Ryries Bar, Edinburgh

This has been one of my go to bars in Edinburgh for a number of years, and I helped improve its heritage interior profile by reporting the removal of the "clutter" above the bar back. But I've not written a review before. Too busy enjoying the beers, or - the last time I was here - being engaged in conversation by a couple of bar hangers from England. This is a tremendous pub, with eight hand pumps offering beers from some of Scotland's independent breweries that don't always get a look in (plus Timothy Taylor). I usually go for Orkney Dark Island, and on this occasion I even swerved it in a previous pub because I was so sure it would be on here. Not so. I went for a different Orkney beer, Thor's Hammer and one from Swannay, the "other" Orkney brewery. Both were in the region of NBSS 3 to 3.5 and my two halves were £5.85.

GBG 2025 - right outside Haymarket Station and the pub has a train information board inside, so you can plan your return. Impressive external view - a detached building, almost castle-like. Inside, its a long bar with bench seating opposite an impressively long bar. You can watch the bar staff. They can watch you. Plenty of cask choice and I went for a rather lively Fyne Jarl - a pint that varied in quality over my week in Edinburgh but was fine in here. Bit of a transient feel with the punters - with most quickly coming and going.