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You have to take a ferry or two-day hike to get to Britain’s most remote pub

You have to take a ferry or two-day hike to get to Britain’s most remote pub

This boozer is a real 'local' and requires a serious 'pub crawl'.

It's no secret that going out for a pint can sometimes feel like a mission - whether it's simply getting an evening off work or some alone time from your family.

However, you can take comfort in the knowledge that your local boozer is likely fairly nearby.

But unfortunately for pub-goers who fancy a pint in Britain's most remote mainland pub, they're going to have to seriously work for the privilege.

The Old Forge Inn may be the UK's most remote pub.
David Gowans / Alamy Stock Photo

This is because The Old Forge can only be accessed by ferry or a two-day, 18-mile hike from the settlement of Kinloch Hourn in the Scottish Highlands.

Although when you stop to think about it, we can only imagine that the drink you get at the end is all the tastier because it didn't come easy.

The Old Forge is located in the Highland village of Inverie which can be found on the southern coast of the Knoydart peninsula.

Because of its seriously remote location, it's become something of a rite of passage for outdoor lovers and is in what's known as the 'highlands of the Highlands'.

This means that you won't be making any phone calls from the pub as there's no signal that far north and the seven miles of paved road leading up to it aren't even a part of the area network.

The pub has a fire for hikers to warm their boots.
Facebook / The Old Forge

There are about 120 people living in Inverie, so it really does give a whole new meaning to the word 'local', the BBC reports.

Unfortunately, its remote location has meant that there have been times when the pub has been forced to close because of a lack of customers - with the previous owner typically shuttering the inn for six months during the winter.

Then, even when it's been open, it's been slammed in online reviews for simply being too quiet.

One read: "This place used to be jumping. Now it is like a morgue."

But thankfully, locals have taken action to make this boozer busy again - with the majority buying a stake in the pub when it went up for sale in February 2021.

The boozer has some spectacular views.
Facebook / The Old Forge

The business development manager of the Old Forge Community Benefit Society, Steph Harris, said: "Over the years, it wasn't serving the community in the way it was needed.

"The main thing was that it shut during the winter, which was massive for us. We're really tourism-based, so people are very busy in the summer, and in the winter we get the chance to spend time together again.

"But the pub would shut for six months in September or October. When it's dark and windy and horrible, you need somewhere you can go and relax, meet up with your friends, celebrate stuff together."

As a result of this desire to be sociable during the winter, locals made a makeshift bar when the pub was shut.

This was ultimately how they ended up owning a stake in the pub, which has been restored to its former glory as a real community project.

Harris said: "We've got 90 shareholders.

"That's effectively 75 percent of the local population. The response was just amazing - people were willing to put their own money into it, which was phenomenal."

The pub is situated on the Knoydart peninsula.
John Peter Photography / Alamy Stock Photo

Since the pub was sold off to its new shareholders, it's had a makeover and now looks like the Highland bar of any self-respecting pub lover's dreams.

"This is the beating heart of the village," bar manager William O'Neill said of The Old Forge.

"The atmosphere has definitely changed [since the re-opening]. We are seeing more of each other, and now have the ability to have a night out rather than stand around a fire outside in the cold and wet."

So, if you ever fancy a trip up to the highlands of the Highlands and want a pint to celebrate your efforts, it looks like you couldn't get a better spot than The Old Forge Pub.

Featured Image Credit: John Peter Photography / Alamy Stock Photo / theoldforgeknoydart/Instagram

Topics: UK News