Stornoway and beyond.

[gillhalfpint]

Going to have a stop at Stornoway on a cruise to Norway and Iceland in August, and looking on here, think I may be able to get some photos and reviews sorted out as there are a good selection of pubs looking a bit bare pretty close to the port area. Will see what free time we have on the day.

Will be looking for beer in 3 Icelandic ports, Reykjavik, Isafjord and Akureyri depending on whether we book any tours up, and in Norway, Bergen and Eidfjord. We also have a stop in the Shetlands at Lerwick.

I know we need to take plenty of money for a couple of beers, but if anyone has been to these places and know of a decent watering hole, it would be appreciated. I have looked up a brewery, but it would be too far from our ports for us to visit.

Cheers.

Gill

[Aqualung]

I ended up in Stornoway one Saturday night in December well over 30 years ago. It was like a wild West town, everyone was drunk including the landlord of one pub we went to. In fact he was so bad that he struggled to serve us. Obviously there was no real ale. The main reason for all this was that Lewis and Harris are fundamentalist protestant islands where everything closes down on Sunday so they go berserk on Saturday Night. I gather that there is some oil industry there now so it might have improved.
The only thing that impressed me about Lewis was the Callanish Standing Stones which we managed to cycle out to before it was completely dark.

[sheffield hatter]

The only thing that impressed me about Lewis was the Callanish Standing Stones which we managed to cycle out to before it was completely dark.

That's quite a feat in December when it's only light for about five hours!

[sheffield hatter]

Going to have a stop at Stornoway on a cruise to Norway and Iceland in August, and looking on here, think I may be able to get some photos and reviews sorted out as there are a good selection of pubs looking a bit bare pretty close to the port area.

I was there (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/areas/stornoway/western-isles/) last Thursday. Photos posted and reviews of the four pubs I went into to follow shortly. Two of the ten pubs listed are closed, but I have added another. Local Camra recommends the local arts centre (http://www.lanntair.com/), which does have a hand pump on the bar but is still not a pub (and there was no beer on when I put my head around the door anyway). The pub (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/74442/) which has been in the GBG before is a dreadful dump. Good luck! (You may do better in Iceland.)

[Aqualung]

That's quite a feat in December when it's only light for about five hours!

We got to the stones about 15:00 and cycled back in the pitch dark.
The most surprising thing about that week was the final day on Skye when we cycled from Kyleakin to a place called Elgol which had the steepest hill I've ever seen. What made it remarkable was that it was a glorious sunny day and we had a fantastic view of the Southern end of the Black Cuillin across the sea. We then returned via the ferry to Kyle of Localsh and a pub where an inebriated local person was randomly throwing darts everywhere.

[gillhalfpint]

I will get round the 2 on Whatpub probably for Stornoway, then any others we find open in the few hours we have there. I have been given some bars in Reykjavik to try for Iceland, and found one of them has a great beer list. We do like to try something local wherever we get to.

[sheffield hatter]

I will get round the 2 on Whatpub probably for Stornoway, then any others we find open in the few hours we have there.

The arts centre is called An Lanntair (http://whatpub.com/pubs/INV/220/an-lanntair-stornoway-isle-of-lewis-western-isles) - I didn't bother taking a photo because I don't consider it a pub. You might think differently - especially if you can get some real ale there. The other one on What Pub is the dump (http://whatpub.com/pubs/INV/221/carlton-bar-stornoway-isle-of-lewis-western-isles) I mentioned - there's one hand pump (What Pub says two, but it isn't so) and the beer was OK, but it really is a dreadful dive. I'll write a review, but it's not going to be pleasant reading. The two pubs I quite liked were McNeill's (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/70245/) and The Criterion Bar (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/70400/), but neither has any real ale.

[gillhalfpint]

We don't have a lot of time there as ship leaves 15.00 so it will likely be a case of popping into those 2 to see what they have. Midweek, so probably nothing, but we'll see. Have you do one's duty and check them out.

The bar list I have been given for Reykjavik sounds much more exciting as I have been given more bars with Icelandic beers than we can probably cope with, but again, one must do these things when the opportunity arises.

[Real Ale Ray]

I have tried the bottled Icelandic White ale called Einstok, which was superb! A pal of ours visited Iceland last year, where a local told him it was custom for a visitor to offer a local a swig of their drink. Only problem was the Icelandic girl nearly downed his pint.:drinkup:

[gillhalfpint]

I have tried the bottled Icelandic White ale called Einstok, which was superb! A pal of ours visited Iceland last year, where a local told him it was custom for a visitor to offer a local a swig of their drink. Only problem was the Icelandic girl nearly downed his pint.:drinkup:

Will watch out for that trick then. Looking forward to trying their beers. Have a good beer menu at one of the bars in Reykjavik = Islenski Barinn, and your beer on their list if I remember rightly. Have 3 other good bars to try there so should be fun.

[Wiganer]

Will watch out for that trick then. Looking forward to trying their beers. Have a good beer menu at one of the bars in Reykjavik = Islenski Barinn, and your beer on their list if I remember rightly. Have 3 other good bars to try there so should be fun.

I'll be in Reykjavik in June, so I'll let you know what I find. Pricey, apparently:eek: , although I expect in comparison to Norway it'll be like Sammy Smith'sville!

[Wiganer]

I'll be in Reykjavik in June, so I'll let you know what I find. Pricey, apparently:eek: , although I expect in comparison to Norway it'll be like Sammy Smith'sville!

Well to update on Reykjavik, there's a few decent bars, the stand out one for me being the Microbar just off the main square. A massive beer menu here. For atmosphere try ölstofa, which attracts more locals and gets pretty busy. Most bars offer a standard Icelandic range, the best of which for me is Boli which weighs in around £7 for 500ml. Ouch. Other beers are slightly less but nothing to write home about. For a decent beer with a meal, try the restaurant in the building with '1892' on it, on the main drag. Not sure if that's the official name but you can't miss it, Rejkjavik is like a large village. Decent food and they offer microbrewed ales.
Happy hunting!

[gillhalfpint]

Well to update on Reykjavik, there's a few decent bars, the stand out one for me being the Microbar just off the main square. A massive beer menu here. For atmosphere try ölstofa, which attracts more locals and gets pretty busy. Most bars offer a standard Icelandic range, the best of which for me is Boli which weighs in around £7 for 500ml. Ouch. Other beers are slightly less but nothing to write home about. For a decent beer with a meal, try the restaurant in the building with '1892' on it, on the main drag. Not sure if that's the official name but you can't miss it, Rejkjavik is like a large village. Decent food and they offer microbrewed ales.
Happy hunting!

Thanks for the information. We will certainly enjoy our sampling and having somewhere to look for is a great help. Roll on August!!

[bcfczuluarmy]

Paid €10 for 500 ml of lager in Bandol on the French Rivera the other day. It was cheaper in Monaco to so now makes Scandinavia look cheap.

[Spinko]

I'm going up to Inverness and Ullapool (ferry link to Stornoway) in October for a gig, I hear Ullapool has a couple of alright venues..?

[aleandhearty]

I'm going up to Inverness and Ullapool (ferry link to Stornoway) in October for a gig, I hear Ullapool has a couple of alright venues..?

Bloody hell! It's a phoenix risen from the ashes. :)