Not much beats pushing open a creaky pub door at the end of a long day of hiking, unbuckling your backpack, ordering a pint, and putting your feet up by the fire. But there are so many great mountain pubs that it's hard to know where to start, so we've put together a list of our top 10.
Nowhere in the world does mountain pubs quite like Britain. From the valleys of the Lake District and the glens of Scotland, down through the rolling hills of the Yorkshire Dales and the gritstones edges of the Peak District, our top hillwalking regions are packed with them.
And there's a lot that goes into making a good mountain pub. Obviously location is key, with extra points going to the type of watering hole you can stumble straight into at the base of a peak you've just climbed. But we also care about the ales and whiskies behind the bar, the home-cooked food coming out of the kitchen, the decor, the fires, the stance on muddy boots and dogs (we're in favour of both!).
So to help us come up with our top 10 British mountain pubs, we asked the readers of Trail magazine to vote for their favourites. And they've thrown up quite a list. So scroll down to find out which pub has bagged the number one spot and Trail's title of Britain's best mountain pub...
10. Sticklebarn, Langdale
Formerly National Trust Trust-owned, the Sticklebarn is a slight wildcard on this best pubs list, but popular with Trail readers it surely is. We’re impressed with their efforts to reduce the pub's impact on the planet, with the carbon footprint of every meal calculated and all profits put back into the local environment. There’s a proper bar and a great outdoor space with views of the wonderful Langdale skyline too.
Plan your visit: lantyslee.com/langdale
9. The Old Nags Head, Edale
Probably one of Britain’s most well-known pubs, The Old Nags Head marks the start of the Pennine Way long-distance trail. To the north, Kinder Scout calls, and to the south The Great Ridge of Mam Tor. Consequently, much of the patronage are walkers. There is even a dedicated and very atmospheric ‘Hikers’ Bar’ with a log burner centre stage.
Plan your visit: the-old-nags-head.co.uk
8. Sligachan Hotel, Isle of Skye
The most fearsome mountain range in Britain – the Black Cuillin – provides the backdrop to this legendary hotel on Skye that draws walkers from far and wide. The legendary Seumas’ bar with its 400+ Scottish malt whiskies, plus good pub food with a view to die for, earns it a solid place in the top 10.
Plan your visit: sligachan.co.uk
7. Golden Rule, Ambleside
The secret is out! The Golden Rule is very much a locals’ pub, tucked away down a side street in Ambleside. But what the locals love, the walking fraternity has now also discovered, making for a friendly mix of those from near and far. Olde worlde, with open fires, multiple rooms, and an excellent selection of beer.
Plan your visit: robinsonsbrewery.com/golden-rule-ambleside
6. Tyn-y-Coed, Capel Curig
Snowdonia, if we’re completely honest, has traditionally lagged behind in the mountain pub stakes. But keeping the side up for Wales, the Tyn-y-Coed looks up at Moel Siabod and is on the A5 to Snowdon. There are three traditional bar areas, with log fires, good food and a wide range of beverages. What more could you want?
Plan your visit:
5. The Wainwright, Keswick
Friendly service, real ale and good food in the heart of popular Lakeland market town Keswick has earned The Wainwright a place on Trail readers’ top 10 mountain pubs. Renamed and refurbished from the old ‘Four In Hand’ in 2015, the pub welcomes walkers and their four-legged pals with a hearty fireside dinner after a day in the fells.
Plan your visit: thewainwright.pub
4. The Tan Hill Inn, Reeth
Britain’s highest inn featured in the news back in November 2021, when walkers were snowed in for four days with an Oasis tribute band during Storm Arwen. The Tan Hill Inn stands lonely on a hilltop at 528m above sea-level in one of the most remote parts of the Yorkshire Dales, and is right on the Pennine Way.
Plan your visit: tanhillinn.com
3. Wasdale Head Inn, Wasdale
The Wasdale Head is found at the foot of England’s highest mountain and beside England’s deepest lake. And a true mountain pub it is too. Frequented by pioneering climbers in the 1800s, it’s often referred to as the birthplace of British climbing, from where many first ascents were made, including Napes Needle.
The pub has attracted great figures of literature, including Wordsworth, Coleridge and Dickens! Great Gable, Yewbarrow and Scafell Pike are just some of the many Lakeland greats that surround the inn, in the most rugged and mountainous part of England. Today walkers are drawn irresistibly to Ritson’s Bar, named after a previous landlord of the hotel, who was renowned as ‘The World’s Biggest Liar’ in the mid-1800s.
Plan your visit: wasdale.com
2. Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel, Great Langdale
Earning a special place in many a hillwalker’s heart, the Hikers’ Bar at the ‘ODG’ (as it’s affectionately known) is in the heart of the Lake District at the end of the Langdale valley road. Sitting directly below the Langdale Pikes, the skyline is a display of classic Lakeland.
You can tick off some of the best Wainwrights from the doorstep. The Hikers’ Bar, housed in old cow stalls, is open to non-residents and has regular live acoustic music – and you’ve voted it the best walker’s pub in England. Having welcomed fellwalkers and climbers for more than 300 years, over the decades it’s been frequented by Joe Brown, Don Whillans and Chris Bonington, to name a few.
Plan your visit: odg.co.uk
1. The Clachaig Inn, Glen Coe
If you’ve ever driven through Glen Coe and felt completely awestruck by the mountain-lined view down the valley, you’ve probably thought that it doesn’t get much better than that. Well, at the western end of the glen that offers the Aonach Eagach ridge on one side and The Three Sisters on the other, you’ve got the most incredible location for a mountain-lovers' pub.
The Clachaig has three rustic award-winning bars that buzz with the chatter of mountain adventures, muddy boots, mountaineering history and live music. They serve good, honest pub grub, 400+ Scottish whiskies, 130 Scottish gins and a huge range of beer. Dogs are welcome and you can stay there too, making it a perfect mountain base camp.
Plan your visit: clachaig.com
