Uisge-beatha ann an Dùn Eideann
It's back. Ok, it's now called Holyrood 9a. I suspect the namechange is an attempt to stop the auld clientele of 'goths, punks, gays, students and bikers' returning from their new haunt at the Auld Hoose up the road.
Essentially though, it's the same place but spruced up a little. Same old seating plan, same old dark wood, same bar more or less... and all the auld memories come flooding back. Except the auld 'alternative' punters are eslewhere. And it's got a huge range of good beers, everything from Stella and some strong continental classics like Chimay and Duvel to one or two Scottish ales too. It also seems to have turned into a boutique-burger kind of place but with a reasonable selection of veggie meals too.
Broughton Street would surely make an excellent anthropological study. About ten years ago, i overheard a local woman telling her boy, 'aye son, i remember when this used to be a working class area'. As i one-time resident for many years, many years ago, i've seen it go from rough and run-down to a trendy 'metrosexual' centre for absurdly dressed Ben Fogle-type refugees from the south of England as well as those wanting good cheap scran at places like the Basement, Blue Moon or the Rapido chippy.
Just to emphasise that enjoying a dram should not require a Westminster MP's salary and 'allowances' here's a watering hole from that dark and dirty chasm that is Edinburgh's Cowgate. As you'd expect, you're not gonna rub shoulders with Fred Goodwin types in Bannermans. A large cellar-come-cavern in the back is used for gigs and therefore you can expect to see ageing punks, metalheads and students in attendance.
It fills the gap in the 'traditional' pub market. You hear local Scots' accents and not the braying home-counties types that fill the New Town howffs. Equally, you can have a cheap dram without getting chibbed by some pie-eyed jelly head high on Buckfast and with a dusting of Askit powder around his nostrils.
