Alechemy

Alechemy is a working brewery just outside Newbridge, west of Edinburgh, where you can watch beer being made and taste what comes out the other end. The space feels properly industrial - all gleaming tanks and the kind of hum you get from serious fermentation equipment - but they've managed not to make it sterile or boring.

You'll spend a good hour here if you're into the craft side of things. They do tours if you book ahead, and the tasting room lets you sample their range without committing to a pint you won't finish. The beers are solid Edinburgh stock - nothing too experimental, which is refreshing when half the breweries in Scotland are trying to reinvent the wheel.

It's the sort of place that works best if you already like beer. Kids will get bored after fifteen minutes, though teenagers keen on how things are made might stick around longer. Groups work well here; you're encouraged to linger and chat rather than shuffle through in forty minutes.

If you're staying at Linwater Caravan Park nearby, it's a straightforward drive and worth the detour on a quieter afternoon. Don't expect wine bars or fancy brunch - this is functional and honest, which is exactly what Edinburgh's beer scene needed. Call ahead to check tour times, as they're not always running.