Traveling Scotland and Ireland Sober: Pubs, Guinness 0.0 and 95 Miles of Adventure

Ok, Ireland and Scotland may not statistically hold the records for drunkest countries in the world, but they both definitely have cultures steeped in fermented barley. When my husband and I started planning a trip to honor our heritage, I didn’t give much thought to how alcohol would impact our vacation. The hubster, a proud Scottish ginger, loves his Islay whiskey…but he’s a normy and I was solid in my sobriety when we met, so it’s never been an issue in the least. Given my outdoorsy spirit, I was much more enthralled by the various wonders nature had developed when continental shelves collided in the region hundreds of millions of years ago. I wanted to see it all, from Arthur’s Seat to the Cliffs of Moher.

When we arrived in Edinburgh, though, I began wondering about how other people in recovery would perceive these lands of excess. The topic of alcohol does, in fact, come up quite often in touristy activities. We heard the story of how the term “shit-faced” came about no less than four times during our 5-day stay in Scotland.

Edinburgh, or Ol’ Reekie as they call it, had limited space for residential expansion within its walls during the 15^th and 16^th centuries – forcing construction of tall, wooden apartment-like buildings in town. Without plumbing, the residents of the top floors were too lazy to take their poop buckets down to the street, so they would holler a warning (“Gardyloo!”) and then throw their waste out the window. To prevent crap from flying at all hours of the day, the city required buckets to be dumped after 10pm. If a drunken sap was walking home and heard the warning cry from above, he was often too spaced-out to understand what was happening and prone to look up out of curiosity. I’m sure you can guess what happened next and how the term was born.

Since hubs and I do like to sink into the local cuisine while travelling, I started perusing the NA sections of menus to find pairings for my fish n’ chips and ale pies. My very first selection, a Stewarts Scot Free Lager available at The Royal Mile Tavern, was an absolute delight and turned out to be my favorite beer of the trip. It was crisp and smooth, with subtle notes of citrus – a perfect accompaniment to the unusually warm weather Scotland was touting this summer. Another unexpected pleasure was the Braes o Gowrie Sparkling Elderflower Wine I tried at The Whiskey Experience. Beginning with an earthy aroma, it shifts to floral notes on the tongue, with a subtle sparkle in the front and a syrupy finish in the back of the throat.   

In Ireland, it’s hard to ignore the historical significance of Guinness. We took the obligatory self-guided tour of the famous St. James Gate Brewery (with its 9,000-year lease), and wow am I glad we did. The breakdown of Guinness’ ingredients and process was fascinating, as was the stroll through marketing displays of the iconic harp, the toucan and ostrich, and the most recent campaign broadcasting Guiness 0.0. In my husband’s humble opinion (having tried every single NA concoction I’ve ordered over several years), the Guiness 0.0 is the most accurate representation of the original beer on the shelves or tap. If I’m remembering my drinking days correctly, I can’t hardly argue – the 0.0 version is smooth and dark, with coffee and cocoa notes on the fore of the tongue, and then a slight hoppy bitterness in the back. Guinness caps its tour with a free draft in the Gravity Bar atop their 7-story building. I sipped my 0.0 while we rested our feet and took in the panoramic view of Dublin.   

Bearing in mind that I have zero experience as a Cicerone, below is my list of all the other NA drinks I explored during the trip, the associated pub/restaurant that offered them, and a brief description of my reaction (if any).

SCOTLAND

• Menabrea Zero Zero at Copper Still – bitey with some hints of pine and apple
• Guinness 0.0 at The Ensign Ewart – see above
• Thatchers Cider Zero at The World’s End – crisp, light, and appley
• Proper Job 0.5% IPA at Greyfriars Bobby’s Bar – bitter and acrid nose with a tart and piney flavor

IRELAND

• Bulmers Zero Cider at O’connell’s – very light and crisp with a barely perceptible flavor
• Not A Gin & Tonic made with Gordon’s Alcohol Free Gin at Gallagher’s Boxty House – true to flavor
• Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0 at Oliver St. John Gogarty – light and thin, with very subtle hoppy taste at the end
• Heineken 0.0 at The Temple Bar – it is what it is
• Kopparberg Strawberry & Lime Alcohol-Free at Brannigan’s Pub -– very crisp with soft sparkly bubbles, light refreshing strawberry flavor with a citrus tartness at the back of the throat
• Kopparberg Mixed Fruit Alcohol-Free at Wrights Findlater in Howth – same refreshing sparkle with berry heavy fruit flavor and a hint of mint
• Birra Moretti Zero at MV Cill Airne Boat Bar & Restaurant – crisp and light lager with a moderate amount of saltiness and a hoppy flavor on the back end

In addition to the immense offerings of NA beverages, the number of sights and experiences we managed to capture during an 11-day journey was astonishing. I totaled my Fitbit’s calculations of miles walked for the entire vacation and gasped at the number 95! Below is a list of those adventures, but there are many, many more to be discovered in the British Isles.

SCOTLAND

• Edinburgh’s Underground Vaults
• The Three Sisters mountain ridges
• Highland Coos (long-horn, shaggy cattle)
• Loch Ness
• Rosslyn Chapel
• Melrose Abbey
• Arthur’s Seat
• The Elephant House (Edinburgh café where JK Rowling wrote Harry Potter)
• Greyfriars Kirkyard (“Harry Potter” graveyard)
• The Royal Mile
• Edinburgh Castle
• Duone Castle (Monty Python & The Holy Grail film site)
• Scott’s View (Sir Walter Scott’s favorite vista in the Borderlands)
• Royal Yacht Britannia

IRELAND

• Giant’s Causeway
• Trinity College / The Book of Kells
• Belfast
• Ha’ Penny Bridge – there is a history of love locks, but the city officially requests no more be added 😉
• Molly Malone Statue
• Dublin Famine Memorial
• St. Patrick’s Cathedral
• Aillwee Cave
• Cliffs of Moher
• Howth (scenic coastal fishing village)
• Cill Airne (floating restaurant & bar)
• Music Pub Crawl (focus on traditional Irish music and its culture)

Want to learn more about the amazing tour services we used? Check out Rabbie’s in Scotland or Irish Day Tours in Ireland.

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SOBER TRAVEL – WHAT A TRIP!  is The Sober Curator’s guide to exploring the world alcohol-free. From insider travel tips and honest destination reviews to our curated Sober Retreats Calendar, we help you plan trips that are fun, fulfilling, and booze-free. Whether your jet-setting overseas or planning a weekend getaway, our stories and resources prove that sober travel is anything but boring. Looking for a sober getaway? We’ve got your back with our Sober Retreat Calendar. Need a night out on the town? Check out our Sober Events Calendar. 

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