When the Romans came to Britain they brought Roman Law, Roman Roads, Roman towns and….. Roman Pubs! Though they preferred wine to beer, the Romans built many tabernae - or wine shops - alongside their roads and in towns. Of course, we Scots made use of the idea and tabernae were soon selling ale to the locals. And the alehouse was born! The word Tavern is no doubt a corruption of the original Roman term.

Over the years the alehouses, and then beerhouses, became central to Scottish life. They played a pivotal roll in local communities while also providing shelter from the inclement climate and dark winter nights.

For a few centuries, public houses were relatively small affairs: literally, private houses where people drank ale, talked and played cards.

With the industrial revolution came industrial cities. Thousands of people flocked to the new towns, following the promise of jobs and wealth. A new opportunity was presented to those who set up a public house on a large enough scale to cope with such demand. Pubs became less a cottage industry and more an excellent business proposition. From this point on, large, well-facilitated pubs sprang up across the country.