Pub breaks tradition and kicks habit

Published on 11/09/2004 12:14

ONE of Scotland’s oldest pubs has become the latest to introduce a total ban on smoking.

The 650-year-old Sheep Heid, in Duddingston, has introduced the ban following a major refurbishment.

Customers will now only be allowed to smoke in the pub’s courtyard.

The move comes after the city’s Lauriston Farm Brewers Fayre became the first pub in Scotland to outlaw cigarettes.

Staff there recently revealed food and drink sales were up more than seven per cent since the ban. The Sheep Heid’s owners say the fact the pub is a listed building has meant the smoking ban has been brought in sooner rather than later.

They say the building’s structure makes it impossible to fit adequate ventilation equipment. A spokesman for the pub said: "We are confident that our customers will appreciate this measure and see it as an attempt to make their visit to the Sheep Heid an even more enjoyable experience.

"We still welcome smokers to the Sheep Heid. We have a well-equipped courtyard garden."