The Breweries of Old Edinburgh

In Edinburgh there are a lot of old brewery buildings still standing, some going back to the 18th century when large purpose-built breweries started to take over from the small-time brewers in the city's closes and wynds. These structures have now been repurposed and today are used mostly for housing. Their appearance as fine examples of our industrial heritage is an utter joy to behold.
Of course, the very big question is: why is this the case? What is so very different between the two great cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow that sees Glasgow have only one partial remains of an old brewery while every turn of a corner in Scotland's capital city seems to bring into view yet another old brewery and a wonderful old structure? Is it the case that Edinburgh cares more for its industrial heritage and architecture, or is it just down to the use of a better quality of sandstone that has managed to stand the test of time?
Starting on the site of McEwan's Fountain Brewery at Gilmore Park - an area that is now unrecognisable with most of the brewery now demolished and replaced with housing - we then wander down the closes leading off the Royal Mile to discover the location of 16th century brewers of beer.
From there we are literally tripping over a vast array of brewery buildings, from the Heriot Brewery in the Grassmarket to the Argyle Brewery in the Cowgate, William Younger's Holyrood and Abbey breweries; the breweries of Croft-an-Righ, North Back of Canongate, and the Boroughlough Brewery by The Meadows.
What is probably the very first purpose-built brewery in Edinburgh is then visited. It sits by The Pleasance, and can be seen on an old map of 1765. But even here it wasn't just one brewery; there was also Forrest's Brewery and the Pleasance Brewery, possibly both one and the same.
The whole city is quite simply blossoming with old brewery buildings that, while no longer brewing beer, have now seen a new lease of life, and their very existence contributes greatly to the reason why Edinburgh is now a World Heritage Site.
NOTE - I missed out a few websites that I should have mentioned in the video credits. These are 'Curious Edinburgh', breweryhistory.com, Lucy Jackson and The National, Scottish Brewing Heritage.

[@allonesame6467]

Ed discussing "That little building where Scotland's freedom was signed away" Is a hidden gem. Thank you for taking us and sharing!

[@Al.W7263]

Ed. I've been watching your videos for a few weeks now and really enjoyed them. I was born in Clydebank 1954 and joined the army in 1969, served 6 years and then moved to Canada 1976 at age 22. Too many changes there now for me to go back even for a vacation. I guess with all the breweries in Edinburgh there may have been a drunk or two. Thanks again.

[@jennyd255]

McEwan's was probably the first beer I ever drank. I'm slightly shocked to hear that the brewery has gone. I also look at the mountains of houses that we are building and wonder what all the residents do for work. I do think Edinburgh perhaps has a greater attachment to its heritage buildings, but I think that probably reflects the prevailing culture, where Glasgow has been all about technology and engineering, while Edinburgh is more finance, corporate branding and governance. Either way, as I suggested in my comment on the Glasgow video, it seems a real shame that so many of these fine old beers have effectively become corporate, mass produced and standardised. They have no soul, when compared to the sometimes rather hit and miss brews of my youth.

[@EdExploresScotland]

Hi Jenny. You make many good points there with regard to the differences between Glasgow and Edinburgh. Thank you.

[@Dunbardoddy]

I first went to university in Glasgow (University of Strathclyde '74 to'78) and after that Edinburgh (Heriot-Watt University '78 to '79) back when the Watt College was in Chambers Street. Glasgow had the real feel - hustle and bustle of a city of industry and commerce whereas Edinburgh felt more like a very large County Town and influenced more by banking and governance.

[@miltonofbuchanan]

Great tour of old Edinburgh buildings Ed . I wish Glasgow kept our old buildings and repurposed them like Edinburgh does.

[@EdExploresScotland]

Me too. I think one of the other comments probably puts us all right in that Edinburgh was very very different to Glasgow. Glasgow was the industrial power-house. It wasn't built to look grand. It was built to make things.

[@greigmcarthur3821]

McEwan's India Pale Ale! My dad drank the stuff, I tried it too and loved it but you now cannae find it anywhere Ed! I'd love to try it again. Great video once more, what history, what culture, now lost.

