Top 5 Ale Trails in the UK - Scenic Train-Based Pub Crawls for Beer Lovers

Ale trails in the UK are essentially scenic pub-crawl routes that combine countryside hikes or train rides with visits to historic pubs. In practice, they are often set up by local rail partnerships or CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) to boost rural tourism. By encouraging visitors to hop on a train or bus and stop off at village pubs, these trails keep local breweries and taverns thriving. As the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership says of its routes, you can “enjoy real ales and top food as you explore pubs on scenic branch lines” – truly a case of savouring local beer while taking in the view. In short, the UK’s ale trails and beer trails offer pub crawls UK style adventure through England, Scotland and Wales, making them some of the best beer trails the country has to offer. In each of the five routes below, travellers find a mix of well-kept ales, hearty pub fare and unforgettable landscapes.

1. Tarka Line Rail Ale Trail (Devon, England)

In Devon, the Tarka Line between Exeter and Barnstaple is a classic rail ale trail. Riders travel through gentle rolling countryside, river valleys and small villages. The route is self-guided by train: one simply boards at Exeter and hops off at stops along the way to sample local brews. The Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership markets it as a chance to “explore the scenic Tarka Line, stopping off at pubs along the way to enjoy locally brewed ales and excellent food”. In practice, highlights include several notable pubs within easy walking distance of the stations. For example, The Golden Lion Tap in Barnstaple is just a 9-minute walk from the station and serves cask ales from the local Country Life brewery. In Umberleigh (a 3-minute walk from the station) The Rising Sun is a traditional country inn “close to the railway” – perfect for a rural pint. Even the remote Portsmouth Arms (a former coaching inn in the heart of the Taw Valley) can be reached by train – albeit on a very infrequent schedule (Sunday trains only), so check the timetable before planning that stop. (Be aware that walking from Portsmouth Arms into Umberleigh on foot is strongly discouraged due to a dangerous road.)

• Golden Lion Tap (Barnstaple): Independent city pub serving Country Life Brewery real ales.

• Rising Sun (Umberleigh): Village inn just a 3-minute walk from Umberleigh station.

• Portsmouth Arms (Taw Valley): Historic coaching inn; very rural, with limited Sunday train service.

The scenery along the Tarka Line is gentle – rolling fields, wooded valleys and occasional glimpses of the Devon coast near Barnstaple. Because it’s relatively flat, the trail is suitable for families and casual walkers. Most of the featured pubs also offer food, so you can combine a pint with a pub lunch. (The Beer Engine at Newton St Cyres was originally a trail anchor, though it’s no longer operating.) In any case, this west-country trail demonstrates the classic idea of an ale trail UK – linking trains, villages and village pubs.

2. TransPennine Real Ale Trail (Northern England)

Across the Pennines in northern England, the TransPennine Real Ale Trail links industrial towns and moorland villages of Yorkshire and Lancashire. As the trail’s website exclaims, it offers “a unique voyage to a selection of Yorkshire and Lancashire’s best real ale pubs – on a train!”. In practice, the trail runs along busy passenger routes (for example, from Manchester/Stalybridge in the west, through Marsden and Huddersfield, east to Dewsbury and beyond). All pubs on this trail are located literally “a stone’s throw” from the stations – so you can hop off at one stop, grab a pint, then hop on the next train.

For instance, popular stops include The Stalybridge Buffet Bar & Beerhouse (built in the old station hotel), The Station Inn at Marsden, and village pubs in Slaithwaite and Dewsbury. (The trail’s own site reminds readers that “finding your way [to each pub] couldn’t be easier – all the pubs are within a stone’s throw of their respective railway stations”.) Each of these pubs typically offers a line-up of guest and local ales, reflecting nearby breweries. Travellers often explore this ale trail from east to west or vice versa; one example itinerary might be Stalybridge → Marsden → Slaithwaite → Huddersfield → Dewsbury, with about 5–10 miles of rail.

The TransPennine route is scenic in its own way: trains roar through the Pennine hill country, including the Standedge Tunnel (England’s highest railway tunnel) at over 1200 feet altitude. Off-peak trains run frequently, so you can easily pace the crawl without a car. Between pints, you’ll enjoy rolling moorlands (on a clear day you can even see distant peaks) and the character of Northern market towns. All told, this trail is a true pub crawl UK experience by rail – blending rustic pubs with dramatic Yorkshire/Lancashire scenery.

3. Snowdonia Real Ale Trail (North Wales)

In Wales, the Snowdonia Real Ale Trail is a very different style: a one-day moving beer festival by shuttle bus. It runs in summer through Snowdonia National Park, from mountains to coast. Riders can board special minibuses (often timed to match trains at Blaenau Ffestiniog) and hop off at village pubs that serve Welsh real ales. As the organisers boast, travelling “through the stunning towns and villages of Snowdonia National Park, some say the Snowdonia Real Ale Trail is the most beautiful of all our trails.”

The bus runs roughly from the slate town of Blaenau Ffestiniog down to the seaside town of Criccieth, stopping at pubs along the way. Stops include Llanfrothen, Tremadog and Talsarnau, among others. In practice one might get on at Porthmadog (or Ffestiniog) and ride all the way to Criccieth, sampling ales at multiple pubs. Each pub on this trail guarantees at least three real ales (often including brews from Welsh microbreweries like Purple Moose and Cwrw Llyn). For example, you’ll often find Purple Moose Brewery taps in Porthmadog, and the picturesque Tremadog Square has a pub with a line-up of local ciders and ales.

