Watch as notorious Edinburgh pub demolished to make way for student housing
A famous Edinburgh pub has been demolished to make way for purpose built student accommodation.
Once known as Jock’s Lodge, the pub on the corner of London Road and Restalrig Road South had several names over the years, including Jimmy O'Rourke's, Barrelhouse Bar & Grill, and more recently The Willow.
Plans to redevelop the site into student accommodation have been in the work for some time, with planning permission granted in December 2023 despite receiving over 1,000 objections.
You can watch the video above which shows what remains of the site as work gets under way to build the 191-student bed student accommodation block.
The site was once home to the original Jock’s Lodge inn, dating back to at least 1650, which was the first stop where the Edinburgh-to-London stagecoach would change horses.
The notorious pub closed in 2011 after drug dealer James Carlin was shot on the premises, but after standing empty for several years the property was given a £280,000 refurbishment and reopened as the Barrelhouse Bar & Grill in November 2016, promising a relaxed, New Orleans-style setting, live music and quality food. The venue later reopened as The Willow.