Drinking is essential to sustain life and Edinburgh is a city that fully understands this and makes suitable provisions for it. Scotland is famed for its whisky and is proud of its real ale. However, as individual tastes differ, so too do the variety of public houses, style bars and traditional drinking dens. Many alterations and modifications seem to occur to Edinburgh’s drinking scene over the course of each year but the variety and atmosphere remains. Whatever takes your fancy, there should be something in Edinburgh to suit you.

Here are some of our favourite drinking spots:

Greyfriar’s Bobby Bar
Greyfriar’s Bobby is an Edinburgh legend told the world over and it would be only courteous to pay homage to the dog who spent 14 years at his master’s graveside, by having a drink in Greyfriar’s Bobby Bar. The pub is located a stone’s throw from Greyfriar’s Kirkyard, where Bobby kept watch over his master, and in front of the pub is a small statue of the dog.

The Halfway House
Turn off near the top of Cockburn Street and head directly down to Market Street on Fleshmarket Close and you’ll come across a couple of pubs in a truly unique Edinburgh setting. The building that houses the intimate little Halfway House is centuries old, and has spent much of it as a pub. There’s even a brief history lesson on plaques outside the door. The tradition here is for good malts and ales and if you’re lucky you might even get some home-cooked Scottish fare too. Haggis, stovies and soup; pretty much what you’d have been served a few hundred years ago, and at very reasonable prices considering you’re in the middle of town.

The Bailie
A sophisticated basement pub with a traditional dark wood central bar. Brimming with characters, The Bailie isn’t just a good place to people watch, it also serves some very fine pub food.