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Halfway House

“Edinburgh’s smallest pub is an iconic institution”

LOCATION

EDINBURGH, EDINBURGH

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Hidden down one of the Old Town’s ‘closes’ (an historic alleyway, often with a flight of steps and enclosed by tall buildings), the cosy interior of this pub is adorned with railway memorabilia and throngs with locals, tourists, lawyers, students and beer aficionados supping interesting ales from Stewart's or StrathBraan, Scottish microbreweries. Mop up the ale with some traditional Scottish bar food made from fresh, local produce – Cullen skink; stovies and oatcakes; or haggis, tatties and neeps perhaps. Look out for the regular beer festivals, but if beer is not your thing, then perhaps sample a few of the 40 or so whiskies displayed behind the bar.

Halfway House

24 Fleshmarket Close, EDINBURGH, EH1 1BX

Phone: 0131 225 7101

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Discover Edinburgh

Edinburgh is one of Britain’s most spectacular cities and both Old and New Towns have UNESCO World Heritage status. At its heart, the Old Town is a treasury of architecture stretching back to medieval times with its labyrinth of narrow lanes (‘wynds’ or ‘closes’). While the New Town's splendid district of squares, crescents and gardens are surrounded by impressive Georgian town houses.

It isn’t just a magnificent, bustling city, it’s surrounded by countryside – offering visitors the best of both worlds. Dominated by hills and the sea, with the rolling Pentland Hills to the south and the broad expanse of the Firth of Forth estuary to the north, it benefits from a rugged and varied landscape. So much so, the city has its own miniature mountain, Arthur’s Seat, which looms over the Old Town and the Palace of Holyroodhouse, dwarfing even Castle Rock and its crowning fortress, Edinburgh Castle.

A couple of miles east, Portobello is Edinburgh’s seaside area, with a long stretch of golden sand that attracts droves of city dwellers on sunny summer days.