Scottish ale is a designation for beer produced in Scotland. Although Scotland does not have a beer style distinct from the rest of Britain, there has developed an assumption that beers brewed in Scotland are sweeter and less hoppy than beers from England.

The history and development of beer in Scotland largely mirrors that of the rest of Britain. When the brewers of Burton in the late 1800s were exporting their hoppy Burton Ales in the form of India Pale Ale, so were the William McEwan and William Younger breweries. When the Burton brewers exported strong malty Burton Ales, so did the Edinburgh brewers, under the name Scotch Ale.

Though the market for strong ales started to decline toward the end of the 19th century, the Belgian importer John Martin in the 1920s encouraged both English and Scottish brewers to make strong beers for his Belgium customers. John Martin used the names Bulldog Ale, Christmas Ale and Scotch Ale. Although John Martin's Scotch Ales are now brewed in Belgium, the assumption has grown that Scotch Ale is a style of strong ale unique to Scotland.

The subcategories are designated based on the old 19th century price charged per barrel (/- is read as "shilling"):

• light 60/-
• heavy 70/-
• export 80/-
• wee heavy 90/-

• McEwan's Scotch Ale
• MacAndrew's Scotch Ale
• Traquir House Ale
• Auld Tartan Wee Heavy
• Sam Adams Scotch Ale
• Belhaven Ale