please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Good news. After years in the wilderness the Clachnaharry, on recent evidence, has returned to being a decent pub. It is cosy, dog-friendly and has good staff and decent ale. The menu (not sampled on my visit last month) seems to have returned to the sort of sensible fare that you might expect a pub kitchen to do well.
Which is a great relief, since it is a charming old inn in an excellent location. Here's hoping it lasts.
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A nice enough old pub by the start of the Caledoniian Canal about a mile or two out of Inverness. They had a few local brews on - some were a bit on the sweet side for my taste. Although it isn't anything special as far as the interior is concerned it does have the kind of feel to it where you want to have another pint there.
anonymous - 6 Nov 2012 18:06 |
I visited this pub again last week after many years seems ok, beer was good, shame one was GK IPA, didnt try the food, seemed friendly enough. Liked the log burning stoves.
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First visit to Inverness and this pub so no idea of the history of landlords etc.
Visited on saturday with the intention of having a couple of pints and moving on.
Stayed for 5 pints of Orkney Dark Island which was served in perfect condition.Food was of excellent quality ,filling and happy with the prices.Good mix of locals and tourists and an attentive landlord.Spectacular views from the back of the pub.Would highly recommend
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So depressing. The man who used to run this as a pub with excellent ale and honest pub food in honest portions now has the Castle Tavern in Inverness. However you prefer to spell Beaulieu (sorry, couldn't resist) you may find the Castle a safer bet.
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We had just finished a boating holiday on the Caledonian Canal and were looking for a nice final meal. Found the details for this place in the brochures left on the boat and as it was close, decided to give it a try. I should have been on my guard when I noticed that they had spelled Beauly wrong (they like it better as Beaully) and I wish I had followed my instincts. Two of our party had the mussels in wine sauce. The sauce was runny and sharp, no bread or anything else accompanied the meal and there was only a maximum of 13 small (very small) mussels in the bowl � 20+ shells though! This naturally enough left them still extremely hungry and very, very disappointed at paying nearly �8 (62 pence a mussel) whilst having to leave the inedible sauce in the bowl. I had what was described as a steak and kidney pudding. It was so small (although the plate was enormous) that it was hard to imagine how both steak and kidney could manage to fit inside the minute pudding. When cut into, I found that the dilemma had been solved by simply not bothering with the kidney. For that matter the �chef� had not bothered with the taste either as it was totally bland although the pastry was claggy and soggy to complement the filling. For some bizarre reason the �chef� thought that the addition of 3 potato crisps on the top of the pudding would somehow enhance it � it didn�t! This dish was accompanied by 2 baby onions and a baby carrot. A side dish of �potato� that resembled (and tasted) like baby food was also provided to keep in the spirit of things I suppose. All this for a bargain price of almost �11. We complained of course and to his credit the landlord knocked �14 off our total bill -which coincidentally was just enough to buy the chips etc. from a good chip shop in town that we needed because we all left the place absolutely famished! This is a pub that should try sticking to being a pub. All it needs to do is serve good pub food. If it wants a Michelin star (which it will never get with the quality of its current food) then it should stop trying to be a real ale pub and have a decent re-fit. This place was truly dreadful and the worst value for money that I have encountered in a long time. Unless you like pretentious food or want to somehow pretend that you are a taster in Masterchef then do yourself a favour � have a nice pint then go and buy yourself some fish and chips.
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I visited about the time that timplatt was adding his most recent post. Maybe things were still in a state of flux after a recent change at the helm. But on that one Saturday night it was a disaster area. No-one was eating: the 'lounge' (to the right as you face the pub from the street) was in darkness. One customer, still being served, was so helplessly intoxicated that when he fell over he failed - narrowly - to land his ass in the fire. We left just before 19:00, at which point only 7 (seven) customers remained. It was unrecognisable as the place that I originally scored 9 (and I don't award 10's). I'll be in the Highland capital City again soon, and may, or may not, have better news.
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STOP PRESS!!!
All change at the Clachnaharry, still selling excellent ale,Officious Landlady gone as have the plastic glasses,new menu afoot so watch this space.
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I have been going to the Clachnaharry for 16 years, perhaps once a month and the beer's good. However, I was there this evening supporting two young people with very mild disabilities who were hoping to have a pleasant meal. The landlady/owner made us feel very unwelcome, talking about us to her staff and being generally sour-faced. I have to say that the staff, who have been there for years, were very welcoming and pleasant. The beer may be good but this miserable woman is driving customers away.
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Attractive pub on the outskirts of inverness, usually at least three real ales on generally served in good condition if not a bit overpriced. The food is cheap but dissapointing. Has a terraced decking area at the rear affording lovely views across the Beauly Firth totally ruined by the plastic glasses that one has to drink from if you want to be outside.(health and safety the officious sign says).Very difficult to pop into for a drink if you have a child in tow as children are not allowed in the public bar (rightly so) but you are not welcome in the lounge bar for a drink unless you are dining even if it's empty.
