Edinburgh club to be turned into hotel and ceilidh venue

Proposals to transform a nightclub and festival venue in Edinburgh’s Old Town into a boutique hotel and ceilidh hall have been approved by planners.

The Cow Shed, Bar Bados and Subway nightclub in the Cowgate will be refurbished as a hotel, bar-restaurant and function room which could be used for weddings, according to plans submitted by Bruce Group Scotland.

The bar and restaurant is set to be established in the Cow Shed part of the site, under the bridge arch, while the hotel rooms will be formed above the current Bar Bados nightclub.

Developers said the 26-bedrooms in the hotel would “have a Scottish feel to them with a modern twist”.

Bruce Taverns already runs some bars and clubs in the capital, including Stramash, Whistle Binkies, the Royal Mile Tavern, George IV Bar, the Globe and Opium.

Planning documents submitted to Edinburgh City Council on behalf of the operator say the new units will have a “boutique Scottish feel to it with the bar and restaurant offering a street food marketplace atmosphere within the stone walls”.

Permanent lighting is to be added under the George IV Bridge arch in the Cowgate, which is usually only lit up during August for the Edinburgh Festival.

Furthermore, developers plan to remove the roller shutters along the Cowgate and install a glazed frontage including glass doors.

The current windows would be “unblocked and revealed” while all window bars would be removed.

The proposals, drawn up by Edinburgh’s KB Architecture and Design, also state: “It is of critical importance that any new proposed business within an existing building can be operated successfully and with efficiency all of which assist in enabling and maintaining a very high quality.”

The plans add: “This, coupled with enhancing the historical value of the building both externally and internally, helps to potentially deliver a truly sustainable business that can really add value to the city.”

It is not yet known when renovations will begin on the Cowgate premises.

However, with the Covid-19 pandemic affecting much of the construction industry across the country, delays are likely.