Plockton Hotel named Scotland’s best dining pub

IT IS the village that shot to fame as a location in 1970s cult film The Wicker Man and was also the home of TV policeman Hamish MacBeth.

The Plockton Hotel. Picture: Contributed

Now, the Highlands community of Plockton has yet another string to its bow to attract tourists, as its local pub was named as one of the best places to eat in Scotland.

The Plockton Hotel was today named Scotland Dining Pub of the Year in The Good Pub Guide 2013. It was praised by reviewers for its “fresh, local seafood” and its “extraordinary views” – some of which overlook the iconic palm trees past which Edward Woodward’s police sergeant patrolled in The Wicker Man.

Also singled out for praise from the industry “bible”, which lists the 4,700 best pubs across the UK, was the Bon Accord in Glasgow, named Best Whisky Pub. The Bon Accord was praised for its 350 malt whiskies and eight daily changing beers.

Alan Pearson, owner of the Plockton Hotel, which has won the Dining Pub accolade twice before, said he was “delighted”.

“When you’ve got an award like this sitting on the bar, people really recognise it and what you do,” he said.

Edinburgh’s Bow Bar and the Stein Inn on Skye were also listed as top whisky pubs, while the Fox & Hounds in Houston, previously named Scottish pub of the Year, was ranked as one of the UK’s ten best own-brew pubs.