The 3 prime Scottish Wetherspoons properties to be sold off - including popular Edinburgh pub

Last orders could be called for a final time at one popular Edinburgh pub as chain JD Wetherspoons puts a number of properties up for sale.

The pub chain - which was founded by Sir Tim Martin - has more than 800 venues across the UK and Ireland, with a number of them having hit the market in the last year, including the iconic Leith drinking spot Foot of the Walk.

Wetherspoons pub Foot of the Walk in Leith is at risk of closing. | Google Maps

Named for its location at the end of Leith Walk, the property was previously a picture house and snooker hall.

The news first came earlier this year, when Wetherspoons shared that the pub would continue to trade until a buyer was found.

At the time, a number of locals raised concerns over its potential closure with many fearing how it would impact regulars who “who rely on the pub for affordable food and drink prices” as well as its easy access for disabled customers and its proximity to a tram stop.

The Leith pub is just one of eight Wetherspoons locations for sale at the moment, with another two properties in Scotland also for sale.

Which Scottish Wetherspoons properties could close?

Alongside Foot of the Walk, Wetherspoons have put the former Bairds Department Store in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire on the market. This is in addition to the former Empire Bingo Club on Nicolson Street in Edinburgh.

The Hamilton department store closed permanently in 2014, with JD Wetherspoons purchasing the property in 2019 in the hopes of transforming it into a bar and hotel.

The chain’s proposal was expected to create around 60 jobs in the town, however work on the site was delayed as a result of the Covid pandemic. It returned to the market last year.

A popular haunt for many a Southsider back in the day, the La Scala was one of Edinburgh's oldest cinemas, opening in 1912. It was renamed the Classic in 1974 and later became a bingo hall.

Meanwhile, in 2019 Wetherspoons submitted proposals to fully refurbish the former Nicolson Street bingo hall, creating a 400-seat venue and around 100 jobs.

The plans were expected to cost around £2.5 million, with the chain having gained permission to change the premises into a pub despite concerns from residents.

Why are Wetherspoons selling pubs?

Outside of Scotland, Wetherspoons currently have several pubs and properties for sale around the country, including:

• Linen Weaver in Cork, Ireland
• The Quay in Poole, Dorset
• Ivor Davies in Cardiff, Wales
• Bingo Club in North Shields, Tyne and Wear
• The Grape & Grain in Crystal Palace, London

So far this year, according to their July trading update, Wetherspoons has sold or surrendered to the landlord 26 pubs resulting in a cash inflow of around £8.7 million.

This includes former Peebles Wetherspoons The Cross Keys which is now managed by Steven Colquhoun and Jenna Whitson, a local couple.

The premises on the market were said to be “smaller and older” or in locations where Wetherspoons owned a second pub in reasonably close proximity.

In the firm’s July trading update, CEO Martin shared that sale were at “record levels” despite owning fewer pubs.

The Standing Order on George Street, Edinburgh.

He said: “Sales per pub are approximately 21% higher than pre-pandemic levels, which has helped to compensate for the very substantial increase in costs.”

Martin explained that, compared to 2019, labour increased by around £164 million with rises in the price of energy and maintenance also playing a role.

He continued: “Notwithstanding these cost pressures, the company continues to endeavour to ‘widen the moat’ by investing in areas such as beer gardens, staff rooms, above-bar glass racks and improved beer dispense systems.”

In Scotland, pubs such as The Justice Mill in Aberdeen received a £1.4 million renovation, while planning permission has been sought to transform the empty offices above the Standing Order on George Street in Edinburgh into a hotel.