Punters, if you want a cheap day out get yourself to the Belhaven
Brewery in Dunbar! This is apparently Scotland’s oldest independent brewery, with
a commercial history dating back to 1719.
Cheap!
I said it was cheap – a tour of the brewery only costs £5 (or
£3 for concessions).
The Tour
First stop on the tour is the in-house bar called the Monks
Retreat. The frequency with which monks are referred to in brewing may make you
think they were absolute pissheads! Indeed, some of you may be aware of their
association with Buckfast – the favourite drink of the Scottish jakie. However apparently
monks brewed beer as it was a nutritious drink during times when they were on
religious fasts.
While learning such fascinating facts you can enjoy a pint
of Best or there is a selection of alternative products to sample, they even have
a fruit beer for the ladies -or should I say those not into their beer ! They then
take you round the factory explaining the brewing process, and after that it’s
back to the bar again to try other Belhaven pints. If you like you could have
about 4 free pints easily on the tour.
For £5 that’s GOOD VALUE!
Dunbar
The brewery is located in Dunbar, a seaside town, which is
also a nice day out. It’s got historic buildings, traditional local little pubs,
and you can work off the pints with a walk along the harbour. It’s the sort of
place I could happily spend my retirement!
How to get there
You can get the train from Waverley Station to Dunbar in around
25 minutes. Again fares don’t break the bank, at around £11 for an off peak day
return. If you’re parched after the train ride, get yourself into the Royal
Mackintosh Hotel at top of Station Road for a pint (which is less than a 5
minute walk from the station).
How to book
Sadly the Belhaven Brewery is only open Monday-Friday, so
you’ll need to take a day off the work. If you’re on holiday, retired, a
student, or unemployed, this could be ideal though.
You need to book on a tour in advance, but you can do this online
at the following address:
 |
| Dunbar |
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