NEWTON STEWART
A small town on the river Cree in Dumfries and Galloway.
The main town and shopping area is to the west of the river. The town attracts tourists for Galloway Forest park with many nature trails and mountain biking routes.
A few miles away is Wigtown, the Scottish book town with ten second hand book shops and a book festival at the end of September.
Newton Stewart is reached by road from Stranraer or Dumfries or via Ayrshire, going from Girvan to Newton Stewart.
The bus should drop you at Dashwood Square in the middle of Newton Stewart. The Star Inn is opposite the square. Follow the road round to the right from the square on the same side as The Star Inn. Walk pass The Black Horse and a bit further on is our starting pub The Bruce Hotel. Slightly further on again is The Crown Hotel. Turn around and now visit The Black Horse then go to The Star Inn by Dashwood Square.
Walk down the hill, keeping on the right and go through the town and across the bridge. just across the bridge is The Cree Inn. After here walk up the side of The Cree Inn and bear left. You will see The Creebridge Hotel which can be entered through a path in the wall.
Now go back across the bridge and at the end of it across the road is The Galloway Arms Hotel. Walk back up to the Square and just before you start going up the hill there is The Central Bar.
Pub Info.
Not the most inspiring choice of beer and pubs. The Starr Inn is for sale and The Galloway arms looking for a tenant.
On the other hand The Cree Inn, The Crown Hotel and The Black Horse look like money has recently been spent doing them up. Belhaven Best and Tennent’s lager dominate a largely uninspiring beer choice.
The Bruce Hotel ★
The Bruce Hotel has a lounge straight through and turning left from reception - going straight on takes you to the dining area. The lounge has a semi-circular bar round to the left. There is banquette seating and tables around the room. There is a beer garden out to the rear.
Traditional music 3-6pm on Saturday
Have a pint here
Heavy: Belhaven Best
Lager: Tennent’s; Stella
Cider: Strongbow Guinness
The Crown Hotel
The Crown Hotel has two rooms now joined to make one large room with half a wall down the middle. There is a TV in either half room and a juke box – all on.
Traditional music Saturday afternoons, Beer Garden.
Good Beer Guide (CAMRA) - 2020, 2021
pint here
Heavy: Belhaven Best
Lager: Tennent’s; Carling
Cider: Strongbow Guinness
Pub Jukebox:
Alcohol themed music to listen to while you browse.
give me a pigfoot and a bottle of beer - Nina Simone
The Black Horse Hotel
The Black Horse Hotel main door takes you to a lounge area with a small bar counter in back right hand corner. This is a very attractive room with seating at wooden benches either side of the door, bookcase wallpaper, fire and TV. Low ceiling and subdued lighting gives a very cosy feel.
Has some real ale pump clips on wall but none for sale. Indeed, barman did not seem to know what real ale was.
Have a pint here
Heavy: Belhaven Best; Greene King IPA
Lager: Tennent’s; Black horse Lager; Carling
Cider: Strongbow Guinness
PUB QUIZ
Alf Ramsey was given the England manager’s job after leading what club to their one and only top division (called division one in those days) title?
The Star Inn
The Star Inn is now a large one roomed pub. To the right is a pool table area while to the left is the bar against far wall with some tall table seating opposite it. In the corner, in what seems like a shop window is some banquette seating and a couple of tables. TV set is above here.
Half pint here.
Heavy: Belhaven Best
Lager: Tennent’s; Carling
Cider: Strongbow 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
The Cree Inn
The Cree Inn is a one level bar with restaurant attached. This lounge bar has a pool table immediately inside the door, then the bar on the back right wall. Whole room is grey and bright red. Opposite the bar (and to right of door) are three tables. The restaurant is through from door at side of bar. There is a large TV on far wall. Outside seating around to the rear. BT sports
Barman does not know why people drink real ale and says that “90% of sales are vodka”
Have a pint here
Real ale: Foghorn IPA (Port Patrick)
Heavy: John Smiths; Belhaven Best
Lager: Tennent’s; Fosters; Carling
Creebridge House Hotel ★
Creebridge House Hotel is set in pleasant grounds with play area for kids. There is a small lounge to right of foyer. This has a large TV and four large round tables. A dining area is beyond the bar counter.
Have a pint here
Good Beer Guide (CAMRA) 2023, 2024, 2025
Real ale: Belhaven IPA; Belhaven Gold (usually 3)
Heavy: Belhaven Best
Lager: Tennent’s
Galloway Arms Hotel (may be closed temp)
Galloway Arms Hotel has two separate bars. From the hotel entrance and to right of corridor there is a long thin lounge with dining and servery at far end. Banquette seating and small cushioned black chairs. Tables are a dining style. Standing area in front of bar. Connect round the back or more often entered by a door from the street in, what looks like a shop front, is the Tollhouse Bar. This has seating at front then narrows beyond this to a long servery. The room then opens up a little at the back to accommodate a pool table. There is an attempt at railway memorabilia on walls.
Have a pint in each
Real ale: Galloway Gold (Sulwath)
Heavy: Belhaven Best; Tennent’s special
Lager: Tennent’s; Carling; Stella
Cider: Magners Guinness
The Central Bar ★
The Central Bar is a half attractive old bar. To the right of entrance, an unattractive is a bright area for pool and darts. To the left is the servery on the back wall with an attractive old wooden gantry and serving counter. This small room narrows to a curved window at end which has wooden tables.
Have a pint here
Light: Belhaven Light
Heavy: Belhaven Best; McEwan’s 70/-
Lager: Tennent’s; House lager
Cider: Strongbow Guinness
“Drink never made a man better, but it made many a man think he was better. ”
—Finley Dunne
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Who owns your pubs?
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Interesting articles to read
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Who owns your beer?
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Comparing pubs in Scotland with England
ANSWER: Ipswich Town