Tan Hill Inn: Aussie tourists snowed in to North Yorkshire pub as UK lashed with snow storms

A group of Australian tourists are in two minds whether they are blessed or cursed after being snowed in to a pub as the United Kingdom endures massive snow storms.

Paul and Naomi Smith and their extended family are trekking in Europe via the Northern Territory and have become stranded inside a remote pub in North Yorkshire.

Customers at the Tan Hill Inn have been stuck in the pub since Saturday night and although the Aussies, who had never seen snow before thought it was a wonderful novelty, the idea is starting to wear a bit thin as their holiday plans whittle away by the day.

“The poor staff that are here were all meant to go out the other day, they’ve had to stay because they’re snowed in, and these guys are working from like five-thirty and six in the morning through to 11 at night. I’m sitting at the window at the moment watching one of them shovel snow off the steps so people can walk outside,” Mr Wright told the Scottish Daily Express.

More than 30 people are currently snowed in at Britain’s highest pub after the Arctic blast swept across the UK.

Customers who had trekked to Tan Hill Inn in North Yorkshire - which is is 528 metres (1,732 ft) above sea level - were still holed up in the world famous boozer.

The pub’s electric power comes from a generator and there is enough food for about a month - and around two week’s worth of beer.

Those locked in have played cards and board games to keep entertained, while a young boy performed improvised dance routines to the group he was travelling with.

Paul and Naomi were expecting to be watching Harry Potter on London’s West End by now as part of their three-week holiday visiting family in the UK but instead, they are still stuck in the inn and remain uncertain they’ll make their flight home next Saturday.

Paul, 52 from Katherine, said he had never seen real snow before his holiday is travelling with his wife, his 22-year-old son, sister-in-law, four-year-old nephew, and two friends, said: “I think it’s hilarious, I love it. I’ve seen generated snow in snow fields in Australia, but nothing like this in regards to white-outs.

“Driving through Scotland and York, the amount of snow we’ve seen covering everything is unbelievable, we can’t believe how white everything is. There’s a lovely group of people here, the people that run this place are so warm and welcoming and friendly.