Because it’s bus-based, you don’t need to worry about driving – and the scenery doesn’t disappoint. The trail winds between Snowdon’s peaks, through wooded valleys and beside craggy lakes, then drops to coastal views on Cardigan Bay. Riders describe it as a festival atmosphere on wheels – a “day out with good friends, locally brewed ales and smashing pubs”. Even if you aren’t on the organised bus, you can replicate parts of this trail by driving or taking local buses between mountain pubs. Either way, Wales’s brew trail highlights rural hospitality and the best of Cwplands scenery – an ale crawl through Snowdonia’s peaks, following the rule that you “bring along great friends” to sample local ales.

4. Ambleside Ale Trail (Lake District, England)

The Lake District offers a more leisurely foot-based ale trail around Ambleside. In 2018, a local pub owner and CAMRA devised an 11‑mile pub walk that links some of the most beloved taverns in Langdale valley. The route starts at the Salutation Hotel in Ambleside (a Best Western inn) and leads hikers up into the fells, then down past rivers and waterfalls to the Langdale villages. As one travel writer put it, it “allows guests to wander straight out into the hills and head to the pub, no car required”. The emphasis is on stunning scenery – crossing Loughrigg Fell and following the River Brathay – and on classic Lakeland pubs along the way.

Key stops on this walk include:

• The Talbot Bar (Skelwith Bridge): An 18th-century inn with wide fireplaces. (The trail’s creator notes that as soon as walkers crest a hill they see “the pub,” and sure enough “The Talbot Bar in Skelwith Bridge is within striking distance”.) It’s known for its Talbot Taster flight of ales and old wooden beams.

• The Three Shires Inn (Little Langdale): Quaint country pub with an extensive ale selection. The Independent notes that here “the ale selection…puts the best city boozers to shame”, featuring rare local brews (even exclusive cask ales).

• Wainwright’s Inn (Great Langdale): A 17th-century farmhouse inn named after the famous walker Alfred Wainwright. It sports hand-painted signage in Wainwright’s handwriting and a long bar of casks; one travelogue says its “huge selection of ales” keeps walkers lingering by the hearth.

• Britannia Inn (Elterwater): The final pub at the trail’s lower end. Cosy and popular, it offers lakeside views and hearty food. As the walks author puts it, arriving here felt like a reward – after an hour by the fire, they enjoyed a pint of Britannia Inn Gold in the snug.

These pubs are nestled between Ambleside and Coniston, so most hikers simply walk from inn to inn. The total route, covering roughly 11 miles, is well-waymarked (the Ambleside Salutation provides a free map). It’s strenuous in parts (up over High Tilberthwaite, down past Colwith Force waterfall), but the joy is alternating hillwalking with pub comfort. As one observer noted, this ale trail’s charm is in bringing “fresh air and stunning countryside” together with local pubs – all without needing to drive. In sum, the Ambleside Ale Trail is a superb way to spend a day exploring Lakeland: you end at the pub and your shoes literally come off in the bar of the Salutation.

5. Fife Coastal Pub Crawl (Scotland)

Scotland’s entry on our list is the Fife Coastal path “pub crawl” – a coastal walk through the Kingdom of Fife that conveniently connects several classic inns. Unlike the rail ale trails, this one is done on foot along the sea. A popular segment is from Pittenweem to Elie (about 6 miles) along the Fife Coastal Path. This shoreline trail passes the tiny harbour of St Monans, crumbling castles and dunes. After the walk, you arrive in Elie – where the pub crawl truly begins at The Ship Inn. The Ship is a traditional harbourside pub, and a visit guide notes it has “stunning views over Elie Bay”. In fact, the Scotsman recommends this pub as the perfect end to the coastal ramble.

Other pubs along Fife’s coast complement the journey. For instance, near the start in Pittenweem you’ll find the Halfway Inn and Haggis Bar with fresh seafood. Farther on, the village of Anstruther (a short bus ride from Elie) has the famed Dreel Tavern on the waterfront. And if you continue north, the historic Dykes of Gray pub sits beside a castle in Crail. One could easily string these together into a full-day ale trail on foot or with bus links. Notably, the Fife walk is one of Scotland’s “stunning pub walks” listed by VisitScotland, combining coastal views with cosy inns.

Because this route uses the road and path network, there’s no official stamp or ticket scheme – but it checks all the boxes of an ale trail. In sum, Scotland’s best “beer trail” isn’t on rails but on the shore: wide skies, sea breeze, old stone inns and pints of Scottish ale. As one travel piece put it, such walks let you hike scenic paths and then reward yourself at pubs with everything from live music to local ales – in this case with “stunning views over Elie Bay” at The Ship Inn.

Overall: Each of these five routes shows a different side of UK pub culture. The common thread is an emphasis on local character: real ales brewed nearby, historic taverns, and landscapes (whether moors, mountains or seashores) that you can only truly appreciate at a leisurely pub-crawl pace. Whether you call it a rail ale trail, a pub crawl, or a beer hike, all these trails share the goal of bringing beer lovers into the countryside. They keep traffic out of village centres, fill trains and buses in off-peak hours, and funnel tourists into pubs they might never otherwise find. In short, they exemplify the idea that some of the best beer trails UK offers are those where the journey between pubs is just as memorable as the pints themselves. Beer lovers who try any of these routes will not only end up well-lubricated, but also with memories of truly spectacular scenery.