Fife village pub named best in Scotland in CAMRA's Pub of the Year 2024

The Hillend Tavern has been named as the best pub in Scotland as the contest reveals its finalists from the UK’s nations and regions.

The community-focused village pub, near Dalgety Bay, previously won the Regional Scotland and Northern Ireland Pub of the Year award in 2023, and now it’s achieved further success in 2024.

Locally known as ‘the Tav’, the pub has a friendly and welcoming atmosphere with cosy coal fires. Its traditional bar serves four changing cask beers and there’s a spacious area at the rear which is used to host village events.

The Hillend Tavern proudly support and sponsors local sports team including cricket, football and squash.

Pubs in the annual competition are scored on their atmosphere, decor, welcome, service, inclusivity, overall impression and quality of live beer, real cider and perry.

The regional and national finalists – including the Fife pub – will now compete for the UK National Pub of the Year award.

Judges are set to whittle the 17 pubs down to just four in late September with the overall winner being announced in January.

Andrea Briers, national coordinator for the Pub of the Year competition, said: “These amazing pubs really are the crème de la crème and I would encourage the public to seek out the 17 winners from across the nations and regions of the UK – they are top-tier pubs serving excellent beer, cider and perry, run by welcoming, hardworking staff.

"It’s also important to support your local all year round. With constant pressure from stubbornly high energy prices, fluctuating running costs and grossly unfair business rates threatening to drown pubs across the UK, it’s vital to get out and support the licensed trade.”