Scottish Branches Information

There are nine full branches and one sub-branch within Scotland. Each branch has a committee that organises its day-to-day management. We are all volunteers, and the more we have, the lighter the load on everyone. If you have knowledge or skills that you think may benefit us, please contact your local branch.

Aberdeen, Grampian & Northern Isles branch of CAMRA started in 1976 with only a handful of members and about the same number of pubs doing real ale. The branch was then simply called the Aberdeen branch. We covered all areas north of Montrose, including the Northern Isles. We were also responsible for all the highland area, including Inverness and all the way up to Wick and Thurso, until the Inverness branch (now Highlands & Western Isles) was formally formed in January 1993. There were very few ale outlets back then, with the longest-standing outlet being the Red Lion, known locally as “The Beastie”, in Forres, our first GBG entry in 1976.

There was no CAMRA run beer festival in the area until we ran our first one in the Cowdray Hall, Aberdeen, in September 1987. Before that, we had assisted at privately run ones at the Lodge Hotel, Old Rayne, in the late 70s and at the Udny Arms, Newburgh, in 1980. We also ran bars in conjunction with the Council at various Real Ale and Jazz, Folk and Country events at the Beach Ballroom. In fact, at one of these events, we sold a whole barrel (288 pints) of Timothy Taylor Landlord, which was probably the first time this beer had been sold in the Northeast. Also, we sold a kil (144 pints) of the first and, sadly, the last brew of Leith 85/-. Also, a couple were run with the Douglas Hotel on Market Street.

Eventually, we secured the use of Cowdray Hall in 1987 and 1988 to run our first two of many beer festivals. In 1989, we moved to the McClymont Hall in Holburn Street and ran 18 festivals there each November, establishing the festival as a regular event. We moved to the Richard Donald Stand at Pittodrie Stadium in November 2007. This proved to be a very chilly event (for beer and drinkers!), and we moved the festival in 2008 to its new regular late May/early June slot until it ceased in 2016 with the 30th consecutive annual event.

In April 1989, we hosted the first National CAMRA AGM to be held in Scotland, which was held at the Arts Lecture Theatre on the University campus. This did wonders for real ale in Aberdeen due to the hundreds of drinkers from all over Britain attending the weekend. The same year, the Boars Head at Kinmuck won the inaugural national Pub of the Year (called POTY) under the ownership of Stuart Singer, who is now mine host at the constant Good Beer Guide entry Redgarth in Oldmeldrum. Sadly, the Boars Head is no longer a pub

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Updated on 17/03/2024

The branch was initially known as Ayrshire & Galloway, with Kirkcudbrightshire also included. A few years ago, the Dumfries & Stewartry branch was formed, and they took over the eastern part of Galloway. Our branch was renamed Ayrshire & Wigtownshire.

Membership
We have almost 600 members, of whom a significant number actively participate in day-to-day activities such as beer scoring and nearly 100 of them volunteer at our festival.

Branch Publications
Our branch newsletter, Full Pints, first posted in 2002 to all 120 branch members, was just that, a letter to members. By 2004, an 8-page Full Pints was first made available to the public by being distributed to all local real ale outlets. Since then, it has developed into a full-colour quarterly magazine which is well supported by our advertisers. Each issue, approximately 1800 copies, is distributed via our real ale outlets. In addition, an interactive digital version is available on our website, with links also posted on social media platforms. 

In recent years, Full Pints has been recognised nationally as an exceptional publication. In 2012, it was named CAMRA’s “Most Improved Magazine”; in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2024, it was accorded the title “CAMRA National Magazine of the Year”.

CAMRA Calling is a monthly newsletter detailing branch events and activities sent to local members via the Comms Tool and uploaded to the branch website.

Ayrshire Real Ale Festival
Our beer festival is held annually during the first weekend in October. In recent years, it has expanded in area, covering not only the Concert Hall in Troon but also the Walker Hall along a short corridor. We offer approximately 140 real ales sourced from all parts of the UK and a healthy selection of ciders and perries.

