Moulin Hotel, Inn & Brewery Perthshire

Within a few years of buying the Moulin Hotel near Pitlochry in the early 1990s, hotelier Chris Tomlinson decided to resurrect a brewery in the old coach house. A former AA Scottish Pub of the Year, this inn-style hotel – named after the Gaelic word maohlinn, referring to the mounds where ancient hut circles were found – dates back to 1695. No wonder, then, that one of the tartan-swathed bedrooms is said to be haunted. To steady your nerves, grab a nook in the bar with your Ale of Atholl while you choose from an extensive, locally sourced menu: try steak and ale pie or rabbit casserole with a pint of Braveheart, plus local raspberry crumble with Light Ale to follow, closing with a dram of local malt Edradour.

The beer The richness of Braveheart, so named by a local who was an extra in the Mel Gibson fi lm, is the perfect foil for locally produced, award-winning venison.

What else? Pop into the local history and genealogy centre across the square in Moulin Kirk before heading off to explore the majesty of Blair Castle.

Details Doubles from £75 with breakfast. Pitlochry, Perthshire PH16 5EW, 01796 472196, moulinhotel.co.uk

Sligachan Hotel and Cuillins Brewery Isle of Skye

Black Cuillin’s dramatic pinnacle provides an unforgettable backdrop to Skye’s Sligachan Hotel. A mountaineering mecca since the 1830s, the impressive hotel has been in the Campbell family for the last century. The Cuillin Brewery, housed in the old public bar, draws its water from the nearby river, its lightly peated nature contributing to head brewer Eric Jones’ distinctive quartet of beers. Head to the Seumus Bar for dinner where the local scallops are a must and venison is a speciality; the casserole made with Cuillins’ Blackface beer is a particular treat. Rest can be found in one of the bright rooms or within the charming, stonewalled cottages; perfect for travellers who prefer to self-cater.

The beer One of Eric’s bestsellers, Pinnacle is an amber ale with hoppy aromas and a well-rounded maltiness.

What else? Lace up your walking boots, or travel back in time at the hotel’s climbing museum.

Details From £40 per person with breakfast. Note: the Sligachan
Hotel, like much of Skye, is closed between November and
February. Sligachan, Isle of Skye IV47 8SW, 01478 650204,
sligachan.co.uk, §cuillinbrewery.co.uk

Traquair House Scottish Borders

Seven miles from Peebles, Traquair House is arguably Britain’s most historic place to stay. With a guest list that includes Bonnie Prince Charlie and Mary Queen of Scots, here ‘modern’ means hailing from the 17th century. With Catherine Maxwell-Stuart, the 21st Lady of Traquair, at the helm, you can expect plenty of creature comforts too – including a bottle of Traquair beer in your bedroom on arrival. The estate’s old brewery was rediscovered many years ago in an outbuilding ‘filled with junk’; today, the beers are fermented in the original 18th-century oak vessels and served in the house’s 1745 Cottage Restaurant. Residents are at liberty to look around the house or to request a personal guided tour.

The beer Brewer Ian Cameron crafts the rich and spicy Jacobite Ale to a traditional Jacobean recipe, with a handful of coriander.

What else? Come supper time, make tracks to the Traquair Arms Hotel in nearby Innerleithen.

Details Doubles £180 with breakfast (there are only three bedrooms). Innerleithen, Peeblesshire EH44 6PW, 01896
830323, traquair.co.uk

Watermill Inn and Brewing Co Cumbria

With up to 16 real ales plus proper ciders, well-priced wines and plenty of regional produce, it’s no surprise the warm and welcoming Watermill Inn seems to hog the local CAMRA Pub of the Year title. The brewery, which Brian and his wife Alison added in 2006, is an added attraction, just visible from the bar through a glass partition. Check the specials board to see if steaks from the Watermill’s own cows are on the menu; they’re fed the brewery’s spent grain and reared at Alison’s brother’s farm overlooking Lake Windermere. If not, Watermill Chicken is a happy match with W’ruff Night, a pale bitter with a good splash of citrus hops.

The beer The award-winning Isle of Dogs is golden in colour, with a fresh malty aroma, citrussy tang and refreshing finish.

What else? Once a month the UK’s first Storytelling Laureate, Taffy Thomas, hosts an evening of folklore and tall tales.

