Mission: Impossible

Your mission, should you choose to accept it:

• Walk a 6.5 mile round trip to and from the St. Andrew Square bus station
• Visit 10 old and spooky bars full of character, some haunted, some horrific
• Join us to photograph Edinburgh
• Time & date: Saturday 14th October at 2pm in The Cumberland Bar, Edinburgh.

Halloween

All the West Fife Zoomers survived the Glasgow Murals Walk and some even managed to take pictures.

Now it’s Edinburgh’s turn to host the WFZ photographers and hingers oan. Scary and spooky at the approach of Halloween? Yes, although the true horror is realising the place is all fur coat and nae knickers.

As always, everyone is welcome – all you need to qualify is a mobile phone. Phones take great photos these days.

Scream if you wanna go faster… or take your time, this is just a rough guide…

I love Edinburgh. I lived there for 12 years and I’d still be there now if I hadn’t had a good reason to return to Fife. This wee tour takes in some beautiful scenery and features some stunning pubs. I was spoilt for choice and struggled to only pick 10 venues. Whether we manage it all or not, well, who knows…

– walk 0.5 miles from the bus station –

THE CUMBERLAND BAR

‘Butcher’ Cumberland aka the Duke of Cumberland sent his British troops on a blood thirsty chase to massacre the Jacobites as they retreated after defeat at the Battle of Culloden.

On British soil, it constitutes a rare act of genocide on these shores, and I could think of no more horrific a pub than the one named after this monster.

– walk 405 yards –

CLARK’S BAR

A pub interior of special national histotic interest.

CAMRA – the fans of real ale

Another bar with a truly horrific history. I used to drink here when I worked across the road at the spooky old RBS IT headquarters. Ask anyone, working for RBS was truly horrific. Fred ‘The Shred’ Goodwin was the most evil banker of the noughties, perhaps ever.

– walk 0.4 miles –

… along Circus Lane…

Arguably the most picturesque, possibly most photographed, lane in Edinburgh. Braw pics guaranteed.

THE BAILIE

The historic Bailie dating all the way back to the 1870s.

Spookily, for these days, this pub features no music, no TV, and no jukebox. The horror here is we’ll have to talk to each other.

Be afraid, be very afraid, you are entering the realm of banter.

– walk 380 yards –

KAY’S BAR

Cosy Victorian pub with wooden barrel decor and a library for guest draught beers and plain lunches. A hidden gem.

Kay’s Bar blurb

– walk 0.3 miles –

THE OXFORD BAR

Inspector Rebus’s favourite haunt; pints and whisky after a hard day’s grizzly murders.

Arguably the darkest and bestest star of the tartan noir genre, John Rebus was created by murder mystery writer Ian Rankin fae Fife. Edinburgh would be nothing without us and other incomers.

I hear they’re producing a new Netflix series of Rebus. Ken Stott is going to be a hard act to follow.

– walk 0.8 miles –

THE LAST DROP

THE Last Drop, one of Edinburgh’s best-known historic bars – complete with a macabre history and reputedly haunted by a young girl in medieval clothing… The Last Drop is a macabre reference to the last hanging in the Grassmarket. The spirit of the small girl has been reported in the cellar and in the bar area.

pacificbuilding.co.uk

A ghost and hangings!

– walk 0.6 miles –

BENNETTS BAR

Bennets Bar on Leven Street is an historic, ornate pub, now under the direct control of ‘Scottish and Newcastle’. A drinking establishment of some description has stood here since 1839, however it has not always been Bennets Bar. The current pub was opened in 1906 when the King’s Theatre replaced the Taylor MacLeod brewery next door. Since then, not much has changed.

Décor

This magnificent Victorian bar has remained intact, which has led to the entire bar being listed. The fine exterior featured leaded glass is matched inside with a profusion of wonderful architectural delights.

Bennet’s Bar blurb

– walk 1.3 miles –

… through The Meadows…

Pictures a-go-go.

LESLIE’S BAR

I’ve written before about good-looking, historic pubs in Edinburgh – Cafe Royal, Bennets Bar and Diggers among others – but for sheer historical quirkiness, Leslie’s has to be regarded as a step above the rest.

As soon as you enter, you’re faced with a right or left decision. Go right and you’ll enter the traditional bar area that you’d expect to see. Go to the left and you’ll struggle to see the bar at all as it’s concealed behind a wall of polished wood, accessible only through four numbered hatches that appear at regular intervals. Although I’ve been in before, I did a complete circuit of the pub and was delighted to see that the manager was aware of my entrance and positioned himself by the taps, ready to cheerily serve me and welcome me in to his pub. It’s not hard and it really starts your pub experience on a positive note.

thebarfly.co.uk

– walk 1.5 miles –

… around Arthur’s Seat to Holyrood…

More picture opps.

THE TOLBOOTH TAVERN

Supposedly Edinburgh’s most haunted pub…

Tolbooth Tavern is part of the original Tolbooth built here during the 16th Century, used to collect tolls from travellers to the burgh of Canongate. It also served as a Council Chamber, Police Court, and prison.

The rear area of the pub was used as housing from 1750 until sometime in the early 20th century. The front area of the Tolbooth became a tavern in 1820, and the building you see today stands pretty much as it did back then.

Things are often knocked over at the Tolbooth, and the resident ghost tends to get the blame. People have reported drinks flying off tables, pictures and various things falling off the walls.

hauntedrooms.co.uk

– walk 0.6 miles –

THE VOODOO ROOMS

The building which The Voodoo Rooms calls home was originally built as a gas showroom for owners Robert Hume & Co. before later being converted into the Café Royal Hotel and Oyster Bar in 1863.

…‘Victorian era graffiti’, offering a glimpse into the category A-listed building’s past, is hiding in plain sight within its walls.

The Herald

The spooky graffiti can be found in the ladies loos.

– walk 258 yards to the bus station –

THE END