This is my list of the pubs and places I like to stay at or call in when travelling, as well as some nice scenic routes.
Houses
I live in Cathcart, Glasgow, G44. So my local is The Old Smiddy - and it is indeed mostly a great pub - that is apart from the massive number of huge televisions which seriously detract from it.
Summer Hanging Baskets
Every year at the end of May beging of June we nake a wee safari to the nursery that sells Hanging Baskets - John Burns and Son, KA3 5HU. And a few plants and their marvellous fertiliser.
Then for lunch - and we gravitate to the Western Tavern in Kilmaurs, KA3 2RQ. This year I had sizzling prawns and mushrooms, and a pint of the local ale. Excellent.
Hotels
In Melrose, a somewhat elderly George & Abottsford Hotel - with a sunny beer garden. Lots to see: Melrose Abbey etc etc.
In Selkirk, The County Hotel - was a tad elderly - but now refurbished - although no bar and no restaurant - but does breakfast.
The Maids Head Hotel in Norwich - part of the Classic British Hotels.com group
The Wynnstay Hotel in Oswestry. Stayed for a week in this quirky old hotel. Food as simple and delicious - Breakfast Two poached eggs and ??? Part of a larger group called the Coaching Inn Group
In Alnwick, The White Swan - part of the Classic Lodges group.
In Wakefield, The Holmfield Arms - one of the Green King Inns and Hotels group - which is just beside a lovely park.
In Helmsley, The Black Swan - part of the Inn Collection Group. What a place to stay - Room 24 and you get the time every fifteen minutes from the church bells - [07:45 till 10:00]
In Chirnside, the Chirnside Hall Hotel. Not cheap but a lovely old country house in an idyllic setting with great staff and fabulous cooking. What a treat for my 77th birthday !
Again in Chirnside, the Waterloo Arms is just one great local pub with real ales.
And in the next village of Allanton, the https://www.allantoninn.co.uk/ is a great place for dinner.
April 2025 found us at the Holdsworth House Hotel, a few miles north west of Halifax. Still owned by the family who bought the place in 1962 and added accomodation to the rear. Dinner not to be missed at the Shibden Mill Inn [down at mostly at 1 in 4 and cobbled to boot for about a mile].
In Wandsworth, The Holiday Inn Express - part the IHG group. Hot and noisy but well situated, and reasonably priced. It has the essential air conditioning needed in London.
Kintyre Peninsula - June 2025
Holiday - the excuse being my reaching the grand age of 78 - most unexpected, having been told I had three to five years max when discharged from Hairmyres Heart Clinic in March 2018 having been in Intensive Care for eight days after my third heart attack and stenting. Last yaer after a cardio medical told to start saving from my 80th birt5hday celebrations.
Three days in Campbeltown and the Royal Hotel [room 308] for three days. It has a pub in one corner of the ground floor [The Black Sheep] and a restaurant in the opposite corner [Harbourview Grille - but no view of the harbour !]. The raods are the way I like them . . . no white line in the middle and about eight feet wide - which upsets the Honda Civic's electronics: it warns of "road departure" on both sides at the same time.
The Royal has 23 rooms all of a very good size and well decorated - and great beds. Breakfast: what can one say except "ace". Dinner very adequate.
In summary a very pleasant place to stay besdide the harbour. Had omne meal in the local "Indian". Best I have had for a while.
Up to the Knipoch Hotel for one night as that was the only vacancy. We have satyed there several times, but it has been taken over by a small growing hotel group and refurbished which is great, but something now lacking in the atmosphere. Food great.
Lunch at the pub beside the Atlantic Bridge - Tigh An Truish. It is a great restaurant as well.
And then down to the Crinan Hotel for three more nights. What a delight is room 28 with a huge balcony facing south east [see Accomodation - the eighth photo]. The food is superb, and of course somewhat fishy: even I enjoyed the langoustines [Loch Crinan Jumbo prawns are landed daily at Crinan], having had the chef do the bit with the heads and shells. Breakfasts well up to, if not beyond, standard. Lovely wanders down the canal and around the basin for the sea lock. One has to say that the modifications to the hotel may not be visually perfect, but staying there one appreciates exactly what has been achieved to give visitors the very best experience.
Lunched one day at Tayvallich, having visited the Argyll Beaver & Wildlife Visitor Centre. Worth walking up to the viewpoint. Great lunch and view at the Tayvallich Inn. Then home stopping an Inveraray [for pit stop and marmalade]. Took to the old road at Luss to go and see the statue of the boy who drowned when alking on unsafe ice, and lunched at Duck Bay Marina [nice but not what it was 40 years ago].
Pubs on the M6, & The Lake District
The Greyhound at Halton, near Lancaster. 01524 963 769
The Pooley Bridge Inn, Pooley Bridge - http://www.pooleybridgeinn.co.uk/ - few minutes off the M6 at Penrith.
One can leave and travel through the lakes:
Windermere -> Troutbeck -> Kirkstone pass -> Pooley Bridge
The Queens Head at Troutbeck is worth a visit if not a night. Burned down on June 6th 2014 - however seems to have reopened for 2019
The Swan Hotel at Newby Bridge - http://www.swanhotel.com/
The Eagles Head at Over Kellet off J35
Lunch at Carnforth - Canal Turn off J35
The White Lion Inn at Barthomley off Junction 16
The Crown Inn at Marston Montgomery off A515 north off A50 off M6
Birmingham Area
The Holiday Inn Express, Stafford, at Junction 13 on the M6. Pub adjacent.
http://www.hiexpress.com/hotels/gb/en/stafford/sffso/hoteldetail
The Hedgehog outside Lichfield - http://www.vintageinn.co.uk/thehedgehoglichfield/
Pubs on the M40
The Leathern Bottle - just off Junction 6 onto B4009 to Watlington
The Malt Shovel in Gaydon off Junction 12
Between the M5 and Evesham
The Boot Inn at Flyford Flavell has a restaurant and accommodation. http://www.thebootinn.com/
In the Borders
The Wheatsheaf Hotel and Restaurant in Swinton, near Coldstream and Berwick.