A tiny Scottish village with a population of just 60 people is home to the UK’s “best pub”.
Easdale, in the island of the same name which is located in Scotland’s Slate Islands, has no vehicular access and regularly hosts stone skimming contests.
But the island’s main gem is its award-winning Puffer Bar and restaurant which despite the fact it can only be reached by boat from nearby Ellennabeich has been named among the UK’s best boozers.
The pub offers dishes such as venison salami toasties and fish goujon sandwiches as well as a wide variety of alcohol.
Easdale used to be an important slate-quarrying centre, but now it has become well known for being home to the World Stone Skimming Championships, which take place every September.
The competition has been running since 1983 and has attracted up to 300 competitors during busy years, but it has come under threat in recent years with the owner of the slate quarry it is held in demanding a £1,000 fee for its use, which was paid by the local Press and Journal newspaper.
Easdale’s tourist board also champions the Easdale Island Museum, guided seaweed foraging, ‘seafari’ adventures, kayaking, and local fishing, much of which is funnelled straight into island eateries.
Donald Melville, who has lived on the island for more than 30 years says its community is stronger due to the small population.
He told Business Insider: “You just get involved in things. The smaller the community, the more people get involved. The community is very open to anyone coming in and joining and helping out.”
In recent years the island has seen a growing tourism trade, with its two bed and breakfasts and two restaurants serving visitors from around the world.
But Mr Melville says tourists often get confused at the scale of island life.
He told the same paper: “They walk down to the ferry, and when it arrives they say, ‘When does the ferry get here?’
“And they’ll look at this 21-foot open boat with seats on it, and the ferryman says, ‘this is the ferry’.”
