Silicon Glen, Scotland
>Scottish FAQ
Scottish Pubs for non-smokers |
Author: Craig Cockburn
E-mail: craig@siliconglen.com
WWW: http://www.siliconglen.com
This list is available on the web at
http://www.siliconglen.com/fooddrink/pubsfornonsmokers.html
First published 1993
Last updated 04 June 2005
On 10th November 2004, the Scottish Executive announced there is to
be a comprehensive ban on smoking in public places in Scotland.
More details
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/3999975.stm
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2004/11/10144025
After 15 years of arguing the case, I am delighted.
As a result, this list will happily become redundant as there will be no
need to have a special list for non smokers once the relevant legislation
takes force, expected to be Spring 2006. From that date, every pub and
bar will be a pub for non smokers, as well as the majority of smokers
who wish to give up their addiction.
The smoking ban is not so extensive in England, however Wetherspoons
have announced they will be banning smoking in all their pubs.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4201053.stm
No reliability is assumed for any of the information here, as the author has been unable to verify each place individually. You should check first what facilities are available before going. I have excluded establishments which are not generally open to the public unless you attend an event there, i.e. theatres, cinemas, etc. Most of those pubs and bars have some sort of provision for non-smokers and some are entirely smoke free. (The Queen's Hall in Edinburgh is mostly smoke free and although there is physical separation of smokers and non-smokers, the smoky air often drifts into the non-smoking area). Proprietors take note! I don't want a non-smoking area - I want a Smoke-Free area!! Smoking isn't the problem - SMOKE is the problem!!
The Good Beer Guide, Published by the Campaign for Real Ale.
(CAMRA) £12.99. There are over 270 pubs out of the 5,000 in the 1995
guide marked as having a no-smoking area. Since surveying was started
in 1992, the number of pubs with this symbol has increased by at least
25% each year.
Eat, Sleep and Drink Smoke Free (92/93 editions)
Published by Headway Books, Birch Hagg House, Low Mill, York,
YO6 6XJ Tel: 01751 432580 Fax: 01751 433197 £7.95
The 1993 Good Pub Guide (Edbury Press), formerly published by
The Consumers' Association. Has a special section at the back on
no-smoking bars in the UK.
Pints of View: The newsletter of Edinburgh and South East
Scotland CAMRA
..and contributions from the Internet
Selkirk: Tibbie Shiels Inn, Tel: 01750- 42231
Swinton: The Wheatsheaf Hotel, Tel: 0189 086- 257
Dollar: Strathallan Hotel, Tel: 01259-742205
Dumfries: Station Hotel, Tel: 01387- 54316
Kettlebridge: Kettlebridge Inn, Tel: 01337- 830232
Belvedere Hotel, Evan Street, Stonehaven
(01569 762672)
Inverness: Glenruidh House, Tel: 01463- 226499
Kingussie: Royal Hotel, Tel: 01540- 661898
Ullapool: The Ceilidh Place, Tel: 01854- 612103
(three pubs for 350,000 people ! That's about 60,000 non-smoking
adults per pub!! Does anyone see a market opportunity here?)
The Black Swan in Leith
address
Black Swan, 23 Sandport Pl, Edinburgh,
Lauriston Farm Brewers Fayre
The first pub in Scotland to impose a complete ban on smoking.
The White Hart in Grassmarket is now operating as a non-smoking pub.
So too is the Sheep Heid in Duddingston.
Edinburgh (Central): The Filmhouse has a cafe/bar which is
open to non-patrons, serves food and beer and has a small
non-smoking area. However the beer is well overpriced.
The Filmhouse is at 88 Lothian Road. Tel: 0131 228 6382
The Hogshead in Edinburgh has a no-smoking zone at the back and also
has a very good ventilation system throughout. You have to be sitting
right next to someone to notice their smoke.
Address: 30-32 Bread Street, Tel: 0131 221 0575
The Standing Order, at 62 George St (near Frederick St) has a
large non-smoking room. Tel: 0131 225 4460. Part of the Wetherspoon
chain (See end for details)
The Black Bull in the Grassmarket (no. 12) has a few no smoking
tables near the front of the building on the left hand side.
Tel: 0131 225 7630
Edinburgh (Newhaven):
The Old Chain Pier
http://www.oldchainpier.co.uk/
Has a separate refurbished non-smoking room, no smoking at the bar
area and no smoking on the mezzanine/top deck bar area. It also has a new
ventilation system that will clear smoke out of the one remaining smoking
area plus new management focussed on providing a non-smoky environment.
Edinburgh (Surgeon's Hall): The Festival Theatre. 0131-529 6000. Real Ale, no smoking allowed at all. The bar is at the front and you don't have to be attending a performance to have a drink there.
Leadburn: Leadburn Inn (West Linton). Tel: 01968- 672952
Lothianburn: The Steading. Tel 0131- 445 1128
(no-smoking restaurant which converts into a no-smoking
drinking area when the meals trade dies down, usually after 9pm)
Newtongrange: The Dean Tavern. It has no non-smoking area, but the
main bar is enormous - the biggest in Scotland for most of the
20th century - and with a very high pitched ceiling, smoke just
goes straight up. If it's absolutely packed there'll be a problem
but it's so big that hardly ever happens. (This is NOT the case for
the smaller rooms).
Penicuik: Craigiebield House Hotel (50 Bog Road). Tel: 01968- 672557
Queensferry: Hawes Inn Hotel, Tel: 0131- 331 1990
(no-smoking family room until 9pm, smoking is allowed after 9pm).
Also in Queensferry, the Two Bridges hotel has a
bar/restaurant with a non smoking area.
