Pub boss takes a gamble on Scottish theme for old casino

Published on Saturday 20 February 2010 10:15

A FORMER city centre casino and A-listed church is set to be transformed into a Scottish-themed pub and restaurant, creating more than 60 jobs.

The nightspot, named Ghillie Dhu, will replace the Stanley Casino, on Rutland Place, which shut down five years ago.

More than 5 million has been pumped into refurbishing the three-storey property, which has been designed with a predominantly Scottish theme. It is scheduled to open on 10 March.

Owner G1 Group also hopes it will become one of the top Edinburgh Fringe Festival venues, and are currently booking live comedy and music acts for July and August.

Manager Innes Wishart said: "We're offering drams, Scottish fayre and jigs and reels and we want to keep the theme really traditional. All our produce will be fresh and local, and we're working with Scottish breweries. There's also an extensive whisky menu.

"It's quite a different sort of place because it's set up in an old church and we've kept a lot of the original features, including the old windows, stone walls and a decorative vaulted ceiling.

"More jobs could be created later down the line as we will be looking to expand during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

"The venue will be open until 5am during the Festival and we hope to have a lot of comedy, drama and music acts booked up. We will definitely be a prominent feature in the programme."

The Grade A listed building, which will usually operate from 8am until 3am on weekdays, plans to celebrate its opening with live acts including ceilidh band, The Canongate Cadjers.

The ground floor of the 350-capacity venue is a traditional Scottish pub which will also serve food throughout the day. Upstairs, the entertainment space is reserved to host ceilidhs, live acts and private functions.

Regular events will include music sessions and comedy, while the restaurant will serve up a range of traditional Scottish dishes

G1 group runs more than 40 bars, clubs and restaurants across Scotland including The Granary Bar & Restaurant and Picardy Place, but the company hopes this latest venture will become a Festival hotspot.

Mr Wishart added: "We searched long and hard for the right location and are very pleased to have found a flagship property here on Rutland Place. We're looking forward to making our mark on the Edinburgh social scene."