Breweries
Within our branch area, there are six breweries. Three produce cask-conditioned ale: Arran Brewery in Brodick, Five Kingdoms in the Isle of Whithorn, and Seagate Brewery in Lamlash. Arran Botanical Drinks produces bottled live beer, as do Portpatrick Brewery and Wigtown Brewery, although production from the latter two is more sporadic.

Activities
Over the years, we have developed a range of activities beyond running the beer festival and producing the magazine.

We established four area social groups in North, South, and East Ayrshire, as well as Wigtownshire, which has greatly increased social activities within the branch, introduced a good number of new members, and improved member activation.

In recent years, our branch has regularly topped the number of participants involved in nominating beers for Champion Beer of Britain heats. Our members also conduct annual surveys of pubs for possible inclusion in the Good Beer Guide and to update WhatPub entries.

Like many CAMRA branches, we are concerned about our ageing membership and are keen for some of our more youthful members to become more involved in our activities.

Online Presence
To visit the branch website, click here.
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To visit the festival website, click here.
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Updated on 17/03/2024

Dumfries and Stewartry is a sub branch of the neighbouring Solway branch and currently has over 120 members. We cover a large geographical area of South West Scotland, with many scattered villages and towns extending from Langholm, Canonbie, Gretna and Annan in the east, west to the towns of Kirkcudbright, New Galloway and St John’s Town of Dalry, north to Sanquhar, Wanlockhead and Moffat and South to Castle Douglas and the Solway coastal towns of Kippford and Carsethorn. Neighbouring branches are Ayrshire & Wigtownshire, Glasgow & West of Scotland, Edinburgh & South-East Scotland and Solway.

There are currently two breweries in the sub branch area – Sulwath Brewers at Castle Douglas, which has a popular tap room on the premises, and Borderlands Brewery in Langholm.

Online Presence
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Updated on 17/03/2024

The Edinburgh & South East Scotland branch of CAMRA was the second branch to be formed in Scotland in the latter part of 1975, shortly after the Glasgow & West of Scotland branch. At the time of the branch formation, only a small number of real ale outlets were known to the branch membership. At the last count, there are about 294. Right from the beginning, CAMRA meetings of various kinds were held throughout the branch area. Like many other branches in Scotland, our branch has always faced the challenge of dealing with a geographically large area, though also with the advantage of having the Scottish Capital within the branch area.

The City of Edinburgh has the highest population density within the branch and has proved to be particularly receptive to the expansion of real ale. Added to this are many high-quality outlets in the Lothians and Borders, including one former winner of the UK CAMRA Pub of the Year award. The branch area’s nature as an attraction for many visitors, together with the opportunities for employment in a number of professional areas of work, has resulted in a relatively healthy market. One of the consequences of this is the large number of pubs, bars, and hotels in the branch area that have become welcoming homes for an extensive range of real ales from Scottish microbreweries and further afield.

In the nineteenth century, Edinburgh was one of the leading brewing centres in the United Kingdom. With the recent closure of the historic Caledonian Brewery, no historic breweries are left in the city. The only surviving traditional brewery of significant size is at Dunbar, Belhaven Brewery, and there is also the revived historic brewery at Traquair House. There are now several micro to medium breweries within the branch area, including Alechemy at Livingston, Barney’s at Summerhall, the gluten-free Bellfield in Edinburgh, Broughton Ales at Broughton, Stewart Brewing at Loanhead, Tempest at Kelso and Born (Scottish Borders) at Lanton Mill, Jedburgh.

As mentioned previously, the branch covers a wide geographical area, from the Firth of Forth to the Scottish border. From the beginning, the branch has sought to keep in touch with its widely spread membership, not only by meetings of various kinds and e-letters but also with the twice-yearly free magazine Pints of View, aimed at a wider audience and delivered to a wide range of real ale outlets. Communications are further enhanced by an active branch website, including a well-used pub finder and, more recently, a Facebook page and an X account (@CAMRA_Edinburgh). There are around one thousand members, so it is probably as well that the entire branch membership does not attend the same meeting at the same pub at the same time.

