Mac Rating: 5.00 | Votes: 1 | Date: 19/06/2026 21:20:00

At the Canongate foot of Edinburgh's Royal Mile, a short walk downhill from the Scottish Parliament and the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the Canons' Gait is a two-level bar set in a historic building on one of the Old Town's most-walked streets. It takes its name from the gait, or path, once used by the Augustinian canons of Holyrood Abbey, tying it to the medieval history of the burgh of Canongate that grew up outside Edinburgh's old walls. The venue is arranged over two floors. At street level there is a modern lounge bar with wooden-topped tables, booths and bar seating, while downstairs a stone-floored cellar bar provides a more atmospheric space that doubles as a function and live-music room. The contrast between the bright upper bar and the vaulted cellar gives the Canons' Gait two distinct moods under one roof. The basement has a long tradition of supporting local musical talent, hosting traditional Scottish and Irish music sessions, jazz and blues nights and comedy. A long-running instrumental session fills the cellar on Wednesday evenings, and during August the room becomes a busy Fringe venue, drawing performers and audiences off the Royal Mile into its programme of shows. Reopened in June 2022 following a refurbishment under the ownership of the Bruce Group, the bar serves a food menu of small plates and larger meals with vegetarian and gluten-free options alongside its drinks. Standard hours run from midday into the late evening, with later closing on Friday and Saturday nights and extended trading during the festival season. Its position on the Canongate places it among a dense cluster of historic closes, museums and landmarks, including the People's Story Museum and Canongate Kirk, making it a convenient stop for visitors exploring the lower Royal Mile. The combination of a traditional pub welcome, a working live-music cellar and a setting steeped in Old Town history has kept the Canons' Gait a fixture of Edinburgh's social scene.