Edinburgh coffee shop in Lothian Buses TravelHub to give free hot drink to people named Karen

The coffee shop, which is inside Lothian Buses’ TravelHub on Shandwick Place, is offering a hot drink free of charge to ‘Karens’.

In a social media post, Lothian Buses wrote: “We know it's not easy being called #Karen…

“So to put a smile on your face this week, pop into our CoffeeHub in Shandwick TravelHub, show your ID (or Ridacard!) and claim a free tea or coffee!”

The once-popular name has grown a negative association, after internet memes using the name spread like wildfire.

Now, Karen is often used as slang to refer to a middle-aged white woman who is entitled, privileged and rude. However, some have criticised the term for being ageist, sexist, racist and classist.

In 1974, Karen was the second most popular name for girls in Scotland. However, there has been a steep decline, and last year, no baby girls were given the name.