The meetings range from regular formal branch meetings and monthly committee meetings to two-pub socials and various one-off activities such as a new member evening and trips outside the branch area. The active membership is also kept busy throughout the year, carrying out regular pub/beer surveys for the Good Beer Guide and WhatPub.com, together with the need to keep the branch pubs’ information current. The membership also updates pub details when distributing Pints of View.

Online Presence
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Updated on 17/03/2024

Forth Valley Branch was formed in September 1976, and founder members were Jim Watson from Polmont and Geoff Ainslie from Stirling, amongst others. At the time, the only breweries in the branch area were Maclay’s and Ind Coope Alloa Brewery, both in Alloa and unfortunately now closed. Over the years, several breweries have produced some fantastic ales; however, since COVID-19, many of these have not survived. Today, the branch has seven breweries within its boundaries, with another in planning.

Stirling Real Ale Festival, the first run by the branch, started in 1980 and ran for ten years. Encouraged by the local council, Alloa Real Ale Festival started in May 1988 but ran out of steam after 21 years in 2008. However, the Alloa Winter Ale Festival started in October 1992 and is still going strong today. Occasional beer festivals are now run in conjunction with the branch, including the newly reprised Four Marys in Linlithgow. Other real ale festivals in the area include the Kinbuck Beer Festival (just outside Dunblane) and BRAAS Beer Festival based in Bo’ness Town Hall, promoted and run by the Corbie Inn, which was also Pub of the Year (PotY) 2023 in Forth Valley, to name but a few. Looking for something to replace the Alloa’ Mayfest’, the branch looked to an area devoid of real ale pubs and more south of the River Forth, Larbert. In 2009 Larbert Real Ale Festival was born in The Dobbie Hall and continues today. There is now a thriving real ale pub in Larbert, which continues to this day. We are now one of the only branches in Scotland that continue to host two real ale festivals per year.

In conjunction with CAMRA’s Mild in May campaign, a Mild Trail by Rail was started in 2011 along the Linlithgow – Dunblane rail line. Return tickets allow for a break of the journey on the return leg, with those making the trip taking full advantage of pubs close to Dunblane, Bridge of Allan, Stirling, Larbert, Falkirk and Linlithgow having milds on tap. Recently, we have introduced some variations within the rail trail to allow real ale lovers more choice to explore our more out-of-the-way pubs…..which is referred to as the Tilly Triangle, based in Tillicoultry. The Mild Trail fits with CAMRA’s Support Your Community Pub Campaign.

The first branch newsletter, BeerLines, was issued in autumn 1984. In addition, a Real Ale Guide to Forth Valley was published in the late 1980s and revised during the 1990s. Unfortunately, the ‘Firkin Forth Valley’ is no longer produced currently. However, the informative and fantastic visits our volunteers have made are now available on our website and included in our festival magazines.

Online Presence
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To visit the branch’s X page, click here.

Updated on 17/03/2024

The Glasgow & West Scotland Branch was the first to be formed in Scotland. It covers most of the big population centres in west central Scotland as well as the Argyll and Bute council area, which has a number of small towns and scattered settlements.

Membership
The branch membership topped 1,000 for a few years before COVID-19 but has declined to just over 800 today. Most members (about 63%) are over 60 years old, which must give us some concern for the future.

Beer Festival
The Glasgow Real Ale Festival (G-RAF) has been running in its current form for the last decade, except for the COVID-19 years. This year’s G-RAF will be held in June at the Briggait, Glasgow’s one-time fish market, a wonderful, light exhibition space half a mile from the city centre.

Pubs
As you would expect, Glasgow is the centre of the real ale world for the branch and has a small number of stand-out pubs which regularly grace the pages of the Good Beer Guide, plus dozens of others that carry on the good fight as best they can, often in the face of an indifferent public. It is challenging to promote real ale in the old industrial towns of Lanarkshire and Dunbartonshire. In some places, the only decent cask outlets are Wetherspoon’s pubs, though even these have diminished in number in the last decade.