This pub used to be a gem but has gone down hill a bit since it's change of ownership in 2007.
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Recently visited here again for curiosity's sake. The beer, it has to be said, is well looked after but, like everywhere else in Inverness, has become a bit expensive. It certainly isn't as busy as it used to be. Could be a sign of the times or the way its run these days - difficult to say. As long as the beer is good I'll keep visiting.
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I tend to agree with rwmarsh and copnorsteve in that this pub has a reputation it doesn't deserve any more. The beer I had was OK and the food was good. The TV screens were really annoying and the service was indifferent, though.
I am told that the previous landlord is now in the Castle Tavern in Inverness, which could explain why that pub is now much better than this one. I would go back for both the food and the beer, but there are better places nearby.
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I tend to agree with rwmarsh and copnorsteve in that this pub has a reputation it doesn't deserve any more. The beer I had was OK and the food was good. The TV screens were really annoying and the service was indifferent, though.
I am told that the previous landlord is now in the Castle Tavern in Inverness, which could explain why that pub is now much better than this one. I would go back for both the food and the beer, but there are better places nearby.
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Recently visited this very pretty pub to sample their ale and fayre. Arrived at 8.20pm to eat and were told that the kitchen was not accepting anymore orders despite being told food was served until 9.00pm. Whilst sat having a drink we were in fact happy at having not ordered. The food looked quite poor ... fast food and people were waiting ages for it. When chatting with the locals we were told that there had been a change in manager and that in their opinion the Pub had gone down hill particularly with respect to the food. We were disappointed.
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Went to this pub as it had such good write-ups both on here and the Good Beer Guide. Had a decent couple of pints of Three Sisters, but not sure it was worth the trip out of town - ok but not brilliant.
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Very friendly pub with excellent choice of real ale's. Has won awards over the years for its quality. Food is excellent value and well worth the trip out of town. Highly recommened.
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There is nothing wrong with the Clachnaharry despite the concerns expressed earlier. It remains the finest pub in Inverness, and food and ale were in top form on 11 November. Leffe has gone, replaced by Hoegaarden. Otherwise it was cosy, friendly and busy.
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On 19 August it was very much business as usual. Yes, there do seem to be more taps offering fizz, including the appalling Belhaven 'Best', but also draught Leffe. And there were eight real ales on offer, from 3.8% to 5%. Mostly the same staff, virtually unchanged menu. This place might actually survive at its previous excellent standard, at least until the rent review. Don't be put off meantime. I'll be back in November to see how things are going.
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The former owner (who has leased it back from Belhaven) insists "we are going further forward with the real ale market....I can confirm , NO CHANGE"
Watch this space. I will visit on 19 August and report further.
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Sadly this pub has gone backwards , having just been sold to a major brewery . Real ale has started to dry up , and the fizzy stuff has started to flow . I will not be back anytime soon .
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Plenty of real ale (7 varieties on my visit), many of which were new to me. There is a choice of seating accommodation, although of course the great outdoors is now the smoking area. Food is substantial and tasty. Buses from the city centre stop outside the pub. Highly recommended for the beer alone, but a pleasant establishment for all.
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Arguably the best pub in the city of Inverness . Good food and very good beer . A good choice of real ale , never less than 3 , and i have visited this pub a number of times .
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Tremendous pub on all counts - and in particular a real eye opener to all those who say there is no demand for real ale in Scotland. Try the Kelburn Red Smiddy if you get the chance
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Superb Pub with exquisite views over the Beauly Firth. A fine choice of Ales, Single Malts and good home cooked food make this one of the best Pubs i've been to in a while. If you're staying in Inverness take the Canal side walk. It only takes 20 minutes and you'll be able to slake your thirst when you've finished!!
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Very good pub indeed, and there's a fairly decent bus service from the City Centre. Great view over the Firth. Legendary fire in winter. Beer, staff and food exemplary. Very child friendly. A must if you're anywhere near Inverness.
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Absolutely fantastic pub - I was at their beer festival over the weekend and you can see why they have won so many awards! Tremendous beer, great hom-made food at a reasonable price and abover all, the friendliest staff I have come across. A real gem of a place, well worth the visit.
exPat - 4 Oct 2004 19:48 |
Fantastic boozer just on the outskirts of Inverness. Loads of Real Ale, CAMRA pub of the year for 4 years. Food very reasonable and good prices. First ever beer festival being held end Sept/beg of October. Friendly staff/locals - what else do you want?
quizman - 28 Sep 2004 17:43 |
