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Bandstand Bar (Braeval Hotel), Nairn
Nairn
IV12 4NB
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8½ of 10) see review guidelines
Bucking Fastard left this review about Bandstand Bar (Braeval Hotel)
An outstanding real ale venue and past CAMRA award winner ,this hotel is a fun place to visit,and sits close to the seaside.The large external paved beer terrance will feature a temporary bar three times a year for a real ale festival run by the pub featuring the very best of Highland ale from a large selection of breweries and with ale strength featuring from 3.4% right up to very high ABV specials with a wide style mix.There are handpumps here as well as stillage and we were lucky to find the early May Bank holiday festival in full swing.From this temporary bar I has an Ardgour Gobhar Odhar,NBSS 4.5 from this award winning brewer.
However inside the bar will regulasrly stock a rotating selection of real ale.Through the entrance door,hotel reception straight ahead so go left to the tap room,there is a large stage in the window here for the other theme at this place,live music from mainly local bands with a wide variety of styles right up to thrash metal.Music with the beer festivals is mandatory ,and will appear at other times too.The bar is ahead,while there is a large room at the rear with dining style tables but not where guest dine,a practical place to listen to the music and sup if you dont want a mosh pit experience.
At the bar the handpumps were pulling Electric Village (ex Leven) Dubh-mor,Orkney Red Mac Gregor,Cromarty Rogue Wave (NBSS 5,my 2026 Beer of the Year so far),Fierce IPA,Fyne Jarl and Here All Year (NBSS 4) and Brew Toon Dockside Pale.That a great ale line up ,the whisky selection was strong and there was no need to conside the keg options.
An absolute must visit when in Nairn,I will be back and will time my visit to hit another beer festival. If I lived in Nairn I would be a very happy man.
On 3rd May 2026
- rating: 9
[User has posted 3170 recommendations about 3170 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about Bandstand Bar (Braeval Hotel)
Bar and restaurant operation with an unlikely (given the location) specialism on ales, ciders, gin and (more obviously) whisky. The front of the pub facing the water with great views is - sadly for the imbibers - a restaurant area. The main bar area is large and looks to have been three areas in times past. Bar area is fairly plain but improves as you move back towards the restaurant with tartan carpet, large high back bench seating, a couple of booths and a wood burning stove in the central ‘middle’ area. Drinks stats: 150+ whisky, 22 gins, 7 ales, 5 real ciders. Ales majored from Scotland (alongside a fellow Celtic interloper from Tiny Rebel) and my John O' Groats Hopscotch was pretty good, if somewhat cold. Overall it doesn't quite hang together as a pub to merit a top mark but the ale selection and care thereof demands a visit in an otherwise barren part of the country. According to WhatPub there is a 10% discount on accommodation for CAMRA members.
On 27th October 2016
- rating: 8
[User has posted 6073 recommendations about 6052 pubs]