Find a pint at the edge of the map in these remote pubs

Across Britain and Ireland, weatherbeaten mountains are home to some of the region’s most remote and cherished institutions: pubs. Few things are more satisfying than staggering into an old hillside inn after a long walk — boots damp, legs weary — then drying out beside a roaring fire and sinking into an armchair with a well-earned drink. The more remote the pub, the harder it is to reach, but the rewards are ample: vast, untamed scenery, eccentric locals with stories to tell and irrefutable proof — if any were needed — that the appetite for a good pint knows no bounds.

Tan Hill Inn, England

Best for: High-altitude mountain views

For many pub-lovers, the idea of a lock-in is high on the bucket list. But at Tan Hill Inn — Britain’s highest pub at 528 metres above sea level — some drinkers got more than they bargained for when they were snowed in for five days in January 2025. Thankfully, while good weather can’t be guaranteed in this part of the world, extreme conditions are rare, and the nearby Pennine Way draws walkers year-round. Take your drink out to the beer garden, which looks across the rolling Yorkshire Dales and the windswept Pennine moorlands. If the weather turns, settle in beside the fire in this historic, stone-floored, wood-beamed pub and simply wait for the storm to pass.

How to do it: Tan Hill Inn is on the Pennine Way National Trail, 11 miles from the nearest town, Kirkby Stephen. If you don’t fancy walking, this part of the route is also accessible by car.

The Old Forge, Scotland

Best for: Highland scenery and a community feel

Often described as the most remote watering hole on mainland Britain, The Old Forge is perched on the southern edge of the Knoydart Peninsula, a place of lonely lochs, regal stags and forested mountains. ‘Walking in’, as hikers call reaching the pub on foot, is a rite of passage here. There are two main routes: a three-day trek starting near the Glenfinnan Viaduct, made famous by the Harry Potter films, or a shorter two-day hike from the hamlet of Kinloch Hourn. The Old Forge did lose its way under private ownership in the 2010s, but was bought back by the community in 2022.

How to do it: The classic three-day Old Forge hike begins with a train to Glenfinnan, followed by a walk that isn’t signposted — apps including AllTrails can help you navigate. If walking both ways proves too much, there’s a boat that can putter you back far faster.

(Related: Britain’s most remote mainland pub is well worth the two-day hike)

The Skirrid Inn, Wales

Best for: Pub ghost hunts

If you like your pint with a side of spookiness, look no further than The Skirrid Mountain Inn, said to be one of Britain’s most haunted pubs. Refreshing weary wayfarers for more than 900 years, it claims to be Wales’s oldest pub and can be found in the village of Llanvihangel Crucorney in Bannau Brycheiniog National Park. History buffs will find plenty to pore over. The inn is said to have been a meeting place for Welsh national hero Owain Glyndŵr and his supporters during their 14th-century uprising against the English, and it’s also thought to have served as a courthouse where criminals were hanged for stealing sheep. The ghosts of some of these former occupants are said to haunt the pub, along with those of a hangman and a former landlady.

How to do it: Ghost hunts, rooms and food reservations can be booked online.

The Crask Inn, Scotland

Best for: Highland isolation and heavenly peace

For many people, going to the pub is something of a religious experience. Nowhere is this more true than at The Crask Inn, a historic Highland pub dating from 1815 that also functions as a church. Donated by its previous owners to the Scottish Episcopal Church, it still hosts regular services, including daily evening prayers at 5pm — plus, the landlord doubles as the local priest. The pub sits along a one-track road in the Scottish Highlands and is popular with walkers who are ‘bagging Munros’ — scaling mountains that are higher than 914.4 metres (3,000ft). There’s B&B accommodation and a campsite, too.

How to do it: This is one of the most isolated inns on the British mainland, so let them know in advance if you’re planning on spending the night. Church service times can be found on the Scottish Episcopal Church’s website.

Biddy's O'Barnes, Ireland

Best for: Mountain drives and proper Guinness

If ever a pub felt like it’d been dropped into the landscape as an afterthought, it’s Biddy’s O’Barnes. Set at Barnesmore Gap in the Blue Stack Mountains, it sits alone on a stretch of road that cuts through steep-sided hills, where bog, rock and fast-changing weather close in on all sides. Inside, it’s everything you’d hope for in a good boozer: low beams, open fires and a bar that feels much as it always has, with Guinness poured properly and stories swapped over pints at the counter. It’s been here for more than 150 years and the atmosphere is unpolished in the best way possible. Arriving feels less like ticking off a destination and more like stumbling upon something you weren’t meant to find. Which, in a place like this, is exactly the point.

How to do it: Drive the Barnesmore Gap between Donegal Town and Ballybofey to see the mountains at their most dramatic.