The Steam Packet Inn in the Dumfries and Galloway village of Isle of Whithorn has been named Scotland's best pub in the 2026 Pub of the Year competition. The seaside venue will now compete against 15 other regional winners to be crowned the National Pub of the Year in January 2027.
The regional winners were revealed on Thursday, August 27, with champions crowned in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and regions of England. The annual awards are organised by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) to highlight the best pubs across the UK.
What the winning inn offers
The Steam Packet Inn is a food and drink venue overlooking the nearby harbour, offering up to seven beers from its in-house brewery Five Kingdoms plus one guest beer. The bar features stone walls and a multi-fuel stove, creating a cosy and comfortable atmosphere.
The inn also serves inventive dishes and pub classics made with locally sourced, seasonal ingredients. The menu includes traditional fish and chips, Galloway fish pie, Drambuie smoked sea trout, and Five Kingdoms ham and eggs.
Other regional winners
The regional winner for Wales is Mold Alehouse in Mold, and for Northern Ireland it is the Dog and Duck Inn in Lisbellaw. English regional winners include Cockpit in Chislehurst for London, Turks Head in St. Helens for Merseyside and Cheshire, and the Countryman's Inn in Hunton for Yorkshire.
Pub of the Year competition coordinator Andrea Briers said: "We have a formidable top 16 this year, with both familiar faces and some first-time winners in the mix. Behind each one is a deserving and hard-working team, running an amazing pub for their local community, and serving brilliant cask beer."
Call for support and lower beer duty
Briers added: "Please make the most of this bank holiday weekend by showing your support for the UK’s amazing pubs. You never know, you might pick one that ends up a winner next year."
CAMRA Chairman Ash Corbett-Collins said: "CAMRA’s Pub of the Year competition highlights the very best that the UK has to offer, but unfortunately, it’s much more common that licensees are struggling with day-to-day trading. The new Prime Minister and Chancellor have the power to change that. With the next UK Budget coming up, they should take action to lower draught beer duty and VAT, to deliver a Budget for beer drinkers and publicans."
The full list of 2026 regional winners includes Railway Arms in Saffron Walden (East Anglia), Malt Shovel Tavern in Northampton (East Central), Railway Inn in Ketton (East Midlands), Cockpit in Chislehurst (Greater London), Turks Head in St. Helens (Merseyside and Cheshire), Olde Cross in Old Ryton Village (North East), Northumberland Arms in Marple Bridge (North West), Dog & Duck Inn in Lisbellaw (Northern Ireland), Steam Packet Inn in Isle of Whithorn (Scotland), Bell in Waltham St Lawrence (South Central), Nelson Arms in Tonbridge (South East), Fallen Tree in Clevedon (South West), Mold Alehouse in Mold (Wales), Alma Inn in Linton (West Central), Tamworth Tap in Tamworth (West Midlands), and Countryman's Inn in Hunton (Yorkshire).
