Warm welcome, a tasty traditional meal and a new bridge to the past

There’s Newton Mearns, the well-to-do commuter belt outpost to the south of Glasgow.

Then there’s Newton Stewart, the gorgeous riverside town in Dumfries and Galloway.

But until visiting the Newton Arms, I had never heard of, well, just Newton.

In fact, this quaint former mining village can be found in West Lothian, on the main trunk road less than three miles west of South Queensferry.

It may experience a bit of a boom thanks to its proximity to the new Queensferry Crossing but is it worth the trip?

When we arrived at this popular inn, I loved the mix of old and new. The main body of the pub is the old stone- built watering hole originally built for coaches heading from Edinburgh to Linlithgow Palace. But at the back

of the building is a bright extension overlooking a small but pretty beer garden.

We opted to have our Sunday lunch in the extension but hit our first hitch.

“I’m afraid we’ve run out of fish,” the friendly waitress told us as she handed over the menus, further explaining the pub had been “crazy busy” the day before.

Feeling a bit disappointed that such a firm favourite was off the menu, we were quickly hear tened by the var iety elsewhere – everything from breaded chicken and baked Camembert to macaroni cheese and ribeye steak.

We started off with a generous platter of nachos followed by steak and ale pie.

The menu boasted that the beef shoulder would be slow- cooked in their house ales – and it didn’t disappoint.

The meat was beautifully tender whi le the pie was wonderfully crisp and flaky.

I’m a huge fan of pubs and restaurants that offer both standard and smal l- sized main course dishes.

I opted for a small serving – yet the meal, including steamed veg and very tasty chunky chips, was still too much for me.

My friend, on the other hand, chose the standard- sized Newton burger – made from house beef pate, grill cooked, and served with hand- cut wedges and giant onion rings.

The plate that arrived was huge and, having eaten the lion’s share of the nachos, he struggled to eat even half of his meal.

The Newton Arms isn’t aimed at the office party crowd. They don’t serve prosecco and there is no cocktail menu. But it does offer a good selection of beers and ales, including supporting two local breweries.

It’s a good place to stop for a hearty, traditional meal.