FEATURE COUNTRY PUB GUIDE
I Winnock Hotel The Square. Drymen. 01360 660245. Mon—Sun Ham—midnight. Last orders for food 9.30pm; drink 1L45an
This is the place you wish your parents had taken you when they went for a drive; on Sundays there‘s face painting and a ball pond to keep the kids amused. There's also a beer garden at the back. and children are welcome in the old- fashioned. oak-decorated bar until 7pm or in the lounge after that. Built in 1702 as an inn. the hotel now boasts 49 rooms if you‘re looking to stay a bit longer to explore the nearby pottery or visit Loch Lomond at Balmaha. only three miles away. If you're just after a snack. you could try the popular steak pie or haddock (£4.95 and £4.25). and the place does a good ploughman‘s platter too. In summer you'll find many of the customers taking their pints onto the village green just in front of the pub (lager £1.56 per pint).
SOUTH EAST
I The Allan Ramsay Hotel Carlops. near West Linton (on A702. 12 miles south of Edinburgh). 01968 660 258. Mon—Sat Ham—midnight; Sun 12.30pm—midnight. Last orders for food 9pm; for drink
1 1.45pm.
The name Carlops comes from the shortening of the old Gaelic place name 'Carlin‘s Leap‘. meaning Witches' Leap. Legend has it that witches jumped from two rocks on either side of the village road (which still stand there to this day) in order to keep out travellers. Doesn‘t work so effectively nowadays. and the modern wayfarer will find it worth defying the witches. Built in 1792. the pub is named after the poet Allan Ramsay. who had a great influence on Rabbie Burns. Ramsay‘s best known work ‘The Gentle Shepherd’ was written in Carlops. The hotel attracts a real cross section of customers. ranging from families to hill walkers to business people. Children and parents alike can relax in the beer garden. For more energetic adults. the pub has maps of walks to hand. One favourite trek starts off from the village of Carlops. and heads to the North Esk Reservoir. From there you can either cut right over the Pentlands and back to the village. or carry on over to Balerno. Within the village itself. there is a pony-trekking centre
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22 The List 14-27 Jun 1996
(Pentland Hills Icelandic. 0131 440 4528 or 0836 729988) and a golf course being built in the village is due to be completed in June 1997. Whatever your choice of exertion. you‘ll need a good lunch before you set off. The bar menu offers the usual. ranging from sandwiches and baguettes from £1.90. and daily specials. to chiIIi. lasagne. steak pie. or steaks (from £9).
I The Black Swan 7 Horsemarket. Kelso (on A699 or on A698. about ten miles south-west of Coldstream and twelve miles east of Melrose). 01573 224563. Mon—Wed and Sun 1 lam—11pm; Thurs and Fn' Ham—midnight; Sat
1 lam—1 1.45pm. Last orders for food Mon-Fri l.30pm/8.30pm. Sat 7.30pm. Sun I.30pm/8.30pm: drink Mon—Wed and Sun 10.45pm. Thurs and Fri 11.45pm; Sat 1 1.30pm.
Situated on the cobbled -viIIage square. the Black Swan has kept all the old features you might associate with a \ illage pub. Darts and dominoes are played in the public bar. children are welcome in the lounge. As well as daily specials. a sample from the bar menu picks up scampi at £4.95 or chicken chasseur at £4.55. Lager is £1.48. Sights to see nearby include Floors Castle and Kelso Abbey. or take in the race‘and golfcourses.
I The Bridge Inn 27 Baird Road. Ratho. Midlothian (off A8 heading west eight miles from Edinburgh centre). 0131 333 I320. Mon—Thurs noon—1 1pm; Fri noon—midnight; Sat 1 lam—midnight; Sun 12.30—11pm. Last orders for food 9pm; drink Mon—Thurs and Sun 10.45pm. Fri and Sat 11.45pm.