Further info on Lothian:
The "Edinburgh for Under Fives" book is a good source of info
on smoke-free establishments (licenced and otherwise).
http://www.edinburghforunderfives.co.uk/
However, this book is exceptionally difficult to get, which
clearly undermines the value of publication somewhat.
Ayr: Chestnuts Hotel. Tel: 01292- 264393
Glasgow: Boswell Hotel, 27, Mansionhouse Rd, Langside
Tel: 0141 636 4471
The Counting House, recently opened in an grand old Bank of Scotland
building on the corner of George Square and St Vincent Place, has a
number of sizeable, well-labelled non-smoking areas. It also has clear
signs saying "No smoking at the bar". It is a free house, part of the
Wetherspoon chain.
2 St.Vincent Place, Glasgow, G1 2DH
Tel: 0141 248 9568
Glasgow: The Clockwork Beer Co. Tel 0141-649 0184
1153/55 Cathcart Road, Glasgow G42 9HB
Fax - 0141-649-0643
Free house brew pub managed by Robin and Gay Graham formerly of the
Boswell Hotel.The Pub has a large family area which is non smoking
and serves food all day. Extensive range of real ale, guest beers,
ciders and imports.
Also part of the Wetherspoons chain, the James Stirling Maxwell pub
has opened in Shawlands arcade in Glasgow and has a no smoking area.
Phone?
Also The Hogshead at the junction of Woodlands Road and Eldon Street.
Follow Woodlands Road north from Charing Cross; it's right in front
of you when you get to the mini-roundabout. Grid reference NS575667
as far as I can make out. Phone?
Kilmarnock: Hunting Lodge, Tel: 01563- 22920
Paisley (Glasgow Airport): Tap and Spile, Tel: 0141- 848 4869
Broughty Ferry: Old Anchor Inn, Tel 01382- 737899 (no-smoking area
is only at lunchtimes)
Dundee: Speedwell Bar, Tel: 01382- 67783
Kinesswood: Lomond Country Inn, Tel: 01592- 84253
Kinross: Kirklands Hotel, Tel: 01577- 863313
Montrose: George Hotel, Tel: 01674- 675050
ASH (Action on Smoking and Health)
8 Frederick Street, Edinburgh, EH2 2HB
Tel: 0131- 225 4725
E-mail: ashscotland@dial.pipex.com
http://www.ashscotland.org.uk/
ASH's London office is at
102 Clifton Street,
London
EC2A 4HW.
http://www.ash.org.uk/
Tel +44 (0)20 7739 5902
Fax +44 (0)20 7613 0531
e-mail: action.smoking.health@dial.pipex.com
ANSR (Association for Non-Smokers' Rights)
Melgund Centre, Melgund Terrace, Edinburgh, EH7 4BU
Tel: 0131 557 3139 Fax: 0131 557 5055
E-mail: 100434.2436@compuserve.com
All their pubs have no-smoking areas. This change was supported
by 61% of the smoking customers and over 70% of the non-smoking
customers. Contact: 01923 477 777
Wetherspoons also have pubs in other parts of England and Scotland.
They have about 30 pubs in Scotland, including Glasgow and Edinburgh
See http://www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk/
You can search for their pubs there by map, placename or postcode.
They also have a special search for pubs that allow children.
Wetherspoons are a huge success, the fastest growing company in the
UK and the 9th fastest in Europe, and given the substantial
financial success they are having, it is rather a suprise that t
heir policy of good cheap beer, good food, no jukeboxes and of
course a smoke free area hasn't caught on at all amongst the
other dinosaurs of the brewing industry. Maybe the other chains
should be renamed cancer centres or public pollution places?
Publicans wondering what effect a smoke free area would have on their
business should read this report:
http://www.ash.org.uk/html/press/021121a.html
"95% of proprietors surveyed would recommend no-smoking policies to
similar businesses."
"Trade was seen to increase or not change in 90% of bars, pubs and
restaurants and the majority of respondents were very happy with
the business impact."
Has had no-smoking areas in its city centre pubs for many years.
Contact:
Young & Co.'s Brewery plc,
The Ram Brewery,
Wandsworth,
London SW18 4JD
Tel: 020 8875 7000
Fax: 020 8875 7100
http://www.youngs.co.uk/
The Consumers' Association reported in January 1988 that no-smoking
areas was the most wanted change in Scottish pubs. A separate survey
pointed out it was also the most wanted change in English and Welsh
pubs.
NOP found in July 1987 that non-smokers would visit pubs more often if
pubs provided smoke free areas.
Edinburgh District Council announced in August 1993 that it was going
to be the first council in the UK to prosecute pubs which were too
smoky (they have at their disposal both the Health and Safety at Work
Act and the common law Duty of Care).
The new Scottish parliament, http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/,
seems to be taking more of an interest in tackling the problem of
smoking in public places than Westminster ever did. After all,
the proportion of Scots who smoke is about 1/3 more than for
England (33% vs 25%), however this didn't stop Westminster
ignoring the issue and talking out bills. In Scotland though,
Hugh Henry Grant MSP sits on the parliament's Health Committee as
well as the subcommittee on tobacco and announced Summer 99 that
he wanted to see legislation to restrict smoking in public places.
We look forward to something being done (for a change). Stewart
Maxwell MSP has also recently introduced a bill to ban smoking
where food is served. The Scottish Executive also seems very keen
on a ban after having a public consultation on the matter and
receiving far more correspondence on this than any other consultation
to date.
More info on legislation to introduce a ban on smoking in public places
in Scotland here:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2004/11/10144025
Q-HTML V3.1 by Craig Cockburn created this page on 04-Jun-2005 at 20:52:19