Edinburgh Boom Battle Bar: I tried axe-throwing at Edinburgh's new bar and it was terrifying (but fun)

Axe throwing in a bar. What could go wrong?

It’s not the most orthodox of nights out, but axe throwing is a wild new craze sweeping the nation.

Boom Battle Bar threw open its doors in Edinburgh’s Omni Centre just last week, offering punters the chance to play pool, darts, crazy golf, explore an escape room, and wield murder weapons for fun.

With everything that’s happened over the last few years – the pandemic, war in Ukraine, the cost of living crisis, Liz Truss – it’s probably the perfect time to unleash that pent up rage.

I tried axe-throwing at Edinburgh's Boom Battle Bar - this is what I thought

So I decided to head over to see if lobbing a sharp object at a wall would do me any good.

Found on the ground floor of the shopping centre at the top of Leith Walk, Boom Battle Bar leans into its neon and exposed steel vibe.

Loud dance music is being blasted as we arrive and wonder how alcohol consumption and axe throwing could ever mix.

The good news is, they don’t. You are given a wristband telling staff not to serve you alcohol, thank goodness.

We enjoyed much-needed glass of bubbly post axe-throwing

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We are escorted over to the axe-throwing area, which comprises long metal cages (for lack of a better word) with a flat wooden plank attached to the wall with a bullseye.

Only one person is allowed in the ‘cage’ at a time, and there is a cheerful instructor to guide you on the best hurling technique.

You get one point if your axe sticks in the plank, and five if you hit a bullseye – which is harder than it sounds.

You’d think throwing an axe at something should be easy, unlocking a primitive instinct. Well, it turns out it is not.

Most of the axes I chuck bounce off the plank pathetically onto the woodchips below. It’s not all about brute strength. There is a real knack to how you should throw it – angling your elbow and unleashing the axe like a spring.

It is a knack I cannot get my head around in the allotted half an hour, which truly flew by – I would recommend trying the 60 minute slot.

The instructor is endlessly enthusiastic and patient with us all, and has some really helpful tips. But I can’t help thinking I might somehow manage to chop my own arm off.

However, it did feel safe and the people I was with got the hang of it far more quickly, and were able to unleash their inner lumberjacks.

This is a hilarious and offbeat activity for a group of friends, which is pretty affordable at about £6.50 a head.

But, maybe next time I’ll stick with something more subdued, like augmented reality darts.