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Nightlife

Bars and pubs typically sell two kinds of beer: lager is light in color, very carbonated, and served cold, while ale is dark, less fizzy, and served just below room temperature. You may also come across a pub serving "real ales" or "craft beers," which are very flavorful beers from smaller breweries. Both traditional real ale and innovatively crafted brews have a fervent following; check out the Campaign for Real Ale's website, www.camra.org.uk.

You can order Scotland's most famous beverage—whisky (most definitely spelled without an e)—at any local pub. All pubs serve single-malt and blended whiskies. It's also possible to tour numerous distilleries, where you can sample a dram and purchase a bottle. Most distilleries are concentrated in Speyside and Islay, but there are notable ones on Orkney and Skye. In recent years a new breed of craft gin producers have opened stills, many producing small batches of botanically infused tipples and offering tours, tastings, and lessons.

The legal drinking age in Scotland is 18.