Am Politician, Eriskay, South Uist

The bar is named after the SS Politician which famously ran aground between Eriskay and South Uist with a cargo of whisky and other luxuries, gladly rescued from the depths of the ocean by the local people, as retold in the book and film "Whisky Galore!" (no relation). There are reminders of this on the walls internally, together with many pictures of local fishing boats, but the external appearance is less interesting, being one of many low-slung buildings typical of this part of the world. The bar is also fairly typical, having no real ale. Service was friendly enough and a few people were popping in for a lunchtime snack, some of them occupying tables in the extension dining room. The beer is great if you like the cold and virtually taste-free stuff they sell instead of beer in Scotland. I had the Tennents Caledonia Best; not to be confused with beers from Caledonian Brewery, this is not only devoid of taste but also very low in alcohol. It's beers like this that give me some insight into why people in this part of the world drink whisky.