One of the oldest pubs in Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park, The Black Bull is thought to be nearly 300 years old.
Manager Kitti Kovacs said: “For nearly three centuries the pub has been a big part of community life.
“From its early days as a drover’s inn, filled with farmers taking their cattle to market, to its heyday as a Inn and hotel in the 1800’s – when tourists, fuelled by the romantic novels of Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson, flocked to the Trossachs.
“It remains popular to this day, with the community buying the pub in 2019 and restoring it for generations to come.”
She added: “In summer try an aperitif in our beatiful beer garden and in winter pull up a chair next to the roaring fire and enjoy a wee dram or two.”
During the Second World War Gartmore was home to AW25, the largest munitions dump in Scotland, with soldiers billeted in and around the village.
Kitti explained: “The Ministry of Defence installed a secret telephone under the bar known only to the landlord.
“When the phone rang, the landlord would run upstairs and sound a hidden siren to alert the villagers that the Luftwaffe were about to attack.”
It’s not just the ownership of the inn that’s local, the menu is too.
Kitti said: “We pride ourselves on serving delicious homemade food and source our ingredients as locally as possible. We also have a great selection of local whiskies!”
She added: “Our Bar also a home for local musicians, like Ab Trad who play here regularly.”
With a roaring fire, friendly staff and beautiful bedrooms, it’s no surprise the Black Bull made it to the final of Best Community Pub in Scotland in 2021.
Black Bull
Main Street,
Gartmore,
FK8 3RW
01877 382054
07709 048436
