The Lade Inn

The Lade Inn sits at Kilmahog, a mile and a half west of Callander at the junction of the A84 (north to Strathyre and Crianlarich) and the A821 (south through the Duke’s Pass to Aberfoyle). The position is the practical strong point of the operation: most Trossachs traffic passes the door, and the inn is the first pub stop for cars and motorbikes coming off either of the two trunk routes.

The bar is built around the inn’s own three exclusive cask ales, brewed for the house and not available elsewhere. The kitchen is run by Stephen Park and writes a Scottish-leaning menu around local sourcing: Highland beef, Perthshire lamb, game from the surrounding estates, and a working vegetarian list. The dining room is dog-friendly and family-friendly, which is an unusual combination for a traditional inn of this age. The garden runs to the back with a bird feeding station set up among the trees. Live folk music plays in the bar on Friday and Saturday evenings through the year.

The Scottish Real Ales shop attached to the inn is a separate listing in this guide and one of the better-known specialist drinks shops on this side of the country: a hundred and twenty real ales from twenty-six Scottish micro-breweries, with free tasting every weekend and online sales the rest of the time.

Open all year, lunch and dinner. Phone 01877 330152 or current hours at the Lade Inn website.