The annual highlight of this pub‘s year is only days away as it prepares to host once again the Murphy’s Scottish Open Canal Jump Competition on Sunday 16 June. Compered by Forth Radio Max AM's Breakfast Crew. and featuring plenty of family entertainment. this promises to be a great day out. For the rest of the year. The Bridge Inn consistently maintains the highest standards ofchiId-friendliness. Present and former Child-Friendly Edinburgh Award-winner. Scottish Children‘s Caterer of the Year. national winner of the Family Pub of the Year. Bn'tish Innkeeper of the Year — the accolades pile up. So why all the fuss? Well. there’s the surroundings: boats on the canal. ducks and geese. a fire engine. pirate boat and merry-go-round. Then
Canal hopping near the Bridge Inn
there's the child-orientated facilities: low- level hand-driers in toilets. changing area with seat. a Rosie and Jim menu. 75 per cent non-smoking policy. But mostly there‘s the attitude. as the staff bend over backwards to be welcoming. friendly and helpful. The adult menu ain't halfbad either. and includes salmon and asparagus pie or large Yorkshire pudding filled with chicken Tikka Masala (both £5.65).
I Cloventords llotel Clovenfords (on A72 four miles west of Galashiels heading towards Peebles). 01896 850203. Mon—Thurs noon—2.30pm. 5—1 1pm; Fri noon—2.30pm. 5pm—midnight; Sat noon—midnight; Sun noon—11pm. Last orders for food Mon—Fri 1.30pm/8.30pm. Sat I.30pm/5.30pm. Sun 2pm/5.30pm; drink Sun—Thurs 10.50pm. Fri and Sat
1 1.50pm.
The picturesque village ofClovenfords offers an abundance of walks. and the
hotel sells permits for fishing in the nearby Tweed. Children are very welcome. 1n the summer you can take your drink and sit out in the garden. The weekend high teas. served from 4.30-6pm are £6.95. and consist of main meal. bread. scones. and as tnuch tea as you can drink. The bar menu features set favourites such as haddock and gammon steak. but the specials change daily and feature salmon. venison. or breast of guinea fowl and duck. Lager costs £1.55. I Cramond Inn Cramond. Edinburgh (four miles north-west of central Edinburgh. on Firth of Forth). 0131 336 2035. Mon—Thurs I lam—I 1pm; Fri and Sat Ham—midnight; Sun 12.30—11pm. Food served Mon—Fri noon—2.30pm. 6-9.30pm: Sat 1 lam—9.30pm; Sun l2.30—9.30pm. Last orders for food Mon—Fri 2.30pm/9.30pm. Sat and Sun 9.30pm; drink Sun—Thurs 10.45pm. Fri and Sat 11.45pm.
Rain or shine. Cramond is a favourite haunt for beach walkers. Situated at the mouth of the River Almond on the River Forth. the Cramond Inn is the perfect place to bring some warmth back to the extremities after a refreshing brisk walk on the beach. If you‘re not enticed here by the buffeting sea breezes. then perhaps history is your bag. Roman archaeological remains are nearby. and the Inn. dating back to 1600. can boast an impressive history of its own. Robert Louis Stevenson ate here. and. given the present very comprehensive Taste of Scotland menu and varied dishes of the day. would do so again. given half a chance.
I The Cross Keys Inn, Main Street. Denholm. near Hawick (on A698 five miles from Hawick and nine miles from Jedburgh). 01450 870305. Mon 5—1 1pm: Tue and Wed 1 lam—2.30pm/5-I 1pm; Thurs l lam—2.30pm/5pm-midnight: Fri 1 lam—2.30pm/5pm—1am; Sat Ham—midnight; Sun 12.30-1 1pm. No food on Mons. Last orders for food Tue—Sat l.30pm/8pm; Sun 6pm. Denholm is the birthplace of poet Dr John Leydon. It also boasts a charming village green. directly opposite The Cross Keys. and on fine summer days customers can sit out there if they wish. Children are welcome. This area's rich in woollen mills. and there's Mary Queen of Scots' House in Jedburgh. But before you head back for home. make a point of popping
There’s good gobbllng at the Bonn. lla’