Pub near Edinburgh with 150 years of history up for 'Scotland's Pub of the Year' prize

The Volunteer Arms (aka Staggs bar), a Musselburgh watering hole trading since 1858, was named overall winner at The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA)'s 2025 Pub of the Year awards for Edinburgh & South-East Scotland.

Staggs will now go up against pubs from around the country as it competes to be named Scottish Pub of the Year.

Speaking after their win, Staggs wrote on Facebook: “We are delighted to announce that we are the Overall Winner in the @edinburghcamra Pub Of The Year 2025 competition and are thrilled to be moving on to the next phase.

“We were up against some fantastic pubs and if you get a chance are well worth a visit. @thestockbridgetap and @rutherfordsmicropub_kelso We want to say a huge thank you to all of you – our incredible staff, our fantastic customers, and the brilliant breweries who help make Staggs what it is.

“Staggs is a home away from home for so many, and that is down to all of you. We take pride in serving some of the best beer around, a testament to the skill and dedication of the brilliant brewers we work with.

“Our staff and our customers in equal measures give Staggs its inviting atmosphere. Your friendliness, your conversations, and your support create a true community spirit that makes Staggs more than just a pub.”

A spokesperson for CAMRA said: “Congratulations to our overall Branch Pub of the Year winner, the Volunteer Arms [Staggs], Musselburgh.

“Staggs will now be judged alongside all the winners from the Scottish branches to find the Scottish Pub of the Year. All our Pub of the Year winners will have presentations in due course.”

In January this year, the pubs which serve up the ‘best quality pints’ in the Lothians were named by CAMRA – and Staggs again came out on top, alongside its namesake, Dunbar's Volunteer Arms.

Musselbugh's Staggs was in the news last year when it was closed to customers as a film crew took over the venue to shoot scenes for upcoming Netflix crime series Department Q, which stars Kelly Macdonald, Shirley Henderson and Mark Bonnar.

⚪️ For all of the latest breaking stories from across Edinburgh and the Lothians sign up to the Edinburgh Evening News breaking newsletter ️Click here to sign up

https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/newsletter