LINLITHGOW

Linlithgow lies off of the M9 from Edinburgh going North. It is also accessed by the Edinburgh-Glasgow rail line.

Linlithgow lies off of the M9 from Edinburgh going North. It is also accessed by the Edinburgh-Glasgow rail line. Between the High Street and the motorway lies the picturesque Linlithgow Loch.

There are few large shops on the High Street with larger stores found a little bit beyond each end of the High Street. Therefore, the High Street has many old buildings on it. North off of the middle of the High Street and sitting by the Loch is Linlithgow Palace. This was the birthplace of James V and of Mary Queen of Scots, although most people remember only Mary Queen of Scots. Next to the Palace is St Michael's church.

Linlithgow has a black dog pictured on its coat of arms. This is from a story of a black greyhound which took food to its master when he was imprisoned on an island on the Loch.

A tour of the ten pubs will begin at the railway station and take us up the High Street, visiting 5, then back down again via the other 5. Just at the corner of the High Street is the first - Platform 3. Walk up the High Street staying on the left pavement (away from the roundabout) and miss the first pub (Old Post Office) and stop at The Four Mary's. Move up the street to reach The Footballer & Cricketer's Arms. Staying on this side of the High Street walk on towards The Crown Arms. Walk on upwards, missing The Lithgae Arms, until at the cross roads and diagonally opposite are two pubs The Black Bitch Tavern and The West Port Hotel. Visit the West Port Hotel first and that is the five going up the High Street. The Black Bitch Tavern should be the first on the return journey. Next then is back to The Lithgae Arms which became Kelpies and is now Rosey Posey. Cross the road and walk on to reach The Swan Tavern. It is then a long walk back to The Auld Hole I' Th' Wa' now called 1807 just over the hill. Finally, The Old Post Office is visited before returning to Platform 3 and then the train.

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 FACTS

All of the pubs are on the main road through the town.
Some pubs are very popular while other similar pubs nearby are almost empty
Quite a few of the pubs are a single room wide, making them narrow, and do not go back very far making them small and usually friendly.

Platform 3 ★

Platform 3 is found close to the railway station. It makes good use of its narrow confines with a compact bar that does not take away too much drinking area. It is very popular and always has a buzz about it. There is a train close to the roof going backwards and forwards. (a larger similar train detail is found in The Rowan Tree in Oban). There is also a large rubber duck collection.

Good Beer Guide (CAMRA) regular ….. including 2023, 2024.2025

Featured in Bob Steel's Edinburgh Pub Walks : see BOOKS

Have a pint or two

real ale : Stewart's No 3, Nessie, Deuchers

heavy : McEwan's

lager :Tennent's, Stella,

cider : Magners Guinness

The Four Mary's ★

The Four Mary's is an award winning pub with a bar at the front of the pub and a dining area to the rear. The drinking area is not as big as the outside gives the impression.

Forth Valley Camra Pub of the Year - 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1994, 2000, 2005, 2009; and on?

Good Beer Guide (CAMRA) regular ……… including 2023, 2024, 2025

Featured in Bob Steel's Edinburgh Pub Walks : see BOOKS

Have two pints here

real ale : 4 Mary's (brewed by Belhaven); Deuchars; Belhaven 80/-; St Andrew's; Bitter & Twisted; Schiehallion; Thrappledowser

heavy : Belhaven Best

lager : Stella; Carling

cider : Strongbow Guinness

Pub Jukebox:

Alcohol themed music to listen to while you browse.

i like girls who drink beer - Toby Kieth

The Football & Cricketer's Arms

The Footballer's and Cricketer's Arms, Linlithgow

The Football & Cricketer's (Arms) is a two roomed pub with the left-hand side having a circular bar with not a lot of room around it. The second room has lounge style small tables and cushioned wall benches. The English of the name seems wrong

Have pint here

real ale : nil

heavy :McEwan's 70?-; McEwan's Export, Tartan; Belhaven Best

lager : Stella, Carling

cider :Magners, Blackthorn Belhaven Black, Guinness

The website of the Campaign for Real Ale

CAMRA
Forth Valley CAMRA

Local CAMRA
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

The Crown Arms

The Crown Arms is a small one roomed pub. It always seems busy and loud with conversation. It has a real fire blazing .

One of Scotland's heritage pubs - CAMRA (although changed a little since the book was published): see BOOKS

Have a pint here

heavy :Belhaven best; McEwan's, John Smith

lager : Tennent's

cider : Strongbow Guinness

Real Ale crawl

This takes you to 4 pubs from one end of the town to the other. Starting at platform 3 you then walk up the High Street to The Four Mary's. The other two are at the far end - The Black Bitch and the west Port Hotel.

West Port Hotel

West Port Hotel is a hotel just after the end of the High Street. The right hand door is the reception door and takes you to a dining area. this is split in two with a raised area to the back.

The left hand door takes you to a lounge area with some table seating and a couple of couches in front of a fire. The two bars back onto one another - dining, pictured to the right and lounge pictured to the left.

CAMRA Good Beer Guide 2024

Have one here

real ale : Landlord; Deuchars

heavy : caledonia Best

lager : Tennent's; Stella, Bud

cider : Magners Guinness

PUB QUIZ

Which expression, meaning ‘the whole thing’, is derived from the parts of a musket?
Answer at foot of page