Birnam and Dunkeld
Birnam and Dunkeld are located just off of the A9 15 miles North of Perth. They are actually two villages either side of the River Tay connected by Dunkeld bridge.
Dunkeld seems to be the better known and it has the shops and cathedral, while Birnam has the station and Arts centre, and Birnam Wood is name checked by Shakespeare.
They are both an excellent centre for golf, walking and music.
All of the pubs are on, or easily found from, the main road running through Birnam and then over the bridge to Dunkeld.
Coming in through Birnam you see the Birnam hotel with what was the Tap Inn (now the Birnam Inn). The road opposite this going up to the station, has the Merryburn Hotel which is unfortunately now just operating as an excellent bed and breakfast.
Crossing over the bridge you cannot miss the Athol Arms Hotel. Down to the right is The Taybank. Further on the main road The Perth Arms Hotel is on a street to the left and The Royal Dunkeld Hotel further on up the main road.
Birnam Inn
The Birnam Inn has a large grass area outside the Inn alongside the car park. This has some picnic style tables on it while there are a few tables on the concrete outside the entrance.
Inside the building to the left in a restaurant with Italian style food while to the right is a small room with half a dozen tables, a few bar stools and a large TV dominating the room usually showing a music channel of past hits which seems to keep the place quiet.
real ale: Head East (Strathbraan)
heavy: Belhaven Best
lager: Tennent’s; Heverlee
cider: Magners Guinness
Pub Jukebox:
Alcohol themed music to listen to while you browse.
silver tongued devil and I - Kris Kristopherson
Athol Arms Hotel
The Athol Arms Hotel is one of several large hotels in Dunkeld. It used to have a old bar but this is now modernised and called The Meeting Room. It is now a pleasant small bar with a restaurant to the rear. The bar is long and thin with the servery starting half way along the right hand wall. There are a couple of tables to the right of the door and a further three opposite the servery. Stairs to the side of the srvery lead into the main hotel. Out the front door and across the raod is a large terraced garden with an outside bar open at the weekend
have a pint
real ale: Due South (Strathbraan)
lager: Tennents
heavy: Bellhave Best
Cider: Blackthorn Guinness
Beer in Scotland used to be invoiced to publicans at 60, 70 or 80 shillings (/-) a barrel. Since duty increases as strength increases 60/- is the weakest and 80/- the strongest.
60/-, the weakest beer, is also the darkest beer and is known as light!
70/- is the most common and is called heavy.
The Taybank ★
The Taybank has a bar area which it could probably fill several times over because of its good beer, food and traditional style music every night. It has an outside patio area and a beer garden across the road on the bank of the Tay.
Good Beer Guide (CAMRA) regular but not in 2020s
Have several pints; stay all evening
Real ales: Landlord
lager: Tetha; West 4; Black Isle Organic; St Mungo; Tennent's
heavy: Bellhave Best
cider: Aspall Guinness
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
PUB QUIZ
Which two names have only been used once each for the name of an English King?
Answer at foot of page
Perth Arms Hotel ★
Perth Arms Hotel has a large, uncomplicated and friendly bar. There is a small dining lounge. The bar has pool, darts etc and caters for the local population. There is an outside secluded drinking area through from the left hand side of the servery. Dunkeld’s oldest pub, dating back to 1795
Regular in Good Beer Guide …..2023,2024, 2025
Stop for a pint
real ale: Due South and Eighty Bob (Strathbraan)
lager: Carlsberg
heavy: Belhaven Best
Cider: Somersby Guinness
The Royal Dunkeld Hotel ★
The Royal Dunkeld Hotel has a large, though attractively dated, and comfortable lounge with a beer garden to rear. Friendly staff and pleasant to drink in. There is a large enclosed outside drinking area with sheltered seating along one side
Previously a regular in Good Beer Guide (CAMRA).
Have a pint or two
real ale: Due South and Head East (both Strathbraan); Trade Winds
heavy: John Smith
lager: Fosters; Heineken Tennent's
Cider: Strongbow and Dark Fruit Guinness
“I always keep a supply of stimulants handy in case I see a snake. Which I also keep handy.”
— W C Fields
ANSWER: Stephen and John