Pub to close to make way for student flats at historic site
The owners of a city pub have expressed their ‘heartbreak’ after announcing they will close within weeks.
The Willow, at Jock’s Lodge, has been forced to call last orders after it was sold by brewing giant Heineken to make way for student flats.
The controversial plans to knock down The Willow and neighbouring takeaway Chennai’s Marina were initially refused by the City of Edinburgh Council last June, but the proposal, which will see a seven-storey building erected, was green-lighted after a Scottish Government Reporter overturned the decision in December.
Nearby pub Limelight was also due to be demolished as part of the plans, but will now be contained within the new development.
It was expected The Willow would remain open until the summer. But now, in a post on Facebook, the venue’s owners have given an update, saying it is “with great sadness” they will be closing on Sunday, April 7.
They continued: “Despite our best efforts, and the support of a fantastic community, our Jock’s Lodge home has been sold by Heineken to make way for student flats. We are heartbroken to be closing our much loved pub, and saying goodbye to our wonderful staff.
“On Saturday, April 6, we will be hosting a private function in the evening but open as normal from 12-6.30pm. We’ll be back from 12 on the Sunday, so make sure you pop in and say cheerio.”
The site was once home to the original Jock’s Lodge inn, dating to at least 1650, and the first stop where the Edinburgh-to-London stagecoach would change horses.