[@EdExploresScotland]

Cheers Greig.

[@robertmacintyre8065]

Great video again Eddie. The thing I always remember about Edinburgh, especially around Tynecastle, is the brewery smell. 👍🏻👏🏻

[@brycehermon5939]

An excellent video thanks Ed. And such an interesting topic. I'm a New Zealander and lived and worked in Edinburgh during the late 1970s. I can remember how amazed I was, seeing just how many pubs there were in and around Edinburgh. It was like being in heaven, haha. Your video certainly highlighted the number of breweries there must have been there over the years. Also, thanks for sharing a little of your younger years. I look forward to your next video.

[@EdExploresScotland]

Thanks Bryce.

[@mairimillar6606]

Thanks so much for covering this subject, Ed. I used to work for S&N but down at Holyrood. I've always been teetotal so my dad would claim my monthly beer allowance. I worked at Park Stores then head office. Messes with your head when areas like Holyrood and Fountainbridge change to this extent. Sent you a thank you. Mx PS.Will we ever forget that brewery smell of hops?

[@EdExploresScotland]

Hi Mairi. Thanks for that. Yes, the changes at Fountainbridge and the Holyrood area are extreme. About the only recognisable thing at Gilmore Park, apart from that one remaining building, is the canal.

[@johnsnedden5619]

Hi Eddie another good one, the stonework in Edinburgh is first class, in the early 80s in Glasgow when we were stripping the tenement roofs for renovation the slates were first class and the slates were all being sold to Edinburgh for the reslating of there roofs and Glasgow were getting inferior concrete tiles which changes the whole sky scape for the worse , cheers

[@EdExploresScotland]

Cheers John. Such a contrast between the two cities.

[@johnlevey9935]

More breweries than I knew about. I did my brewing training at Caledonian Brewery in 1974 and moved to Ushers in the Pleasance later the same year. I was a brewer there until 1977 when I moved to Allied Breweries in Alloa. I then transferred to Tetley Walker in Warrington in 1981 where I stayed until 1996. All these breweries have closed now. A great career in those days. The beer orders caused a lot of brewery closures. I finished my career in Robinsons of Stockport; a family brewery which is still going strong. I must go back to Edinburgh to look at all these old buildings you have discovered, especially around Arthur’s Seat where the well water was so good for attracting brewing companies. As another piece of interesting Edinburgh architecture I was at Royal High School on Regent Terrace in the year that it closed ( 1969). When it moved out to Barnton it became pretty inconvenient for getting to school from Fairmilehead. In those days we didn’t have a car.

[@EdExploresScotland]

Cheers John. That's quite a career in brewing. So sad that many of the country's breweries have gone. But at least we still have many of the buildings.

[@spentacle]

In 1968 the Croft an Righ (as in ryegrass) brewery was still standing, known as Steele, Coulsons and part of the Usher/Vaux empire. It was a sad empty place when I was sent down with Mickey Gunn to stock-take the crates of empty bottles in the yard. Needless to say a small explore was taken, pity I didn't have a camera. I was hoping you would get out to Slateford to the Caledonian Brewery, just still in use at that time before Carlsberg sent production to Belhaven in Dunbar and drew up plans for housing.

[@Bruce-1956]

I remember growing up in Edinburgh in the late 50s early 60s and the constant smell of hops.

[@Dunbardoddy]

I was a brewer in Edinburgh at Drybroughs from August 1979 to January 1983. By then the number of breweries were much reduced but Edinburgh was still very much a brewing city. I remember great camaraderie amongst brewers of all the different brewing companies at the winter monthly Incorporated Brewers Guild meetings at The Roxburghe Hotel.

[@iainmore3961]

I visited the brewery when i worked at the Brewing Archive at Heriot Watt Uni. I remember sampling the heavy they made way back then, lovely pint of beer it was way better than what they sold in pubs.

