Scots have only two days left to vote for their favourite pubs, bars and hospitality venues in the Scottish Bar and Pub Awards 2026.
Public voting is open through the awards website, with categories covering whisky bars, cocktail bars, restaurant venues, pub teams, outdoor areas, late night venues, sports bars, dog friendly pubs, community pubs and hospitality employers. Voting closes on 12 June, before judging concludes in August and the awards ceremony takes place in Glasgow on 1 September.
The Scottish Bar and Pub Awards is thought to be Scotland’s longest running licensed trade awards. The 2026 awards mark the event’s 31st anniversary, continuing a programme that has recognised venues and people across the Scottish hospitality industry for more than three decades.
This year’s theme is Glam Rock, chosen to celebrate the people who keep Scotland’s hospitality venues running through demanding trading conditions. The organisers said the awards are intended to recognise “the people that make hospitality in Scotland great”, with bars and pubs encouraged to put themselves forward and customers invited to vote for their favourites.
The award categories show the range of modern Scottish hospitality. Alongside traditional categories such as Pub of the Year, Whisky Bar of the Year and Cocktail Bar of the Year, the 2026 programme includes Community Pub of the Year, Dog Friendly Pub of the Year, Best Outdoor Area, Best Bar Team, Mixologist of the Year, New Bar of the Year and Best Lo and No Destination.
That range reflects how pubs and bars now work in Scottish communities. A good pub is no longer judged strictly by what is poured at the bar. It may be a local meeting place, a music venue, a sports room, a family business, a dog friendly stop, a late night destination, a quiet restaurant, a social media success story or one of the few remaining public rooms in a town or village.
The Community Pub of the Year category is particularly tied to local life, recognising pubs that support charities, host events, bring people together and remain embedded in the places they serve. The Best Lo and No Destination category also reflects changing drinking habits, with venues being recognised for treating alcohol free and low alcohol choices as part of a proper hospitality experience rather than an afterthought.
The hospitality sector has faced years of pressure from energy costs, staffing challenges, changing customer habits, tax and wider cost of living pressure. Awards do not solve those problems. They do, however, give customers a way to support venues that matter to them, and give staff and operators public recognition for work that is often difficult, late, physical and under appreciated.
Voting is open at scottishbarandpubawards.com. Vote by 12 June.
