Brewery of the Day: Belhaven

Sitting among the barley fields of East Lothian, just outside Dunbar, Scotland’s oldest working brewery has been doing its thing since 1719. More than 300 years later, the beer is still brewed right there using local water, malted barley and Belhaven’s own yeast. There are even ancient cellars on the site linked to the Benedictine monks who brewed in Dunbar centuries ago. That’s a fair bit of brewing history beneath your feet before you’ve even ordered a pint.

And what we love about Belhaven is that its beers are so unmistakably Scottish. This is the land of 80 Shilling – or “80 bob” if you prefer – alongside stouts, IPAs and the hugely popular Belhaven Best. There’s a brilliant sense of place about it all: a brewery on the Scottish coast, surrounded by some of the country’s finest barley-growing land, still producing beers with the malty, characterful flavours generations of Scottish drinkers have enjoyed. Yet there’s plenty for a new generation to discover too.

Better still, Belhaven is getting properly stuck into Cask Ale Week, with participating pubs offering CAMRA members 25% off cask during the promotion. So whether you already know your 80/- from your Wee Heavy or the world of Scottish ale is completely new territory, this seems a very good week to investigate. Find a handpull, order yourself a pint and raise a glass to more than three centuries of Scottish brewing. Slàinte!

Discover more: Visit Belhaven Brewery and explore the story of Scotland’s oldest working brewery.