27 Scottish pubs receive makeovers as part of Heineken UK’s £44.5 million investment
“Investment is essential if pubs are to remain a first choice for people looking for somewhere to socialise” – Lawson Mountstevens, Star Pubs
Heineken UK, the Edinburgh-headquartered brewing giant, is pumping £44.5 million into pub upgrades with more than £3m allocated for Scottish watering holes.
The investment programme will see hundreds of pubs in the group’s 2,350-strong Star Pubs UK estate receive makeovers in 2026. It includes the complete transformation of 108 venues and will create an estimated 850 jobs.
North of the Border, just under £3.1m has been reserved for projects at 27 pubs this year. Some 85 jobs will be created as a result.
Meanwhile, a further 18 pubs have been identified for future substantial refurbishments totalling almost £2.6m. Progress on these will be subject to factors such as recruitment of publicans and any necessary planning permissions, the firm noted.
Among the Scottish locals benefiting from major revamps in 2026 are The Parliament Arms on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh and The Neidpath Inn in Peebles, which recently reopened following makeovers, and The Railway Tavern in Prestonpans, Jel in Prestwick and Gunsmiths in Inverness where works are on site.
Heineken said its investment was providing a “lifeline” for pubs at a time when the hospitality sector is struggling with rising costs and pressures on consumer spending. The group has pumped £328m into its locals since 2018.
Lawson Mountstevens, Star Pubs’ managing director, said: “Pubs are a fantastic institution, admired the world over. We’re proud to be a leading investor in Scotland’s locals and to be playing a part in securing their future along with our dedicated and entrepreneurial licensees.
“Investment is essential if pubs are to remain a first choice for people looking for somewhere to socialise. It is also critical for pubs needing to generate extra revenue to fund the sustained increases in running costs they’ve faced in recent years.
“However we can only do so much; the root-and-branch reform of business rates that the industry has been calling for over many years is urgently required, as well as a lowering of the burden of taxation on pubs - including VAT and beer duty.
“Importantly, this investment will create flexible job opportunities and give many young people their first taste of the world of work,” he added.
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A £290,000 revamp of The Neidpath Inn in Peebles has transformed the formerly little-used pub into a family and dog-friendly local. The pub reopened in mid-April with new publicans Gillian McIntee and Ben Smith at the helm, creating eight jobs.
The pub now incorporates a space for dining, a lounge with a cosy snug and log burner and a large bar for drinks and socialising. This features a games area kitted out with an all-new pool table, halo-lit darts and a high-spec AV system showing TNT and Sky Sports.
McIntee, who also runs The Riccarton Inn Pub & Dining at Currie, said: “The Neidpath Inn was crying out for TLC. Our ambition from the outset has been to put it back on the map as a hub of local life that has something for everyone and is an asset to Peebles.”
The group has 225 pubs in Scotland.
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