Chatelherault Inn, Ferniegair, Hamilton

Official site of Chatelherault Inn - www.chatelheraultinn.co.uk

Official site of Chatelherault Inn - www.chatelheraultinn.co.uk

This former Ferniegair village pub has, like the nearby railway station, now adopted the name of the adjacent long ago country estate of the Dukes of Hamilton (and of the French town with which Hamilton is twinned). It has been much modernised since its old pub days and now aspires to be an up-market lounge/restaurant. It consists of the main rectangular bar with two separate dining areas. The more appealing of these is in a conservatory overlooking the main road, which has been added to the original building, while the other is in a smaller windowless section at the back. There is also a function suite which can be hired free of charge. The lounge has a mixture of sofa seating and stools around tables, with typically bland décor which makes no reference to the aristocratic or historical connections of the Inn’s name. There is an extensive and reasonably priced food menu, with meals served all day on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. The range of drinks on offer is limited, however, with only Carling and Tennent’s lagers (the latter at £3 a pint) and Guinness on draught. Judging by what is displayed on the gantry, there is also no more than a limited selection of wines and spirits available. All in all, a rather ordinary and disappointing place, but the sole remaining drinking option in Ferniegair village since the closure and subsequent demolition of the “Commercial Bar” across the road.