In Argyll, Bute and the inner isles, the issue is not so much a shortage of outlets as planning and organising visits to them. There are some outstanding pubs in the area, but many require multiple bus and ferry journeys and possibly an overnight stay to visit. This makes it difficult to keep up with what’s happening in the area. Although we have a small number of local members, they are widely spread on the mainland from Appin in the north to Campbeltown in the south, a distance of 99 miles, as well as being based on islands such as Islay and Mull.

Breweries
As in most areas, the branch has seen an expansion of breweries in the last twenty years. Some of them, such as Fyne Ales and Loch Lomond breweries, have made a wide impact well beyond the area, as a visit to their brewery taps, where the walls are plastered with brewing awards, will testify.

Website and magazine
The branch has an informative website with a well-used beer finder, which has an up-to-date directory of pubs selling real ale. Unfortunately, our branch magazine has not appeared for some time, but we hope to revive it soon.

Online Presence
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Updated on 17/03/2024

In the beginning, the whole of the north of Scotland was run from Aberdeen, but as CAMRA expanded its membership, it was thought there was enough interest to form a separate Branch for the Highlands. On 8th January 1993, at a meeting at The Phoenix, the Inverness and Highlands Branch was formed under the auspices and with the driving force of Bill Tring as Chair. The initial area of the Branch was the Highlands and Islands, less Orkney & Shetland (which Aberdeen wanted to keep) and Fort William, Onich & Glencoe (which Glasgow was reluctant to let go). We were given full Branch status at a CAMRA meeting in Derby in October 1993. As time passed, the Lochaber area was released to us, and in November 2005, our Branch name was changed to Highlands and Western Isles.

Over the years, the Branch Committee has progressed through several iterations. It is currently run by a small, dispersed Committee with Officers as far apart as South Uist, Lochaber and Speyside. Committee meetings are usually held via Zoom, although we do get together for socials. Although the faces have changed, there is still the same die-hard enthusiasm to overcome the challenges faced by such a massive branch area (one and a half times the size of Wales, the largest in CAMRA and with the fewest members). However, like CAMRA nationally, our membership has declined over the last few years and with fewer than 200 members, finding volunteers to support the Committee has become more challenging.

Around 200 outlets sell real ale in our area, and many of these hostelries can be truly classed as unique, located in some extraordinary places like the Old Forge at Knoydart (only reachable by boat or an 18-mile rough hike) or the Eagle Barge, which is actually a boat on the Caledonian Canal. The breweries that have been working throughout most of the branch’s life are Isle of Skye, Black Isle, Cairngorm, and Cromarty, which have grown to cope with demand. Several micros have been added, including award-winning Ardgour, River Leven, Knoydart, Ewebrew, Applecross, and more. They are well worth seeking out.

The pub and brewery scene up here is as fluid as you might expect but with the added challenges of a weak historical association with ale (admittedly, it is a whisky country) and an extremely seasonal market (some hotels even close completely for the winter). We endeavour to publicise updates to Branch membership through a monthly Newsletter email, though this news relies on tip-offs from local members. The branch magazine, Gael Ale, and website give locals and visitors an insight into our branch and a list of real ale outlets, breweries, and diary information.

Online Presence
To visit the branch website, click here.

Updated on 17/03/2024

In days of yore, when knights roamed bold and free, the Kingdom of Fife scarcely flickered on the CAMRA radar. It languished in obscurity, its pubs few and its members scarce. The southern reaches, from the bridges to Kirkcaldy and Glenrothes, fell under the purview of the Edinburgh and South-East Scotland branch, while the north and parts of the west were overseen by the Tayside branch.

Slowly, a handful of us began attending Edinburgh branch meetings, where the notion arose to survey local pubs and distribute Pints of View, the Edinburgh magazine, to establishments in South Fife. Edinburgh welcomed the initiative, given the vast expanse we aimed to cover. Among the key figures during this period were Matt Bald, who would later become the inaugural sub-branch chairman; Steve Darby, the first secretary; and Jim and Ewan Brande, who both would hold various roles and remain active members to this day.

