Hebrides West End, Edinburgh

An attractive and traditional looking pub just a short stroll from Haymarket station, it’s quite small internally with only a limited amount of seating and not a great deal of standing space either. Windows take up most of the exterior frontage, and these are arched at the top with etched glass at the bottom. Décor wise it’s quite traditional, with a wood strip floor in the bulk of the pub and some Victorian style chequered tiling around the bar area. A lower section of ceiling at the rear was covered in an old black and white map of the locale, while the front ceiling was much higher with some ornate cornice work around the perimeter. A TV screen was stuck up above the porch in the corner, but unusually listed the current drinks selection rather than a TV channel. Seating was limited as mentioned, with a couple of fitted benches at the rear but the majority of the rest of the pub being laid out for vertical drinking with ledges along the side and front, and a large beer barrel to rest your pint on. A number of shelves covering the whole wall behind the bar counter was something of a feature and containing an extensive range of spirits, and a ladder was alongside in order to reach the higher shelves. Beers on tap were Two by Two’s New England Pale, Anarchy Smash, Orkney IPA, St Austell Trevail, Wakatu and Vocation Low & Behold. There were also a few keg options dispensed from taps on the back wall and listed on a chalkboard next to the bar. After that lot, the cider choice was distinctly disappointing with…..nothing at all, or at least, not on tap. A real shame, as I thought this was otherwise a cracking little pub.