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The pub’s story
Barony Bar occupies the ground floor of a bowed corner tenement built around 1818 at Broughton Street and Broughton Place. Historic Environment Scotland records John Forrester's public-house work of 1898-99 and the building's Category B listing. The tiled dado carries small Scottish rural scenes, while timber fireplaces and mirrored overmantels give the room much of its detail. Above the counter, a ceiling-height oak gantry draws the eye towards the decorative cornice. Outside, dark timber and a red BARONY fascia wrap the frontage, with the words Eighty five and Eighty three above the windows and entrance. The operator serves food daily from noon until nine in the evening, alongside ordinary daily bar opening. The contrast between the bowed stone upper floors and the elaborate timber pub front is visible from the Broughton Place corner.
What to notice
- 01
The dado tiles contain small Scottish rural scenes.
- 02
The oak gantry rises towards the decorative cornice.
- 03
The red fascia reads BARONY, with Eighty five and Eighty three on the side panels.
The time rail
The building, the pub and its interior may date from different periods. The timeline keeps documented dates separate from tradition.
The bowed corner tenement was built.
Ross MacLean records John Moffat as a spirit dealer at No.85.
John Forrester carried out the recorded public-house work.
Ross MacLean records John McLauchlan operating at both 83 and 85.
The building was listed at Category B.
Grid Iron staged Barflies, adapted from Charles Bukowski writings, in the Barony Bar.
Sources & confidence
HES establishes the c.1818 shell, 1898-99 pub work, surviving interior and Category B listing. Two occupation events are attributed to Ross MacLean in Spurtle issue 140, not independently established from directories. Its conflicting 1830/Category A assertions are excluded. Official ordinary bar hours are distinct from food service. Exact OSM pub-node coordinates and address were retrieved and plotted against building geometry. Frontage references agree, although the official image dates from 2021.
Research reviewed
- Current identity, address, contact and visitor offer; ordinary hours only where explicitly statedVenue operatorofficial
SupportsCurrent identity, address, contact and visitor offer; ordinary hours only where explicitly stated.
SupportsPremises identity, address, bar description and present beer offer. Survey/update dates are not historical events.
- Exact pub node 1608938029 contains the recorded latitude, longitude, name, street and postcodeOpenStreetMap contributorsappearance
SupportsExact pub node 1608938029 contains the recorded latitude, longitude, name, street and postcode. Retained XML verifies the premises; stale hours and telephone tags are excluded.
- LB45931: cHistoric Environment Scotlandgovernment
SupportsLB45931: c.1818 building; John Forrester public-house work 1898-99; Category B listing 16 June 1966; bowed corner, rural-scene tiles, timber fireplaces, mirrored overmantels and oak gantry.
- Issue 140 page 3, Historic Barony Bar: John Moffat spirit dealer at NoBroughton Spurtle, Ross MacLeaneditorial
SupportsIssue 140 page 3, Historic Barony Bar: John Moffat spirit dealer at No.85 in 1860; John McLauchlan at 83 and 85 in 1900. Retrospective attribution only. Its 1830 building and Category A assertions conflict with HES and are excluded.
- Official exterior photograph: dark timber, red BARONY fascia and numbered word panels; current public identityBarony Bar operatorappearance
SupportsOfficial exterior photograph: dark timber, red BARONY fascia and numbered word panels; current public identity. Image file path dates to 2021.
- 4 August 2009 interview with director Ben Harrison: Grid Iron Barflies, based on Charles Bukowski writings, staged in Barony BarThe Skinny, Clare Sinclair and Michael Coxeditorial
Supports4 August 2009 interview with director Ben Harrison: Grid Iron Barflies, based on Charles Bukowski writings, staged in Barony Bar. This is an adaptation connection, not Bukowski patronage.
- 24 January 2016 film-programmer account identifies Barony Bar as a hand-drawn Edinburgh landmark in The Illusionist (2010)Broughton Spurtle, James Mooneyeditorial
Supports24 January 2016 film-programmer account identifies Barony Bar as a hand-drawn Edinburgh landmark in The Illusionist (2010). Animated depiction, not live-action filming.
