Call-out for UK info

The wife and I are going to the UK in August. Landing at Heathrow, train to Edinburgh and then an unplanned drive back to London. For all of the UK members and those who know the UK well, I have some questions.

1. Real ales that absolutely must grace my lips?

2. Pubs that are worth planning my trip around?

Living in Canada, distances are long so going 'out of the way' isn't much of a problem.

Any and all advice will be appreciated.

Cheers.

Oh man, where to begin?

I guess Beer In The Evening.com is a good place to start for pubs, as it gives you reviews of pubs by area. There are so many good regional beers in the UK that I don't know how you'd even begin to rate them in order of must-haves. So I'd decide where you're going first and then try scouting that area for good pubs. Or alternatively, check out Campaign for Real Ale to see if there are any beer festivals on when you're over. They really would be worth going to, as you invariably get a big selection of very good beers. There's a list at A Year of Beer Festivals - CAMRA .

Actually, I've just seen that the Great British Beer Festival is on from 4th-8th August. It's in London, but if you're around then is really, really is worth going to, as the range and quality of beers is obscenely good. You'd need to get your ticket ahead of time as it can sell out. See Great British Beer Festival - CAMRA for more details.