swallie
Heavy: John Smiths,
Lager: 1664, Fosters
Cider: Symonds Guinness and Ice Cold
The Smuggler’s Inn closed
The Smuggler's Inn has a comfy lounge which is actually through the door marked Bar. Music, horseracing and rugby all on at the same time, though eventually two went off. Forgiven for the free suasage and black pudding rolls. Karaoke at night pulled in some punters.
Definitely worth a pint.
Currently closed
Real ale: Ossian (though three pumps)
Heavy: McEwan's 80/-, Caffrey's John Smiths
Lager: Amstel, Heineken, Carling
Cider: Strongbow Guinness
The Bank Bar and Kitchen
The Bank had three pumps of real ale. A very busy male dominated bar area. Pool to the right and busy seating/dining room straight ahead. Bar area had tall tables with stools. Prices were good. Dogs welcome
Certainly, worth a pint.
CAMRA Good Beer Guide 2024, 2025
Real ale: Kelbourne Red Smiddy, Bitter and Twisted,
Heavy: St Andrew's smooth, Belhaven Best
Lager: Tennent’s and Ice Cold, Fosters, Stella,
Cider: Blackthorn Guinness and Ice Cold
The Royal Hotel
The Royal Hotel was a disappointment. It had the varnished wood but not the atmosphere. As empty as some other pubs (one woman, four men and a dog) but not the happy chatter only silence. Church hall chairs, all very functional and unattractive. Dining area down stairs from bar.
A half pint because it is there.
Lager: Tennent’s and Ice Cold
Heavy: yes
Cider: Strongbow
PUB QUIZ
What name is Barbara Millicent Roberts better known as?
Answer at foot of page
The Masonic Arms
The Masonic Arms bright attractive cosy bar. Bar area to left and a seating room to the right. Carpeted rather than tiled. Even on quiet winter's evening customers are animated and lots of conversation. Serving area busy with bottles. Brasses and varnished wood all gleaming and with roaring fire. Outside still being decorated. and the view through window makes it look inviting.
No real ale but stop for a pint.
Heavy: McEwans80/-, Tartan, Belhaven Best
Lager: Tennents, Stella
Cider: Strongbow Guinness
The Salutation (now the Boathouse - and closed)
The Salutation Bar (now called The Boathouse) has bar area at front and pool room to rear. The bar is all varnished wood and the stools are from slimline customers only. Seating around the bar but with a large standing area dominated by games machines. Connected to a restaurant. Very quiet Saturday afternoon and night. All day food and dogs welcome.
a pint here
Good Beer Guide …12020, 2021
Real Ale available
Heavy: McEwans Export, McEwans 80/-, John Smiths
Lager: Tennents, Bud, Fosters, 1664
Cider: Strongbow Guinness and Ice Cold
Now called the Boathouse
The Ship - currently closed ★
The Ship Tavern has a small but attractive bar area at front with much more seating in room beyond this. It is a busy local with a varnished wood and, unsurprisingly, nautical theme. Busy Saturday afternoon but quieter at night.
Good Beer Guide 2013 (CAMRA) & 2016 ..2020
Couple of pints here.
Real Ale: Mashie Niblick and Gowfers' Gold (Angus Ales)
Heavy: Calder 80/-, Tetley
Lager: San Mkiguel, Carlsberg, Tuborg
Cider: Blackthorn Guinness
Barco (now closed)
Gone through many name changes and now closed.
The Haven
The Haven bar and restaurant was upstairs and opened into a bar area with seating attached. The front seating was set for eating which does not leave a lot of room for drinking. This should occur at back of room closer to the counter. The furniture and beams were black, making a change from boat varnish. There is a large attractive garden area that is much used in summer. Food available
have a pint here.
Real Ale: Mashie Niblick (Angus Ales)
Heavy: Belhaven Best and Bellhaven
Lager: Tennents, Stella
Cider: Strongbow Guinness
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Books on Pubs
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Books on Beer
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CAMRA
PLACES TO VISIT WITH PUBTRAILS
The towns and villages highlighted on this web site have a wide variety of pubs and beers in them. All of the places are great to visit, whether for a day or longer, and most have tourist attractions for all of the family.
There is a large variety of pubs throughout the different towns shown below. Some you may wish never to visit again but even discovering these can be interesting. There are pubs that you would not take your wife into. While some you could not take your girlfriend into. A few you would not take either into. However, most of the pubs are very pleasant.
HOME MAP of places visited
Alnwick Ambleside Anstruther Bakewell Bamburgh Barnard Castle Bath Berwick upon Tweed Birnam & Dunkeld Bourton on the Water Bowness on Windermere Bridge of Allan Chester Chichester Dunblane Dunoon Edinburgh Ely Fort William Glasgow Gourock Greenock Helensburgh Inverness Kelso Keswick Knaresbourgh Largs Linlithgow Lyme Regis Melrose Montrose Newton Stewart North Berwick Norwich Oban Pebbles Penzance Portree Pitlochry Quorn Richmond Rothesay St Andrews Seahouses Seend Shrewsbury Skipton Stirling Stratford-upon-Avon Stockton Heath Whitby Windemere Whitstable York
“There are plenty of luxuries; alcohol is the only one I can afford”
ANSWER: Barbie