BEER fans are getting ready to raise their glasses and toast the return of a successful beer festival.

The popular Nether Abbey Beer Festival is a three-day celebration of real ale and cider, food and music, featuring beers from across the UK.

The festival gets under way at noon on November 2 and runs throughout the weekend until November 4.

Stirling Stewart, owner of the Nether Abbey Hotel on North Berwick’s Dirleton Avenue, was among those looking forward to the event.

He said: “We are really excited about the 2018 Beer Festival, which has something for everyone.

“Real ale and cider lovers have a choice of 40 real ales from Orkney to Ossett, Derwent and Devon, including a rare mild, English Best Ales, a complex US-style beer, malty milds, real ciders, and gluten free pale ales – all with tasting notes, three days of great live music, our award-winning food menu and, of course, free entry!”

As well as plenty to eat and drink, there is a weekend-long raffle in aid of Leuchie House, which provides caring respite breaks for people and their families living with long-term conditions.

Live music kicks off on the opening evening with The Guilty Pleasures, a covers band featuring a fusion of pop, funk and disco tracks, with local musician Andrew Brown providing music on the Saturday afternoon.

The evening’s entertainment will be provided by Davy Holt, who then returns to perform on the Sunday.