Real Ale Breweries


At the beginning of the twentieth century our branch region teemed with breweries, especially in Edinburgh itself, with its unique geography allowing a very favourable water supply of good quality for brewing. By the 1970s, as a result of commercial concentration and so called market forces, this once thriving industry had shrunk in size. For real ale the situation was even worse, with only a handful of businesses continuing to produce traditional beer.

Fight back

Which came first - CAMRA or the revival in traditional real ale brewing? It hardly matters, though it is hardly coincidence that the strengthening of existing real ale breweries and the arrival of the new microbrewery movement took place at the same time as the rise of what has widely been described as the most successful ever consumer movement in the UK.

In our branch region

There are currently more than 30 breweries in Scotland as a whole. Some of the originally named microbreweries are now larger than a number of the old traditional breweries that disappeared. Although the number of breweries within the branch area is small compared to, for example, the nineteenth century, they represent a good cross section of the different types of real ale breweries operating today. For example, Belhaven Brewery and Caledonian Brewery have both been in existence for a long time. They have continued brewing real ale during all the ups and downs of the Scottish brewing business. Broughton Ales, Stewart Brewing, Tempest Brewing Co. and the Scottish Borders Brewery represent the wave of microbreweries that have helped to transform the brewing map of Scotland. Traquair House is the example of the revival of brewing after a long absence while Prestongrange Gothenburg shows how the concept of a brew pub works.

See the gallery to view the real ale breweries within our branch area.

Elsewhere in Scotland

In this section we include news of real ale breweries elsewhere in Scotland. Of course the best way to sample their products is to visit their local area.

Angus Ales is a brewery founded in 2009 in Carnoustie by local CAMRA committee members. Beers include Gowfers’ Gold (3.85%), pale refreshing golden ale and Mashie Niblick (4.2%), full flavoured malt ale. Both are sold in cask and in bottle.

Ayr Brewing Company is based in The Glenpark Hotel, Ayr and commenced brewing in 2009, selling two real ales in the hotel. The first ales which are all named from works of the world famous poet Robert Burns are Leezie Lundie (abv 3.8%), Jolly Beggars (abv 4.2%) and Towzie Tyke (abv 4.7%).

Isle of Mull Brewing Company have merged with the Oban Bay Brewery at the Cuan Mor, 60 George Street, Oban. They supply Mull pubs (Macgochans) and Oban pubs such as Lorn, and nearby places such as The Oyster at Easdale

Waulkmill Cider in Westerkirk, Langholm, Dumfries and Galloway produce the traditional Muckle Toon Rosie Real Cider using only local apples grown in Dumfries and Galloway.