It’s thought that Scotland’s first ever pint may have been poured in the Capital, with the 12th century monks of Holyrood Abbey producing ale from the clear spring water that still flows from St Margaret’s Well today.
And it was the process of creating beer that in part led to Edinburgh’s ‘Auld Reekie’ nickname, due to the smoke produced by coal and wood burning furnaces and boilers.
By the start of the 20th century the city had a remarkable 35 breweries and was one of the most important centres of beer making in the UK.
These days there are fewer, with the best known surviving name being the Caledonian Brewery in Slateford.
But smaller breweries have started popping up in recent years creating boutique beers, from the Campervan Brewery in the north of the city to Barney’s Bee r in the south.
Back in the 1950s and 1960s the industry was thriving, as these 28 pictures show.
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25. Fighting the flames
Onlookers watch as firemen fight flames at Murrays Brewery, in Craigmillar, in March 1966. Photo: Stan Warburton
27. Casing the joint
A worker at the Heriot Brewery, on Roseburn Terrace, making cases to put beer bottles in December 1955. Photo: Unknown
28. Drying
The drying room at the Drybrough Brewery, run by Bates and Sons Ltd in Craigmillar, in October 1955. Photo: Unknown