After some years, the momentum garnered enough interest among publicans and drinkers in the area to warrant the establishment of a South Fife Sub-Branch. Our first beer festival took place in the Rothes Halls in Glenrothes in 1999, marking a resounding success. Following further discussions with the Tayside branch, the Kingdom of Fife Branch emerged autonomously, merging the north and south territories.

In 2001, at a meeting in the Whey Pat Tavern in St. Andrews, full branch status was officially ratified, with George Howie, then SNIB director, presiding. Ken Davie assumed the role of the first branch chair, with Martin Butler as secretary. Since then, the branch has flourished, gaining strength with each passing year.

The brewery scene in Fife has burgeoned over time, with eight breweries now flourishing in the Kingdom, a stark contrast to the barren landscape we encountered at our inception.

2017 brought sorrow to the Kingdom of Fife CAMRA as we mourned the loss of one of our stalwarts, Kenny Broadbent. Kenny, a former Chairman and Festival Organiser, played a pivotal role in the growth of CAMRA Fife and the Festival. In his honour, the Branch has renamed the annual Champion Beer of Fife competition, now known as The Kenny Broadbent Memorial Award – Champion Beer of Fife. This esteemed competition takes place at the Kingdom of Fife Real Ale Festival, inviting breweries from across Fife to submit their finest brews for blind tasting by a panel of diverse judges, including CAMRA members from regional branches, pub licensees, CAMRA Regional Directors, and a Cask Marque Assessor. Unfortunately, the award is currently suspended due to the absence of the beer festival.

Approximately forty-three pubs in the Kingdom offer real ale, and our branch boasts over 250 members. Fife’s pubs have made a notable presence in the SNIB Pub of the Year Competition, securing the prestigious title on five occasions. The Hillend Tavern claimed victory in 2023, followed by The Commercial Inn in Dunfermline in 2022. Previous winners include The Albert Tavern in Freuchie, which triumphed in 2009 and 2010, and The Harbour Bar in Kirkcaldy, which clinched the title in 2000. These esteemed establishments have each advanced to the final stages of the National competition, showcasing Fife’s vibrant pub scene on a broader stage.

Online Presence
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Updated on 17/03/2024

The Renfrewshire branch stretches from Inverkip to Busby and from Erskine to Eaglesham and has a wide range of real ale pubs, from traditional rural pubs to modern bars. The first-ever meeting of CAMRA in Scotland was held in the Renfrewshire branch area in the sadly long-deceased Golf Inn in Bishopton.

At the heart of the branch is Paisley, which may be most known for its weaving heritage and the world-famous Paisley Pattern. However, it has also earned the very deserved reputation of hosting the biggest (and best!!) beer festival in Scotland, which sadly has not taken place since COVID restrictions and the refurbishment of our traditional home in Paisley Town Hall. We have, however, still had a large presence at the annual Paisley Food and Drink Festival and are hopeful that we will be back in Paisley Town Hall before too long.

One of the most notable events in the beer festival’s history was back in its second year. Saturday, May 16th, 1987, was the day ‘The Saints’ brought the Scottish Cup back to the town hall—what a night that was! To honour their achievement, St Mirren F.C. was enrolled as a life member of CAMRA—possibly still the only football team to have this status.

There are three breweries in the branch area: Kelburn Brewing Company, based in Barrhead; Two Towns Down Brewing, which is the first brewery in Paisley in over 125 years; and Spectra Brewing.

Online Presence
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To visit the branch’s X page, click here.

Tayside branch covers Dundee, Angus, and all of Perthshire & Kinross-shire – an area of approximately 3000 sq. miles. We have around 250 members, about 15 being active… enough to enable interesting bus and train trips to be arranged from time to time, visiting some of the 74 real ale establishments in the region and beyond. We hold monthly meetings and produce the magazine Hooked on Ale twice a year. There are currently 13 breweries in the area, from small craft breweries like Mòr to industrial-scale Innis & Gunn/Inveralmond.

Online Presence
To visit the branch website, click here.
To visit the branch’s Facebook page, click here.
To visit the branch’s X page, click here.

Updated on 17/03/2024