New Edinburgh hotel to be built in car park of 153-year-old pub after councillors approve plans

Hotel set to be built in car park of historic Edinburgh pub

Plans to build a new hotel in the car park of one of Edinburgh’s oldest pubs have been given the green light.

Edinburgh City Council have approved an application for a 14-room hotel behind the 153-year-old Canny Man’s bar in Morningside.

The applicant, Kerr Pubs and Hotels, who also own the nearby Lane Hotel, want the hotel to be constructed on Canaan Lane, behind the pub on Morningside Road, as well as two ground floor short-term let apartments.

A hotel plan for the car park of the Canny Man's, in Morningside, Edinburgh, has been approved. Photo: The Canny Man's.

Planners said: “The proposals will deliver a sustainable and well-designed scheme that will contribute to climate mitigation and adaptation. The design draws on the character of the surrounding area to create a strong sense of place.

“Transport generation and parking proposals are acceptable. Other material considerations support the presumption to grant planning permission.”

Planners said the move to build the new hotel is designed to meet growing demand. They stated: “The Canny Man’s Pub and Lane Hotel are run by the Kerr family that has been associated with the Canny Man’s for over 150 years.

“Whilst the pub is well known, the Lane Hotel is a more recent edition to the business and has survived Covid lockdowns to become a busy and popular destination for visitors to Edinburgh."

“The Lane Hotel cannot cope with the demand for accommodation and therefore the rationale for this project is to increase the number of hotel rooms available for rent on land owned by the family.

“The proposal is to construct a new building to provide an additional 14 rooms.”