Worst pub in Scotland

[tamthebam]

1 hour ago, paranoid android said:

Only reason I know his name is that I worked with him for a few months years ago - nice guy - totally harmless, I think - the definition of a happy drunk?

I'm from Easthouses, but I live in Dalkeith now - most of the pubs in Dalkeith are ok, surprisingly!

we used to go into the Miners' Welfare after games against Lily- looked rough but was actually OK once inside.. 

when I was a tax dodging student in Aberdeen 25 years ago the bars to avoid were:

The Seaton aka the Broken Arms

Martins Bar

Broadsword, Tillydrone- BOUNCER: Any weapons on ye pal? PUNTER: Naw.. BOUNCER: Better take this broken bottle then, it's a bit lively tonight..

and the Black Dug had a reputation but I went in once and it was OK 

Martins and the Broken Arms seem to look genteel now. It's the same with some pubs in Edinburgh- the Holyrood Bar used to look a bit rough but has now been yuppiefied. On the other hand The Grapes in Clerk Street has gone back to being a watering hole for pure scum. 

[Glenconner]

2 hours ago, Flybhoy said:

Slightly off topic but id seen a couple of shops/off licences in Liverpool and Manchester where the booze, fags, till and even crisps and chocolate were behind security glass with a wee hatch where the guy handed you the goods once you had paid.

I had genuinely never seen that in Scotland till I popped into the shop at the top of the hill behind Firhill for cigarettes after the Partick v Celtic game last month , although im sure there are other shops in the country with this feature.

More than a few of those in the Glasgow area.

[Glenconner]

4 hours ago, Melanius Mullarkey said:

Last time I popped into Dows next to Queen Street, it had buckets half filled with pish under the leaky urinals.

It had obviously gone upmarket.

Dow's won a watch and was taken over by ScotRail during the work on Queens St Station. Heard a million quid changed hands for the duration of the work.

Talking pish, it was the Vale that got taken over by ScotRail.

Edited June 12, 2017 by Glenconner

[NotThePars]

There's at least one in Maryhill and Shettleston Roads.

[Glenconner]

I was in the vicinity of a pub in Gorbals 40 years back and a bomb went off. Folks ran over to help (probably thinking it was a gas explosion rather than a bomb) and half the punters hadn't noticed a thing. They kept on drinking as the emergency services arrived.

Edited June 12, 2017 by Glenconner

[MeadowArab]

we used to go into the Miners' Welfare after games against Lily- looked rough but was actually OK once inside.. 
when I was a tax dodging student in Aberdeen 25 years ago the bars to avoid were:
The Seaton aka the Broken Arms
Martins Bar
Broadsword, Tillydrone- BOUNCER: Any weapons on ye pal? PUNTER: Naw.. BOUNCER: Better take this broken bottle then, it's a bit lively tonight..
and the Black Dug had a reputation but I went in once and it was OK 
Martins and the Broken Arms seem to look genteel now. It's the same with some pubs in Edinburgh- the Holyrood Bar used to look a bit rough but has now been yuppiefied. On the other hand The Grapes in Clerk Street has gone back to being a watering hole for pure scum. 

I live around the corner from the grapes. Sadly, it's over 25s only so I'm too young to be allowed in. However, I have been shouted at by a punter as I was walking past. How scummy is it?

[shull]

1 hour ago, Glenconner said:

I was in the vicinity of a pub in Gorbals 40 years back and a bomb went off. Folks ran over to help (probably thinking it was a gas explosion rather than a bomb) and half the punters hadn't noticed a thing. They kept on drinking as the emergency services arrived.

Derry Treanors 

[throbber]

Apart from the Indian next to the old cinema I cant think of a decent place in Stirling to eat, just clogged up with chain pubs, brewers fare type places and a couple of truly howling buffets, the chinese one in Friar St and the world buffet in Dumbarton Rd are as grim as anywhere I have ever fucking eaten.

You say all that likes it's a bad thing. I might end up moving there as can buy a decent house for the price of my 2 bedroom flat I currently occupy.

[BallochSonsFan]

Worst 2 I've been in were both before gigs.

Went to Pixies at Meadowbank (2004) and ended up in The Station Bar just along from Meadowbank (towards the city centre). Locals seemed to have more teeth than brain cells, although it was a close run thing. Not so much a spit and sawdust place, but only because they couldn't afford sawdust. Utter shitehole.

I was also at a gig at Barrowlands a couple of years ago. Meeting a couple of folk from work before the gig. The Old Tollbooth. Fucking hell. Handful of oddities in there on a Friday early evening. One guy sat and pissed himself rather than leaving his pint and going to the toilet. He then sat in his pissed trackies like it was the most normal thing to do, finished his pint and bought another one.

[ICTChris]

The Longstone pub you are probably thinking of is the VIllage Inn.  I live near there and go running past it a lot, it is a bit of a hovel.  There's the Longstone Inn further down which doesn't look quite as bad but still not somewhere I would go.

I don't really go out to pubs that much but when I go to the football I often end up in complete shitholes.  Before the title winning ICT-Clyde game in 2004 me and about ten other Caley fans got the train to Croy and found the nearest pub, being the Croy Tavern.  We walked in, wearing red, white and blue tops, in themiddle of an Old Firm game.  There were a few tense moments when we realised we were basically in the most Celtic pub in the world   I've never been so glad to see Celtic win.  They also had Buckfast on tap so all good.

[Dazzle]

The swan in Kennoway is the worst pub I've had a pint in, in Fife, proper hell hole. 

