For most Britons, ”going to the pub” is usually as simple as taking a walk, driving a short distance, or catching a bus. It’s a different matter if your destination is The Old Forge in Inverie, Scotland, which has been recognized by Guinness World Records as “the most remote pub in mainland Britain.”
Located on the southern coast of the Knoydart Peninsula in an area of the Scottish Highlands nicknamed the “highlands of the Highlands,” there are several ways to get to Inverie, but none of them are easy. Arriving by sea is perhaps the simplest; there are moorings for private boats, or you can catch the sea ferry from the port of Mallaig. Another option is by helicopter—though you won't be permitted to land in the village of Inverie itself.
If you want to arrive by car, you’re out of luck. The road runs out long before you get to Inverie, so you’ll need to embark on a serious hike to get to The Old Forge. The shortest route is an 18-mile hike from Kinloch Hourn. Alternatively, you can start at Glenfinnan, but then you’ll be looking at a 28-mile trek.
It seems like a lot of effort to get to a pub (even one that serves lunch and dinner and often puts on live music), but for the adventurous and outdoorsy, it’s the perfect excuse to undertake a major expedition. The two-day hike from Kinloch Hourn involves tracing the banks of often-boggy Loch Hourn and summiting Mam Barrisdale (elevation 1,476 feet, or 450 m), before making your way down to Inverie Bay. Many hikers spend the night at the Barrisdale Bothy, a basic shelter with wooden bunks that is free for anyone to use.
Fancy a pint?
- The Old Forge has seen its fortunes reversed in recent years. Following a dismal period in which it was closed for half the year, it reopened in April 2022 after a community buyout. Ninety shareholders (around 75% of the entire Knoydart population) banded together to save the pub, giving the residents of the peninsula not only a year-round destination for a pint but also a permanent place to connect with their neighbors.
- Having a gathering place is particularly important in such a remote and sparsely populated region. Inverie is the only major settlement on the Knoydart Peninsula, where there are no streetlights and no cell phone reception. While there are seven miles of paved roads, they don’t connect to the mainland road network.
- Some of the beers on tap at The Old Forge are made right down the street in a building that formerly housed St. Agatha’s Chapel, now home to Inverie's Knoydart Brewery.
