THERE's a chance to sample the delights of the new Tamar Valley Rail Ale Trail this weekend, with a free mini bus link between the Plymouth to Gunnislake trains and six country pubs.
Timed to tie in with this weekend's Gunnislake Festival, the minibus will provide roughly an hourly service linking the pubs to the trains and will be free of charge to rail ticket holders.
The pubs included are the Queen's Head at Albaston, The Rifle Volunteer at St Anns Chapel and four pubs in Gunnislake, the Cornish Inn, the Buccaneer Inn, the Tavistock Arms and the Rising Sun.
The Tamar Valley Line Rail Ale Trail is being launched at the end of August.
Funded by a partnership including the Rural Transport Partnership Fund and Tamar Valley Line working party, the trail aims to encourage travel by train to 16 pubs near the line.
Kim Leech, rural transport partnership officer for Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership said: 'The idea behind the Rail Ale Trail is to promote leisure travel on the line and boost the local economy by encouraging people to visit particularly rural pubs by branch line train.
'We hope Saturday's taster will whet people's appetite for the full Trail when it comes out later in the month.'
For more details, call 01752 233094.