[@Dunbardoddy]

@@iainmore3961 Just to be clear what you would have sampled in the sample room or onsite visitors "pub" was exactly what was being sent out to the pubs (this is the whole idea of the sample room - to monitor what is going out to trade). Incidentally at that time most of the Heavy was fermented in the CF plant - the last commercial continuous fermenter operating in the northern hemisphere. We used to blind taste CF Heavy vs batch fermented Heavy regularly and had the central labs (in London) taste test panel do the same we always detected the very slight difference but London only managed a 50% success rate. As you can appreciate Heavy had more than the normal taste testing because of the involvement of the CF plant. It was a popular beer but my favourite was the Export which had Styrian hops as its late hop addition. Styrian is still one of my favourite late hops additions.

[@byrontilly5065]

The foghorn heralds another masterpiece!

[@EdExploresScotland]

It's a carnyx, not a foghorn. The Celtic sound of war. But thankyou.

[@thetimetraveller6550]

Great vid Ed that says it all 😊 thanks for taking me along what a smashing day oot!!

[@EdExploresScotland]

It was one day of sun amidst what seems to be a typical torrent of rain these days.

[@felixthecat265]

My grandfather had his "Lemonade" works just down the Pleasance from Bells Brewery. It was constructed in the drying close behind the tenement and incorporated the remains of an old brewery at the back of the site. It had a well that was capped off sometime in the early 1900s because the water became contaminated by amoebic dysentery! The works were closed in the late 1960s which was really the end of the small soft drinks companies in the town. Grandad was Dunbar & Co which had split from the earlier James Dunbar at Albion Road when the family divided after a second marriage. There were lots of these firms in Edinburgh.. Leitches, Globe, Smiths of Milton Bridge etc.. none survived past the early 70s when the trade became globalised by Schweppes and Coca Cola.

[@EdExploresScotland]

Many thanks for that. Scotland's soft drinks industry is a whole world waiting to be explored and stories to be told.

[@WillVenusASMR]

Those photos and information about Fountainbridge have brought back many lovely nostalgic memories of my childhood. Thanks so much for creating this. 👍

[@EdExploresScotland]

I enjoyed putting it all together. Thank you.

[@martinreid1740]

Thanks for this Eddie, I worked in the Hooyrood brewery in the hot summer of 1976, two twelve hour shifts. Six till six or ten till ten. The funny thing was on a Friday they used to let us finish ten minutes early so we go get out for pint before the pubs shut after you been working hard all day and probably drinking at least six or seven pints. Even the security man at the gate had a big tea pot filled with beer! Only one part survives the little round sandstone turret at Dynamic Earth.

[@andrewwhite3793]

Breweries were built on natural water springs . The Edinburgh Kings theatre was one as I remember working on it;s renovation 40 years ago and found the contractors working on the natural spring under the orchestra pit

[@qtronicqilt8898]

Fantastic video Eddy, compliments the Glasgow brewery video in the series 🙂. They are still brewing beer in Edinburgh on the west end side of the city, I often smell the malt/hops and yeast in the air.

[@EdExploresScotland]

Thank you. Good to see that someone's still brewing beer in the city.

[@Lynnthomason45]

Thanks for the nice tour of the old breweries. Very nice “little old buildings”! Cheers! Lynn in Naples FL

[@EdExploresScotland]

Cheers Lynn.

[@liamkatt6434]

Great video and you have a natural talent for telling the story.

[@EdExploresScotland]

Cheers Liam.

[@johnmull59]

Another fantastic and informative video Ed. Thank you. Sadly buying out businesses by bigger conglomerates and effectively closing them down is the way of the world. It doesn't always mean progress, just less choice and often poorer quality.

[@EdExploresScotland]

Cheers John.

[@jerrygregor]

In the way of tourists. Oh the irony. I was born at my granny's in St Peter's Place, Viewforth in 1962, on the corner of Horne Terrace, just over the canal from the brewery. My dad was a stocktaker for Scottish Brewers and his office was just about opposite the brick building you worked in. Holidays were long weekends in Selkirk and Peebles where my parents would work in bars for the common riding. Back to the breweries - you probably know that the Drybroughs Brewery (1892) at Craigmillar is still standing and the Caledonian Brewery (1869) on Slateford Road is about to be made into flats. It's funny how the breweries swallowed each other and got bigger and bigger and moved on . . . and now we're back to grass roots with craft breweries.

