The Portcullis, Stirling

An 18th century listed building built as a grammar school now an hotel although you can just have a drink even if you are made as unwelcome as I was, probably as it was just after food service finished and the staff fancied an early close. Fairly elegant inside with coffered ceilings, a mix of exposed stone and tired bench seating as well as the expected tables and chairs, bizarrely the carpet is one of those nasty multi coloured striped things often found in dodgy pubs. Three hand pumps at one end of the rear mounted counter, Orkney Island Life on one, a pretty good Inveralmond Ossian on another and a blank third. Usual sort of Scottish choice on a trio of double T-Bars. As mentioned you enter via the courtyard garden and there’s an extra room of some sort to the right of the counter past the toilets. A long steep climb up to here as it’s next to the castle and that old cemetery, not sure I thought it worthwhile even though it’s GBG 2025 listed; still things are sparce in Stirling.

Upmarket hotel bar (and former grammar school) outside the cemetery and castle grounds, accessed through a courtyard. Inside has exposed stone walls, red and white trim - nice enough. The entire floorspace was set for dining; imbibers had half a dozen stools at the bar, where we took the final two stools alongside some Nordic tourists. GBG’24 listed, there were three pumps withy two Orkney brews available. My Orca Stout was a little over-vented, but par (NBSS 3). Not one I’d see the need to do again unless I was planning on eating.

Good Beer Guide 2020. Practically in the castle grounds - so nice to have a good experience when it could have been a tourist rip off place. Food, Service - cheap and good. Beer - a Cairngorms Trade Winds was the best pint I had across three cities and many pubs