The Railway Inn, Carluke

Although this is, marginally, the closest pub to Carluke station, there are no other railway connections at all in terms of the décor etc. It remains, however, the only Carluke pub which offers real ale. My pint of Deuchars IPA cost £2.80 and, while not in perfect condition, was drinkable. This is probably a result of “Pub-with-one-real-ale-tap-as-fashion-statement syndrome,” where they like being known as a real ale outlet, but don’t sell very much or look after it properly. Guinness, Stella Artois, Carling and Tennent’s lagers, McEwan’s Sixty Shilling, Tennent’s Special and John Smith’s bitter are also on draught. Structurally, it’s just one large rectangular room, with a small corner section designed to look like the lounge, but which is really just a part of the bar.

Despite the name, this isn’t anywhere near the railway, which runs along the edge of the town about half a mile away. It’s a pleasant but unexceptional bar and the only one in town to sell a real ale (Deuchars IPA), which unfortunately wasn’t in the best condition. When the barmaid saw me scribbling notes for this review, she instantly became very attentive, switching on the light behind me and asking if the music was too loud or if I wanted the TV on, despite the fact that I wasn’t the only customer.