[@EdExploresScotland]

Cheers Jerry. I made a video about Drybrough's Brewery a while back. It's in here somewhere.

[@ArcAudios77]

Thanks Eddie, good watch & listen upon the Brewing 'Locations of the 'fair City'. Regard sent from an old Roman Town on the Antonine Wall. Cheers

[@EdExploresScotland]

Many thanks.

[@dougie6886]

An excellent and well put together video. A very interesting topic, and many unforgotten places, steeped in history.

[@EdExploresScotland]

Cheers Dougie.

[@kensmith6859]

Very informative

[@iainmore3961]

Righ is pronounced Reee! It is the Scots Gaelic word for King. In Spain it would be Real. In English - royal. I used to look onto the old Ushers Brewery when it was still a brewery. It is now a Student hall of residence. I worked fro a year at the Scottish Brewing archive at Heriot Watt Uni way back in the early 1980's - it was the best job I ever had.

[@EdExploresScotland]

Hi Iain. I myself carried out some voluntary work for the Scottish Brewing Archive a good few years ago. I was editor of their annual journal, just for a couple of years.

[@mairimillar6606]

Thanks!

[@EdExploresScotland]

Many thanks.

[@niallgerardjosephoconnells7097]

Good evening Ed. Breweries. Is that a Brewery.. kind regards Niall O'Connell Eire. 21.39pm. Irish time Sunday 🌃 nite. Love and kindness dear Ed.

[@EdExploresScotland]

Cheers Niall.

[@dannygmtg]

A quick Google and seems both Youngera and Mcewans are now owned by the Carlsberg Marstons brewing company and are brewed in Bedford.

[@scottjock]

Hi Ed. Very interesting again. Our school playground at Tynecastle stunk of the brewery. Or having listened it could have been maltings. Re the stealing of beer. It reminds me of my dad saying "the working mans his own worst enemy. Give him an inch and he'll take a mile" I think now he may have been right. It was simply known as "pockle"

[@raymondtodman3204]

Great video again Eddie. Thanks for covering Edinburgh's breweries. Find it really interesting. Was that a brewery 🤔........

[@EdExploresScotland]

Thanks Raymond. Breweries all over the place!

[@raymondtodman3204]

I actually had no idea there had been so many! I obviously new about the Mcewan's brewery at Fountain Bridge, Younger's down the Canon Gate and the Caledonia but had no idea there were so many others. Real shame they aren't still there. Like so many other industries in Scotland 🙄

[@jimph1]

Interesting video Ed. Seen you at Glen Rosa launch today but never got a chance to say hello.

[@EdExploresScotland]

Many thanks. A good day out, although Port Glasgow was looking a tad worse for wear with any number of closed pubs, hotels, etc. Covid and the loss of much industry has probably hit the town bad.

[@jocky2]

Thanks for the video Ed , learned a lot about Edinburgh, and the stand out feature for me is that they are all standing , which is kinda ironic 'cause I'm sure the recipients of their products were mainly knocked doon. The story about the workers makes me think that the people in Edinburgh at that time were permanently pisshed, Joking aside, looking foward as ever to yer nixt wan.

[@colinblack7049]

Hi Ed, thank goodness Edinburgh is repurposing the auld brewery buildings, great wee snippet of history the wee signing away of our freedom building.

[@Puffball-ll1ly]

Edinburgh is so busy now its lost alot of its charm. Good vid 👌

[@EdExploresScotland]

Yes, way too many tourists.

[@HappyMinds1]

Made me a wee but sad there Ed. Did not know Mcewans was no longer brewed in Edinburgh. Used to live in fountainbridge in the 90s, whole area smelt malty and cosy. Well apart from the butchers.

