Edinburgh pub closes temporarily after 'collapsing into Water of Leith'

One of Edinburgh’s pubs has been forced to shut after its foundations were “swept away” during a spell of bad weather.

Longstone Inn, in Longstone Road, sits in an idyllic spot bordering Water of Leith in the south-west area of the city.

Despite reopening on Monday months after being in lockdown, staff swiftly had to close the doors once again after realising extensive water damage had been done to the foundations.

Longstone Inn in Longstone Road, Edinburgh and a picture showing the damage caused to the foundations

The classic pub has now been closed temporarily until further notice while investigations are to be carried out.

One concerned resident who was looking forward to returning to the pub reported “large cracks” in the building.

"The historical pub is possibly collapsing into Water of Leith,” he said.

"It must have happened recently, and it closed just within hours after reopening.

"I was sent the some photos of it and it looks worse from above.”

A spokeswoman for Star Pubs and Bars, who own the Longstone Inn, said the recent spell of wet weather raised the water level and caused extensive damage to the building.

In a statement she said: “Following bad weather at the weekend, the river behind The Longstone Inn was running high and swept away the foundations underneath the ladies toilets.

"As a consequence we are closing the pub until further notice for safety reasons and to allow more extensive investigations to be carried out.”

Longstone Inn, like pubs across the country, has been closed for more than three months since Scotland went into lockdown in March.

Pub and restaurant outdoor spaces were given the go ahead to welcome back customers from Monday, July 6, and indoor spaces will be able to resume service from July 15.