The King's Highway (JD Wetherspoon), Inverness

Visited due to the dearth of real ale pubs. Typical Spoons, but the service was friendly and the real ales (I tried three: Belhaven 80/-, Vale Black Beauty and Isle of Skye Black) were all on good form. Happy stop off.

A sizeable Wetherspoons with an hotel attached. The pub section is divided down the middle with the long counter and high seating on the right, low and banquette seating to the left. Usual 5+5 hand pulls, Abbot and Doombar on both sets with Jaipur and other more local beers on the other pulls. Standard UK kegs in between and around them with Tennents predominant, one from Williams Bros and both Guinness and Murpheys. Silent screens and machines as usual, the decor is a mix of arty pictures and local interest/history stuff. Toilets upstairs of course.

Typical Spoons in the centre of the city

A typically spacious Wetherspoon's establishment with bouncers on the door for our Friday evening visit. It was the usual bland Wetherspoon's interior with its normal clientele for a weekend evening. Greene King Abbot & Sharp's Doom Bar were available, as you'd expect. Caledonian Deuchars IPA is also a regular beer. Guests were Elgood's Greyhound & Blackberry Porter, Daleside Old Legover & Adnams Old Ale. In addition, there was also a real cider, which seems quite rare for Scottish pubs - Weston's Old Rosie. I used a CAMRA voucher to order a pint of the Blackberry Porter and despite only paying £1.49 for the pint, soon wish I hadn't. The sour taste was a little offputting and I couldn't work out whether the beer was genuinely sour or whether it was off. I concluded it was the latter, but still can't be 100% certain. You know what to expect from a Wetherspoon's - bland interior, a noisy atmosphere, cheap drinks, Abbot, Doom Bar, cheap food. All of those boxes can be ticked here.