[@JimMcDonaldSoItIs]

Same. Yeaman place from 92 to 2003

[@christopherpickles7541]

As far as I can make out from a perusal of Wikipedia, McEwans and Youngers beers are currently being produced in Bedford. Even the Young Pretender didn't make it that far south.

[@leosommerville8757]

My granny used to work in the office ed don’t know if you know her from your time at the brewery?

[@EdExploresScotland]

I was just a young lad, Leo. Only time I went to the office was to get a wage advance. Sorry.

[@leosommerville8757]

@@EdExploresScotlandmy granny worked in the delivery department sending the beer out to pubs not the wages bit She does tell me it’s almost unrecognisable now that area with the brewery gone And another fact about me and that area is I went to school in the new boroughmuir high school which is also on the site of the old brewery. Someone told me where the school is that was were the beer was left to ferment into beer is this true ed?

[@EdExploresScotland]

I haven't got a clue, Leo. Take care mate.

[@davidmaclean2239]

Shame you didn't head out Slateford Road to see the last major brewery in Edinburgh, the Caledonian brewery, which was closed last year by Heineken. Originally the Lorimer and Clark, then Vaux brewery, it played in pivotal roll in the real ale revolution of the late 1970s early 1980s when it was reopened as the Caledonian by real ale enthusiasts. Sadly it was deemed unsuitable for brewing modern, mass produced, near tasteless beers.

[@EdExploresScotland]

Thanks David. That brewery was certainly in my mind. So sad to see it shut.

[@ErnieCG]

Interesting

[@josh0g]

Sad to see that McEwan's is demolished. Sadly many of the most recognizable brewers have been sold on to the big corporate conglomerates. I'm visiting Edinburgh for the first time in June (don't worry, no rolling bags with us), and I'm interested in finding some independent brewers to support either new or old. It's a shame the older ones are mostly not independent any longer. We have this problem in the US as well, of course. Anheiser-Busch is extremely predatory in their pursuit of smaller companies. The buy them out, lower prices, then hollow them out. If people aren't paying attention, then they think they're supporting a local business... but it's owned by AB now. I know we don't have the length of history behind these places in the US (Especially over here on the West Coast), but it is sad to see these community hubs hollowed out and turned into corporate franchises. Many that have built up over 3-4 decades... I found a video about London's oldest brewery, and the independent brewer that has taken up residence there to preserve its status as longest-running. A great story there.

[@EdExploresScotland]

Cheers Josh. Enjoy your trip.

[@davidkaneva9674]

Eddie did you grow up in the Binghams Edinburgh in the 1950s?

[@EdExploresScotland]

'Fraid not David. Take care.

[@borderlands6606]

The proximity of breweries to churchyards and cemeteries, is somewhat alarming. Drinking water was frequently compromised by grave yards, but I supposed it may have added to the calcium content. Cheers!

[@EdExploresScotland]

It's a very good point.

[@peterlaycock917]

Hello Ed welcome to Auld Reekie

[@EdExploresScotland]

Hi Peter. I used to live and work in Edinburgh. Always love visiting the place. Full of memories and, unfortunately, tourists. It's just a beautiful city.

[@RPMcMurphy-k9l]

Think your right Eddie the city fathers demolished every thing in their sight the victorians and in the 50s /50s they went coco

[@bertifrasilmeye995]

Hi,Carlsberg and Heineken - Probably the worst lagers in the world IMO. Oh!... but I dont hate them. “do dheagh shlainte”and ATB

[@heatherbruce4496]

So what's it called if an arch? Is square 😂. I call my square arch an arch. Great to see you x

[@EdExploresScotland]

Us old guys always get mixed up.

[@heatherbruce4496]

Us auld galls do too.

[@alexanderbrydone9873]

Anyone remember Bob Baxter I think he died after being hit by a truck.

[@MrMaharg65]

Great visit to Edinburgh there Eddie. 🫡👏

[@EdExploresScotland]

Cheers Graham.

[@duneideann9241]

1707 wasn’t a good vintage

[@EdExploresScotland]

Definitely not.