Edinburgh Old Town nightclub to be transformed into boutique hotel and ceilidh hall

Planners give go-ahead for Cowgate development

PLANS to transform an Old Town nightclub and festival venue into a boutique hotel and ceilidh hall have been given the go-ahead by Edinburgh City Council planners.

The Cow Shed, Bar Bados and Subway nightclub on the Cowgate will be refurbished as a hotel, bar/restaurant and function room which could be used for weddings, according to plans submitted by Bruce Group Scotland.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The bar and restaurant is set to be established in the Cow Shed part of the site, under the bridge arch, while the hotel rooms will be formed above the current Bar Bados nightclub.

Developers say the 26-bedrooms in the boutique hotel will “have a Scottish feel to them with a modern twist”.

Bruce Taverns already run some of the Capital’s best-known bars and clubs including Stramash, Whistle Binkies, The Royal Mile Tavern, George IV Bar, The Globe and Opium.

Planning documents on behalf of the multi-site operator say the new units will have a “boutique Scottish feel to it with the bar and restaurant offering a street food marketplace atmosphere within the stone walls”.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

They continue: “The function room to the rear would be used for a variety of more casual events including live music with a Celtic culture music bias, arts-type events and exhibitions.

“To be able to supply food to the gallery level gives rise to a greater variety and flexibility to the types of events that are possible within this space.”

Permanent lighting is also to be added under the George IV Bridge arch on Cowgate, which is usually only lit up during August for the festival.

Furthermore, developers plan to remove the existing roller shutters along Cowgate and install a new glazed frontage including glass doors.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The current windows would be “unblocked and revealed” while all existing window bars will be removed.

The proposals, drawn up by KB Architecture and Design also state: “It is of critical importance that any new proposed business within an existing building can be operated successfully and with efficiency all of which assist in enabling and maintaining a very high quality.

“This coupled with enhancing the historical value of the building both externally and internally helps to potentially deliver a truly sustainable business that can really add value to the city.”

Upon completion of work, developers say, “it will be proposed in discussion with adjoining neighbours to landscape and plant up the rear courtyard,” an space previously described as “a very barren concrete no man’s land” that “has been occupied from time to time by drug users who have a tendency to leave drugs paraphernalia lying around”.

It is not yet known when renovations will begin on the Cowgate premises. However, with Covid-19 impacting much of the construction industry, delays are likely.

Related topics:

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.