Details Doubles from £75 with breakfast. Ings Village, Near
Windermere, Cumbria LA8 9PY, 01539 821309, watermillinn.co.uk

The Drunken Duck Inn and Barngates Brewery Cumbria

‘Inns were places that brewed great beers,’ says award-winning proprietor Steph Barton, of her family’s decision to start up Barngates Brewery at The Drunken Duck in the late 1990s. Now, brewer John Lloyd draws on soft peat-based water from the 60-acre site for his eight regular brews. Test them out in the oak-floored bar, accompanied by a lunchtime pie or, once the evening linen is out, line-caught Kendal sea bass and Reggie Johnson’s Goosnargh duck. The inn’s 16 appointed rooms need to be booked ahead.

The beer Amber in colour, Red Bull Terrier has a hoppy tang to finish. Try with sausages, cheese… or plum pudding!

What else? Borrow the hotel’s walks file to tackle Black Crag and enjoy views towards Lake Windermere and Langdale Pikes. Details Doubles from £95 with breakfast. Barngates, Ambleside, Cumbria LA22 0NG, 01539 436347, drunkenduckinn.co.uk, barngatesbrewery.co.uk

The Driftwood Spars North Cornwall

The Driftwood Spars’ cheery white-painted stonework and blue-edged windows greet you as you wind down the wooded road to Trevaunance Cove. Now under the direction of vivacious Louise Treseder, this is CAMRA’s Kernow Pub of the Year for the second consecutive year and boasts a fine array of Cornish ales and ciders. Food can be enjoyed in the dining room, complete with comfy sofas and bay views, the garden or the main bar, and popular dishes include beer-battered fish and chips with home-made tartare sauce and Cornish rib-eye, washed down with a pint of Driftwood’s Alfie’s Revenge. Many of the bedrooms have a sea view.

The beer Since his arrival a few years ago, brewer Pete Martin has ramped up the brewing no end. Try Lou’s Brew, fashioned in response to the landlady’s demand for a light, hoppy number.

What else? Embark on Lou’s favourite walk: along the coast to the beautiful Chapel Porth beach, returning via St Agnes Beacon.

Details Doubles from £86 with breakfast. Trevaunance Cove, St
Agnes, Cornwall TR5 0RT, 01872 552428, driftwoodspars.co.uk

Beamish Hall and Stables Pub and Brewery County Durham

Spending £7m on refurbishments since buying Beamish Hall in early 2004, local entrepreneur David Craggs has transformed this somewhat faded mansion. Located between Durham and Newcastle in
24 acres of parkland, its roots go back to the Norman Conquest. When local brewer John Taylor suggested David’s new Stables Pub needed its own brewery, he agreed – as long as John took charge. And so he did, fashioning a stylish brewhouse separated from the restaurant solely by a glass partition. Sit in the cobbled courtyard if it’s warm, or head inside to the bar’s woodburning stove. Aim for a bedroom with a garden view.

The beer Watch John throw in the hops as you choose between Silver Buckles, a light golden IPA, with home-made fish pie, or Old Miner Tommy, a pale golden bitter, for the lamb rump.

What else? See bald eagles fly and take a small owl for a walk at Beamish Hall’s Birds of Prey Conservation Centre.

Details Doubles from £80 with breakfast. Beamish, Stanley,
County Durham DH9 0YB, 01207 233733, beamishhall.co.uk

The Old Cannon Suffolk

Snugly located up a side street in the friendly market town of Bury St Edmunds sits the Old Cannon Brewery, presided over by brewer James Mauldon. Nothing beats sitting right next to a gleaming copper, particularly when you have chef Adrian Newcombe’s tasty brasserie-style menu (‘Cannon Fodder’) to accompany your beer. East Anglia is his larder – there’s Orford smoked trout, north Norfolk lobster, plus beef from locally-reared Red Poll cattle, plump and well-fed on the brewery’s spent grain – and across the cobbled alleyway, the old brewhouse has been reborn as five smart bedrooms.

The beer The malty sweetness of Gunner’s Daughter is balanced by a refreshing hop bite and pleasant bitterness on the finish.

What else? Book onto a tour of the newly renovated Theatre Royal as you wander the historic streets of Bury St Edmunds.

Details Doubles from £85 with breakfast. 86 Cannon Street, Bury
St Edmunds IP33 1JR, 01284 768769, oldcannonbrewery.co.uk