The best UK waterside pubs to enjoy the summer heat

As the summer rolls on, there is "nowhere better to soak it all in" than a pub on the water, said The i Paper. With their "waterside charm", these picturesque spots greet you with the "calm of flowing water" and "the clink of cold pints", perfect for these long hot days that "call for life at a slower pace".

The Meikleour Arms, Perth & Kinross

Right beside the River Tay, this "grand yet relaxed country inn" is an hour from Edinburgh and offers "estate-sourced food and excellent whisky", all while honouring its "Franco-Scottish heritage". Using vegetables from a "walled garden" and venison from Meikleour Forest, this is a boutique pub "wrapped in ancient woodland". Visitors can go fishing for salmon, attempt to spot wildlife and enjoy the "historic estates and distilleries" of the Meikleour Arms, one of the oldest historical estates in east Scotland.

The Dove, Hammersmith

This record-breaking pub, featuring a "beer garden that backs directly onto the River Thames", is "a win any time of the year", said TimeOut. The Dove embodies the "old-meets-new theme" with its low 18th-century beams and wooden panelling, and a contemporary "greenery-dappled conservatory". Its spirits match this idea, with "cask classics rubbing shoulders with guest beers" and an "extensive wine list". Additionally, the pub's side bar holds a Guinness World Record as Britain's smallest bar room, with dimensions of "four-foot-two-inches by seven-foot-10-inches".

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The Inn at Whitewell, Lancashire

With his fish pie and slow-cooked shoulder of pork with ham hock fritter, this pub's chef, Jamie Cadman, has "put this quiet corner of Lancashire on the map", said The Times. Throughout his two decades cooking at the pub, Cadman has produced dishes from locally sourced ingredients, including salmon and trout from the River Hodder, all of which can be accompanied by a selection of 400 wines curated by the pub's vintners. The natural scenery of this waterside pub is what makes it unique, offering views of an "idyllic bend" in the Hodder and also a panorama of the fells of the Forest of Bowland. This landscape influences the interior design of the inn, with its "heavy wooden bedheads, unusual framed fabrics and antiques", producing a charming "country house character".

Pandora Inn, Cornwall

Recently renovated and reopened in March of this year, this "popular Cornish riverside pub" overlooks the Restronguet Creek and features an "on-the-water pontoon beer garden", said Cornwall Live. Run by two friends who worked at the Pandora Inn 15 years ago, the renovation has given the pub a "fresh new look" that maintains its character while adding a "new contemporary colour scheme to complement the pub's historic features". The makeover includes "a new menu for its new era", which showcases seasonal ingredients from local and independent sources. The best way to arrive at the "thatched 13th-century inn" is by boat; there are water taxis and moorings, said The Guardian.

The Chain Locker, Falmouth

The "old bones of the 17th-century sailors' drinking den" can still be seen in this pub overlooking the Carrick Roads estuary of the River Fal, said The Telegraph. Its "stone fireplace and the flagstone walls" point to its history. It also offers a "good selection of pub classics" and other "left-field options" that together make for a "good range of favourites" characterised with "rich flavours and hearty portions". This St Austell Brewery pub has a good range of Cornish beers on tap, and is often frequented by students. The outdoor terrace overlooking the estuary "comes into its own on warm summer evenings".

Crate Brewery, Hackney Wick

This "trendy" brewery and pizzeria, on the River Lee Navigation in east London, opened in 2012, when the Olympic Games were on just over the water. But it has proved "no mere passing fad", said TimeOut. Its "longevity proves that beer and pizza never go out of fashion", but it does have alternatives for "non-beer lovers" with a "good range of wines and canned cocktails". It is possible to kayak from Limehouse to Crate Brewery – an "oar-some" experience, said Secret London. This 5km "urban adventure" is available until the end of August for adults over 18 – who can swim.