Edinburgh author Sir Ian Rankin spots 'Rebus'-themed room at Balmoral Hotel after literary icon rebrand
The Balmoral rebranded three event spaces with the names of Scottish literary icons earlier this summer
Edinburgh author Sir Ian Rankin has spotted a special tribute to one of his most famous characters at one of the city’s most prestigious hotels.
The Balmoral Hotel announced earlier this year that it was renaming event rooms in the building after some iconic literary figures.
The name of Rankin’s famous character Inspector Rebus now adornes one of the event spaces, while The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie author Muriel Spark and Scotland’s best-known poet Rabbie Burns are also honoured.
Sharing an image of the ‘Rebus’ room on social media, Rankin told his followers: “Three of the event rooms at Edinburgh’s famous Balmoral hotel have been renamed in honour of some of Scotland’s greatest literary icons. There’s The Muriel Spark Room and The Rabbie Burns Room, and then there’s this one…”
While many of his fans were excited with the tribute, others were left questioning why Rankin himself wasn’t honoured as Rebus was the only fictional character of the trio to be named.
One person said: “Should it not be the Ian Rankin Room as you are the literary icon not Rebus?”
Another person added: “Do they know that Rebus didn't actually write the books...?”
Another fan made a nod to the legendary Scottish character’s favourite pastimes, saying: “I hope there's a good single malt and some records inside.”
The three event rooms are offering immersive and experience-led hospitality experiences, with menus tailored to each character.
The Rebus Room takes its inspiration from the ‘tartan noir’ series, with charred beef carpaccio with whipped blue cheese and black garlic aioli on the menu alongside a smoky Highland Park whisky inspired by the Inspector’s love of the tipple.
Meanwhile, the Muriel Spark Room’s menu is inspired by the remote island setting of her novel Robinson alongside ‘The Prime Pour’, and the Rabbie Burns Room features takes on classic Scottish cuisine such as cranachan.
Announcing the change earlier this summer, Andrew McPherson, general manager of The Balmoral, said: “These new event suites celebrate the creativity, craftsmanship and storytelling that define Scotland.
“By combining beautifully designed interiors with immersive dining experiences inspired by some of our greatest literary voices, we’ve created a truly distinctive setting for celebrations and events that could only exist at The Balmoral.”