LARGS

Largs is a small town on the river Clyde about 33 miles from Glasgow. It is easily reached by bus or train.

Largs is a small town on the river Clyde about 33 miles from Glasgow. It is easily reached by bus or train. A small car ferry leaves Largs to visit the small island of Millport on Great Cumbrie, a small island opposite the town.

Largs may once have been a tourist resort but is now more of a day trip town than visiting for a week, although there are many things to do. 

There are still welcoming hotels for the many bus trips that visit the area. Retirement flats are also big business These and a lot of attractive residential property contribute to a population of around 11,000 people many of whom travel away from Largs for employment.

Largs online visitor guide Largs Yacht Haven Millport

The train from Glasgow takes you into the station in the centre of Largs. The bus from Greenock or Gourock or Glasgow travels down the side of the river Clyde on the A8 to Largs and passes some hotels that are open to non-residents and a visit to all hostelries could start with these hotels or you can continue into the centre of town getting off at the train station on main Street.

Stand and look at the entrance to the station then, on the same side as the station walk left up main Street where you will quickly come to, the now closed The Sheiling. Leaving here return past the station to find McCabe's on the corner. Walking out of McCabe's continue down Main Street then cross over.

There are two pubs across the road. The George is the easier of the two to see but before it there as The Lounge. This is hard to spot as it is not at ground level but on the second floor of the building. Once you see the entrance life is easier. After visiting this and The George cross the road once again to walk along Bath Street to The Waterside.

After The Waterside return to Main Street but follow it around past the car ferry to the promenade and a low modern building housing The Paddle Steamer (Wetherspoon) pub, The Lanes was here but is now gone. Opposite this, across the road are Charlie Smith's now called The Three Reasons, and then Ye Old Anchor Inn.

After the Old Anchor Inn there is a small Square and in the middle of the side parallel to the road is The Room. After this continue along the main road to where there was the now closed Albert's Bar.

Continue along going to the next corner with a red St Columba's church and Nardini's on opposite corner.  For a short trail you could turn up this road, Nelson Street, and at the corner find J.G. Sharp's.

On the other hand, you could walk further out of the main town and on the road going out of Largs to Gourock, with the river Clyde on the left there were, four, now three Hotels - Brisbane, Queens (closed), Woodhouse and finally Willowbank. As these are on the coast, they can take advantage of the view across the river and have the space to offer gardens for outside seating. These hotels do not offer real ale or even an extensive range of lagers. Their bus trips and wedding celebrations give them a captive audience.

Return to St Columba’s Church and now go up Nelson Rd and at the corner find J.G. Sharp's.

Turn along the road, Boyd St., to the right and at the end of the street there is the now closed Royal Oak. leave here by the other door and cross over to go along the next street (Aitken St). This would lead you back to Main St and opposite the station is McAulay's.

 The Sheiling now CLOSED

The Sheiling is a right-angled serving area straight in front of you. There is seating down to the right   with the main pub area in front of you. There is plenty of standing area. It is dominated by large screen TV and big speakers

have a half pint

heavy:         Belhaven Best, Belhaven Original

lager:          Stella, Tennent's,   

Cider:         Strongbow                                       Guinness + ice cold

 Droothy Neebors (was McCabes)

Droothy Neebors (formerly McCabes) is a large corner pub with a hexagonal bar in centre. There is also a large room further back with a pool table. As with all round bars you have to be at the right arc to get served. Dog friendly.

heavy: Belhaven Best, Ice Breaker IPA

lager: Coors; Madri; Carling, Tennent's; Birra Moretti, Peronni

Cider: Strongbow; Strongbow Dark Fruit Guinness + ice cold

Pub Jukebox:

Alcohol themed music to listen to while you browse.

glass of champagne - Sailor

pages to visit

  • Books on Beer

    A selection of recommended books covering all aspects of beer and brewing. There are books on the history of beer and others on different styles of beer.

    For example

    An Inebriated History of Britain by Peter Haydon

    Amber, Gold & Black by Martyn Cornell

    Brew Britannia by Jessica Boak & Ray Bailey

    The Story of the Pint by Martyn Cornell

    Miracle Brew by Pete Brown

    Built to Brew by Lynn Pearson

    And many more

  • Scottish Pub Crawls

    Craig Stevenson and John MacKay have used their bus passes to good effect. They have toured the towns and cities of Scotland visiting pubs. They recount their adventures in a series of books:

    The Auldest Boozers in Town

    The Cheap Way Round

    Still Goin’

    Inn Aff The Bar

    Goin’ Roon The Edge

    Mud, Sweat and Beers

    map
  • Books on Pubs

    A selection of recommended books on pubs and their history. There are books on the social history of pubs and the design of pubs through the ages.

    There are also books on visiting pubs and ones recommending pubs to visit.

    CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide

    Death of the English Pub by Christopher Hutt

    Brewers, Brands and the Pubs in their Hands by Tony Thornton

    Licensed to Sell by Brandwood, Davidson & Slaughter

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

The Lounge

The Lounge, has no on the road bar front as it is up an old and attractive staircase which opens out on a large lounge with a square bar on the second floor. There is a restaurant through from the comfortable lounge and a terrace up further stairs. This has been cut out of the roof space and has a view of main street and, to the right, over the river - slippery when wet. You can smoke all day of the Terrace and children are welcome!! Lunch and evening meals.

real ale: Greene King IPA No real ale anymore

heavy: Belhaven Best, Belhaven Original

lager: Stella, Peronni, Erdinger, Tennent's, Esterella

Cider: Strongbow Guinness

  • CAMRA

    The website of the Campaign for Real Ale

  • Local CAMRA

    Ayrshire and Wigtownshire

 The George

The George is a large pub. The bar is set back a little giving lots of seating at the front window areas and standing room in front of the bar. There is a lot more seating up to the left. Busy with meals at lunch time. Dog friendly at right hand side of room

heavy: East Coast IPA; Belhaven Best + cold, John Smiths

lager: Tennent's , Stella; Birra Moretti; Heverlee; Heineken Silver; Carling

Cider: Strongbow ; Strongbow Dark Fruit Guinness +cold

 The Waterside

The Waterside (previously known as The Clachan) is a large roomed pub with a small 'snug' room to the right of the serving area. Seating all around and plenty of standing area. Lunch time food and dog friendly. Music entertainment all weekend.

Occassionally in Good Beer Guide(CAMRA); not 2023

Have one here

real ale:      Ossian (Inveralmond), Landlord

heavy:         Tartan, Belhaven Best, Belhaven Original

lager:          Stella, Tennent's

Cider:         Strongbow                                    Guinness + ice cold

 The Paddle Steamer

The Paddle Steamer is a Wetherspoons on the main road with views looking out over the river and the pier.

Good Beer Guide 2020- 2025

PUB QUIZ

What are the only two countries whose name starts with an 'A' (eleven) but do not end with an 'A' ?

Answer at foot of the page

The Three Reasons (was Charlie Smith’s)

Charlie Smith's is now The Three Reasons, large open bar on the main road. Plenty of room for standing at bar. It offers meals every day and is dog friendly.

Good Beer Guide 2013 (CAMRA)

real ale:      West Highland Way (Loch Lomond)

heavy:         Belhaven Best

lager:        Heineken Silver, Tennent's; Heverlee

Cider:         Strongbow                                       Guinness + ice cold

 Ye Old Anchor Inn ★

Ye Old Anchor Inn is a small pleasant local lounge with nautical decoration. There is a small serving area which can get congested but plenty of seating around the sides.

Pint here

heavy:        Caledonian Best

lager:          Tennent's,    Manabrea, Heverlee, Innes & Gunn

Cider:         Magners                                       Guinness + ice cold

 The Room

The Room is a large, long bar. It has had many names and designs but is now very bright - light wood, stainless steel. Low comfy sofas, at front, then bar with lots of standing room followed by tabled area.

heavy:         Belhaven Best

lager:          Stella, Peronni, Esterella, Hoegarden, Tennent's,    Red Stripe

The Brisbane House Hotel

The Brisbane House Hotel is a large hotel almost in the main town. It offers restaurant and bar food, and lots on entertainment. Looking for Party Nights and weddings to boost its takings.

half pint here

heavy        Tartan, John Smiths            

lager:        1664, Heineken, Fosters+cold,

cider;         Strongbow                             Guinness + ice cold

 Woody's Bar ★

Woody's Bar at the Woodhouse Hotel is in small hotel with restuarant, bar meals  and afternoon tea (in Twigs) . The small attractive bar has wooden floor and small tables with comfy seats and serves Woody's ale! Nice comfortable place for locals not wanting the walk to town.

have a pint here

heavy        Woody's Ale (from Carlsberg)           

lager:        Carlsberg, Poretti

                            Guinness

The Willlowbank Hotel

The Willlowbank Hotel is getting towards the end of Largs, although there are still plenty of residential properties near to attract custom from, it has bus trips and guests. Very large lounge with picture window which cannot take advantage of the view. There is a dining area and function room to back

half a pint here

heavy        Belhaven Best      

lager:        Tennent's

cider:         Blackthorn                                             Guinness+ cold

 J.G. Sharps

J.G. Sharps has the bar runs to the right and left straight in front of you as you go in. There is seating around the pub and the low ceiling gives it an attractive feel. Round from the left of the bar is a dining area and from the right is more tables and outside courtyard, Dog Friendly

Regular in Good Beer Guide until 2022 - no longer serving real ale

 pint here

real ale:     all gone

heavy        Neck Oil, John Smiths                        

lager:        Heineken; Tennent’s; Birra Moretti, Amstel

Cider:         Strongbow, Strongbow Dark Fruit                          Guinness

 The Royal Oak - now CLOSED

The Royal Oak is a very traditional small corner bar.  Some seating but mainly standing around the serving area.

Pint here as this is a dying breed - too late it died

heavy        Tartan, McEwan's 70/-                

lager:        Tennent's,                              Guinness + ice cold

McAulay's

McAulay's bar is a small bar with lounge style seating around the side. Lunch and evening meals, disabled acess and dogs allowed

pint here

No real ale anymore

heavy        Caledonia Best,

lager:        Tennent's; Carling

cider:        Strongbow ; Strongbow dark Fruits                                           Guinness+ cold

“If you guys are going to be throwing beer bottles at us, at least make sure they are full.

 

.”

— Dave Mustaine, Megadeath

ANSWER: Afghanistan and Azerbaijan