Picture it. You have your sunglasses on, you are surrounded by your friends, and you have a cold pint in your hand and the sun streaming down on your face.
Sounds like the dream eh?
Well, with the warmer, sunny weather arriving for spring and summer on the way, it's time to start thinking about arranging days like this.
Thankfully, if there is one thing Scotland does well (no, not the weather) it's beer gardens – in fact we even have our own app for finding them.
There are plenty of options up and down the country, here are some of the best sun traps and beer gardens to check out in Scotland.
Glasgow
Glasgow Beer Works, Osbourne Street
The team Glasgow Beer Works (GBW) - formerly known as Merchant City Brewing - have revealed plans for what they are calling the city's 'most Glaswegian beer garden'.
The outdoor space for up to 80 guests is situated under the famous John Byrne Billy Connolly mural on Osbourne Street close to the Merchant City and offers a range of drinks and street food.
The Cranside Kitchen, Finnieston
The owners of Glasgow's iconic Rotunda recently opened the city's biggest beer garden.
The new free-to-enter outdoor venue with a food market and beer garden, it's family and dog-friendly and offers everything from coffee and cocktails to Kids menus and top scran from five top restaurants.
SWG3, Finnieston
The popular Finnieston events venue has an outdoor food and drink venue in their 25,000 sq ft outdoor Galvanizers Yard.
The space features music and a backdrop of evolving graffiti walls.
Record Factory, Byres Road
Boasting one of the largest beer gardens in the west end, The Record Factory currently have capacity for around 100 people.
The popular sun trap offers a good range of drinks and plenty of food options.
Other beer gardens:
The Church on the Hill in Battlefield in the Southside and the ever-popular Brel in the west end.
The Old School House on Woodlands Road is also another option, while the Barras Art and Design (BAaD) have a new Taproom and outdoor space, where people can enjoy a range of exciting beers.
Both Drygate and St Lukes in the east end of the city have outdoor spaces.
West on the Green, Glasgow Green is great for fans of German food and beer, while the newly renovated Park Bar on Paisley Road West in the southside is another option.
Edinburgh
56 North, Old Town
Edinburgh’s oldest gin bar has a top Beer Garden in the Old Town, with over 400 gins on offer (almost 200 of them Scottish).
The bar and distillery will be serving food and a full drinks menu covering all your Scottish gin needs. Tables will be available from 12noon to 10pm daily.
The Corn Exchange, Newmarket Road
The Corn Exchange recently announced plans to open the capital's "biggest beer garden", including a socially distanced bar, ping pong tables and a large screen for sporting events.
The Three Sisters, Cowgate
Already a big hit with Edinburgh residents for its versatility, the return of the Three Sisters Beer Garden is going to be popular.
Expect massive screens, plenty of food options and a spacious outdoor area.
Cold Town House, Grassmarket
The extremely popular Cold Town House rooftop terrace - with its stunning location and views of the castle - is set to reopen with new social guidelines in place.
The CTH team serve up an extensive drinks menu, including freshly brewed Cold Town Beer, and plenty of food options.
The Railway Inn, Juniper Green
Independently owned traditional “village” pub The Railway Inn is welcoming and spacious.
The bar has a wide selection of beers and drinks, a popular food menu and – best of all – a lovely big beer garden. Landlords Darren Love and Corinne Jones have rebranded and refurbished the bar back to its original name of The Railway Inn.
Other beer gardens:
The usual suspects at the Grassmarket, as well as popular outdoor specialists The Raeburn and The Pear Tree.
Summerhall has a courtyard at the weekends, while Cask Smugglers and Fierce Bar Edinburgh have outdoor areas.
Dundee
St Andrews Brew Co., Caird Hall
Top Beer company St Andrews Brew Co. have a large decking area overlooking Slessor Gardens, which will be shared with other bars and provide seating for up to 200 people.
Other openings:
The Ambassador on Clepington Road has a beer garedn, while the Bird and Bear on Whitehall Cres also have outdoor seating.
Aberdeen
The Chester Hotel, Queen's Road
The Chester Hotel, the AA four silver star hotel which is located in the west end of the city, has a cracking outdoor space for enjoying a drink in the sun while dining al fresco.
Siberia Bar, Belmont Street
The Siberia beer garden on Belmont Street will reopen on Monday with lots of covid secure adjustments from entry temperature checks to barriers between outside tables.
Offering an extensive food and drink menu, tables must be booked in advance and will be restricted to a tables of 4 for two hours for the time being.
Other Beer Gardens:
City institution the St Machar Bar's has a sun trap beer garden, while Brewdog also have outdoor seating.
Other beer gardens include Soul Bar , the Dutch Mill and the Ferryhill House Hotel .
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