 

The Tavern in Macedonia in Glenrothes used to be jakeball central when it was around as well. 

 

Tams bar in Buckhind can also be lively shall we say. 

[Cosmic Joe]

Sometimes the supposedly RAF places are worth a visit. Bissell's in Dundee wasn't all that bad. Is Peep Peeps in Aberdeen still on the go?

[WeAreElgin]

My experience of shite pubs is extremely limited as, surprisingly, I try not to seek them out when I'm in Glasgow etc

Elgin was quite good for rougher pubs, though. My particular favourite is the Midas bar which would have karaoke at 2 o'clock on a Tuesday afternoon with the winner always blasting out "Simply The Best." It was also the only pub that I've been able to actively smell well before being able to see it.

The Ionic on Elgin high street is quite good too, I used to work in the council office across the road and Friday evenings at around 6 was prime time for looking out the window and watching some ned family kick f**k out of another ned family. They seem to have an awful fascination with snooker in that place, too.

Inverness honourable mentions go to the Nip Inn and The Keg, both shining examples of why selling alcohol in the morning isn't a great idea.

[Ross.]

The Douglas Hotel(AKA The Port Sunshine from Trainspotting 2). It would have to feature highly in any list.

[ICTChris]

17 minutes ago, WeAreElgin said:

The Ionic on Elgin high street is quite good too, I used to work in the council office across the road and Friday evenings at around 6 was prime time for looking out the window and watching some ned family kick f**k out of another ned family. They seem to have an awful fascination with snooker in that place, too.

Inverness honourable mentions go to the Nip Inn and The Keg, both shining examples of why selling alcohol in the morning isn't a great idea.

I was in the Ionic before the Scottish Cup game this season, didn't seem that bad but not that good either.

I have been in the Keg at 9am though.  What a hoot.

[Ross.]

11 hours ago, ThatBoyRonaldo said:

I don't really go out drinking in shitholes enough to have an authoritative view on this, but the Chrystal Bell on the Gallowgate is a pub I seem to find myself in whenever I go to a gig at the Barrowlands and nearly every time I've been in it there's been a pervasive smell of pish and rebel songs on the stereo.

The Chrsytal Bell is a strange one. It's not quite Merchant City, and not quite proper Gallowgate. Not cool enough to attract one crowd and not hardcore enough to attract the other. Friend of the family used to run the place, he gave up after a few years I think because he realised there was nothing else that could really be done with it. As for horrendous pubs before a gig at the Barras, I recall being in Bairds before a gig there, Embrace circa 2000 or so. Old pished guy swaying on his chair, psyching himself up to stand up and leave. Downs half a pint, spews it back up into the pint glass, steadies himself, looks at the glass and starts drinking again.

9 hours ago, Glenconner said:

Is there cage entrance pubs still left?

Olivers in Drumchapel used to have a buzzer system and cage to get in, but only for one side of the pub. Can't remember if it was the lounge/function suite or the bar.

[KnightswoodBear]

3 minutes ago, Ross. said:

 

Olivers in Drumchapel used to have a buzzer system and cage to get in, but only for one side of the pub. Can't remember if it was the lounge/function suite or the bar.

I vaguely remember being in there for a couple of birthday parties in my yoot.  

[Jacksgranda]

49 minutes ago, WeAreElgin said:

nMy experience of shite pubs is extremely limited as, surprisingly, I try not to seek them out when I'm in Glasgow etc

Elgin was quite good for rougher pubs, though. My particular favourite is the Midas bar which would have karaoke at 2 o'clock on a Tuesday afternoon with the winner always blasting out "Simply The Best." It was also the only pub that I've been able to actively smell well before being able to see it.

The Ionic on Elgin high street is quite good too, I used to work in the council office across the road and Friday evenings at around 6 was prime time for looking out the window and watching some ned family kick f**k out of another ned family. They seem to have an awful fascination with snooker in that place, too.

Inverness honourable mentions go to the Nip Inn and The Keg, both shining examples of why selling alcohol in the morning isn't a great idea.

I remember The Ionic from 40+ years ago, was fine then. But that was during the morning. (2.30 closing in those days.)

Edited June 12, 2017 by Jacksgranda
sllepnig

[MEADOWXI]

New Cumnock had two pubs.

Went into the first with my brother (through for a Meadow game), and the silence falls as we walk to the bar. Asked fro two pints and are told NO. And the barman reaosn for not serving us 'I don't know you'. Refused service as we weren't know. Went to 2nd bar and asked fro two pints and as we were served the barman asks if we had been in other bar, says yes but refused service. barman ' don't worry about it that guys a c**t'.

Broadsword in Aberdeen is genuinely frightening, like the 3 crows in Irvine if you remove the personality and charm, and the 3 crows is a shithole.

East Nuek in Aberdeen where I left my pint as it was undrinkable, the bar stank and the floor felt like it could collapse at any second.

Away at Petershill ( I think), and after game walking a bit towards town, stopped for a pint. Looked ok from outside.

In the bar and think this is a right football pub with programmes and shirts on wall. Slowly realise that every item is Celtic related, but all is fine.Then in the distance that West coast noise of a band approaching can be heard. As they pass by the pub empties and about 40-50 guys are on the pavement screaming abuse at the band. Only folk left in bar are myself, my brother and the barman. Everyone else was outside. Used the opportunity to order another couple of pints as the bar was quiet and Soccer Saturday as on the TV.

[D.A.F.C]

Valley Bar High Valleyfield