The Scotch Piper, Lydiate

The Scotch Piper

A sunny Saturday afternoon saw us heading towards Lydiate and the oldest pub in Lancashire, the Scotch Piper. The name of the pub comes from the local legend that an injured Highland piper from Bonnie Prince Charlie's Jacobite uprising of 1745 was left behind at the pub to have his wounds tended to; he recovered and eventually married the landlord's daughter.

The pub is certainly old enough: the date AD 1320 is displayed outside, and it looks suitably ancient with its white walls and thatched roof. Inside there are three rooms in a row with traditional black wooden beams, low ceilings, whitewashed walls, and a roaring fire in winter. The tiny bar, about four feet long, is in the room to the left as you enter; you reach the other two rooms through a short corridor to the right.

They serve three real ales: the regular Piper 1320 Ale brewed specially for the pub by Marstons's, plus two changing guests, which when we visited were Otter Spring and Deliverance: we tried them all and found them nicely kept.

Special events at the pub include an acoustic folk session every Thursday evening and an open mike night on Saturday evenings. Wednesday is biker night when as many as four hundred bikers can converge on the pub.

Features of the pub include Wi-Fi, a car park and a beer garden, and the pub is both family and dog friendly, although the small size of the rooms might make it uncomfortable for children at busy times.

The pub is on Southport Road (A5147), Lydiate, L31 4HD, and is served by the 300 bus service. Tel.: 0151 526 2207. Opening Times: Monday-Tuesday 3.30 to 11.00; Wednesday-Thursday 1.00 to 11.00; Friday 1.00 to 11.30; Saturday 12.00 to 11.30; Sunday 12.00 to 11.00.

This is part of a series of articles that I am writing for the CAMRA column in our local paper, the Southport Visiter. Previous reviews are here.