A traditional Scottish inn which doubles as an enviable music venue is music to MARTIN JARRED's ears.

CATFISH KEITH adjusted his dented grey hat, straightened his narrow tie, took a sip from his pint of ice-cold water and prepared to enter the Balvaird Room restaurant.

Soon the room would be filled with the American musician's hard-edged acoustic blues, his bottleneck slide guitar riffs and harsh vocals cutting through the night.

Close your eyes and you could be drifting down a delta in steamy Louisiana.

But open your eyes and you find yourself in the more serene surroundings of the Bein Inn outside the village of Glenfarg, Perthshire.

This is a Scottish drovers inn with a difference - a big difference.

A session here does not necessarily mean the downing of copious pints of Independence from Inveralmond Brewery a few miles up the road. Sessions are more likely to be 'unplugged' acoustic gigs in the company of top quality musicians which have earned the Bein Inn the title of Music Pub of the Year 2002/3.

Originally a shelter for drovers herding their animals through the Ochil Hills, the Bein Inn, which dates from 1861, nestles in the wooded slops of Glen Farg.

The fusion of music and country inn was put together by Yorkshireman David Mundell who bought the inn nearly five years ago.

He had been in the hotel and catering trade since he was 17, starting out from his native Hull with British Transport Hotels.

Nearly 30 years on and the rate at which he gained knowledge about the industry was matched by his passion for music.

David converted the empty basement bar of the Bein Inn in to the Rock Gallery Bar and houses an astonishing display of authentic rock memorabilia. Pride of place amid the many autographed rare exhibits is a Stratocaster guitar signed by Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones. It is a shrine to stars who have shaped the course of popular music over the past few decades.

But the bulk of the acoustic gigs take place above in the restaurant which is transformed from an intimate candle-lit restaurant with a romantic atmosphere into a mini-concert room.

Glen Tilbrook (Squeeze), Gene Parsons (The Byrds), Lindisfarne, Dean Friedman, Steve Gibbons, Curtis Stigers, Tony Joe White and Elton John's guitarist of seven years, John Jorgenson, have all been on the Bein's musical menu in recent months.

The sessions have built up a regular fan base with one couple from Arbroath travelling 4,950 miles to see 45 shows in 2002.

No wonder the inn has its own music newsletter complete with a column by 'Head of Security', Charlie, David's Cairn terrier. (I told you the Bein Inn was different).

If the music isn't to your taste, then you can unwind in a comfy armchair cradling a glass of malt whisky in front of a log fire in surroundings befitting of a top-notch country house.

The MacGregor Bar is more modest, but the food there is the same as chef Calum Bruce prepares for the main restaurant.

Jenny and I found the quality to be excellent with a wide variety of traditional and modern dishes, including a good vegetarian selection, at reasonable prices.

Freshly-made soups were hot, wholesome and tasty, the homemade beefburger was a thick, meaty challenge for the appetite, while the warm pasta salad and mushroom risotto was beautifully presented. Glenfarg gingerbread and custard looked tempting, but there was simply not room.

A decent wine list, going all they way up to a £165 bottle of Louis Roederer Cristal champagne, added a touch of class.

Special bed and breakfast deals are on offer for gig nights with most of the en-suite rooms in motel-style accommodation next to the inn.

It has to be said that our room, in keeping with the musical theme, needed jazzing up a bit.

It was comfortable and spacious, complete with TV, hairdryer, trouser press and hospitality tray but the decor was from the Jimmy Savile era of Top Of The Pops and we could not find any central heating.

Refurbishment is needed to put it on the same level as the rest of the inn which also caters for walkers and golfers (Gleneagles being not too far away).

Fact file:

The Bein Inn, Glenfarg, Perth, Scotland, PH2 9PY

Tel: 01577 830216 Fax: O1577 830211

E-mail: enquiries@beininn.com

website: www.beininn.com

Music website: www.beininnmusic.com

Rates: £35-£45 per person, per night

Offers are also available on gig nights.

Updated: 10:53 Saturday, December 27, 2003