Photo of
March 4, 2015

As March gets underway, this seems a suitable time for the 5pm Dining blog to lick its lips and look forward to some of 2015’s beer festivals.

May's party with Summerhall and Barney's Beer is one of several beer festivals over the next few weeks.
May’s party with Summerhall and Barney’s Beer is one of several beer festivals over the next few weeks.

We’ll point out a few of those happening over the next few weeks in this post and we’ll dig out festivals for the rest of the year in a future posts.

Yesterday, we mentioned The Great Scottish Beer Celebration which takes place in the Barras Art and Design Centre on the 13th and 14th of March.

Over the next couple of months, beer fans can also look forward to CAMRA beer festivals in Larbert (3rd-4th April); Paisley (22nd-25th April) and Rothes (30th April-2nd May).

Live music

In Helensburgh, the local Round Table will once again be organising the Helensburgh and Lomond Real Ale Festival. Taking place on the 15th & 16th of May, visitors are promised more than 50 different ales as well as ciders and parries.

Live music and plenty of grub will help jolly everything along.

In Edinburgh, the fourth Summerhall and Barney’s Beer Festival is pencilled in for Friday 15th and Saturday 16th May.

Street food

Local beers, guest brewers, street food and live music are all likely to make an appearance along with gin from the on-site Pickering’s distillery.

Staying in Edinburgh but switching to whisky, we’ll also mention The Whisky Stramash which will be held over the weekend beginning Saturday 23rd May.

Once again, it is being held in Surgeon’s Hall and, as ever, the event promises an innovative approach to enjoying a drink which has, at times, given the appearance of being stuffy and hidebound.

Tickets are on sale now and they tend to go fast.