January 11, 2016

It’s easy to fall in love with Edinburgh’s green hills, historic cobblestoned streets and, let’s face it, joyously meticulous town planning.

However, some of the most educational experiences you’ll have are to be found at the bottom of the pint glass at some of city’s most ancient watering holes.

Even if you’re not much of a drinker, be sure to at least grab a shandy and get positively Medieval in one of these joints while you mull over a days touring.

The White Hart
+ 44 131 226 2806
34 Grassmarket, Edinburgh, Midlothian EH1 2JU

The Grassmarket of today is bustling strip of Victorian architecture and boutique shops but back in the ye olden times (or what we might call Edinburgh’s Death Metal phase) it was a popular spot for public hangings, with views from The White Hart considered to be the best seats in the house. Over the centuries the Hart has softened it’s rep, swapping its violent distractions for live music Thursday to Sunday and excellent gastro-pub fare. If you’re looking to capture some of that 1516 feeling, this is the place to be.

The Sheep Heid
+44 131 661 7974
43-45 The Causeway, Edinburgh, Midlothian EH15 3QA

Serving liquor since 1360 with no signs of slowing down, the journey to The Sheep Heid is almost as good as the destination so leave your car near the duck pond on the West Side of Holyrood Park and time your time to stroll through the charming neighbourhood of Duddingston, where on route you’ll spy the most picture perfect storybook homes this side of The Secret Garden. Once you reach the pub you can choose from a wingback chair in a cosy corner or there’s an elegant courtyard for catching those precious rays of Scotland summer sun. Big kids (and little ones) will love the traditional Skittles lanes out the back. What’s Skittles? It’s like bowling, only more steeped in history and romance. You even have to stack your pins yourself (God forbid!).

The Doric
+44 131 225 1084
15-16 Market Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1DE,

Named after the ancient Doric dialect of the Northern Scots, the managers of this 17th century gem have worked overtime to maintain the fit ye like vibes of its namesake. From the dark wood panelled exterior to the leather pews and the warming glow from the vintage light fittings, everything has been delicately maintained for maximum period appeal.

Ryries Bar
+44 131 337 0550
1 Haymarket Terrace, Edinburgh, EH12 2EY

That brick steepled roof! Those lively Scottish tunes pouring onto the street! The carved gantry and hand pumped beer taps! Ryries wears it’s 17th century dotage exceedinly well. It might sit on the junction across from the Haymarket railway but you could say The Ryries is the most irresistibly charming after-work boozer in the city. Even the Happy Hour harks back to some seriously old world prices, with a 5 pound two-course meal deal that’s so good it seems straight out of a fairytale.

Bennets Bar
+44 0131 229 5143
8 Lvene Street, Tollcross, Edinburgh, EH3 9LG

From it’s stained glass windows, brass fittings and Royal Green paint job, we applaud Bennets Bar for rocking old age better than Keith Richards. And, like Richards, it’s been virtually unchanged since 1836. If you’re hunting for a side of Victorian history with your tipple, Bennets has you covered. Although some of it might be a little hard to swallow because, yes, Bennets still has a ‘snug bar’ (albeit ornamental) from when women and children could only enter from a separate doorway unseen from the menfolk. Today, it’s a mere quirk in the history books and it’s fun to indulge in their craft beers and single malts and muse on the days of yore.

Heading to Scotland? Make sure you stop at Ee-Usk in Oban.