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The pub’s story
The Mitre Bar occupies 131-133 High Street beside Bishop’s Close on the Royal Mile. The key distinction here is evidence: Nicholson’s says a tenement owned by John Spottiswood, Bishop of St Andrews, stood on the site in 1615, burned in 1814 and was replaced by the present pub; those are operator claims. Historic Environment Scotland’s National Record instead supports the address as a nineteenth-century public house, not that specific earlier chronology. The bishop’s buried throne and ghost are explicitly local legend. Today it is a lively Nicholson’s house with changing cask beer, pub food, old-Edinburgh pictures, rear dining space and scheduled weekend music. It is a good city-centre ale-and-food stop, but its atmosphere is busy and visitor-facing rather than a preserved historic interior. Official hours are 11:00-00:00 Sunday. Thursday and 11:00-01:00 Friday. Saturday.
What to notice
- 01
Treat the 1615/1814 narrative as operator history; the throne and ghost are folklore, not established fact.
- 02
CAMRA lists changing cask beer and live music on Friday, Saturday and Sunday; confirm individual sets before travelling.
- 03
Official hours: Sun. Thu 11:00-00:00; Fri. Sat 11:00-01:00. CAMRA’s older listing starts at noon outside August.
The time rail
The building, the pub and its interior may date from different periods. The timeline keeps documented dates separate from tradition.
Nicholson’s says a tenement on the site was owned by John Spottiswood, Bishop of St Andrews.
Nicholson’s says the earlier tenement burned and was replaced by The Mitre Bar; this is operator history.
The National Record of the Historic Environment classifies 131 and 133 High Street, also known as Mitre Public House, as a nineteenth-century public house.
CAMRA’s latest recorded survey documented the current pub’s layout, beer offer and facilities.
CAMRA updated its record of The Mitre as a Nicholson’s-operated Royal Mile pub.
The Mitre continues at 131-133 High Street with official daily opening times, real ale and pub food.
Sources & confidence
The Nicholson’s venue page supports the current name, address, contact details, offer and opening times. It also supplies the 1615 and 1814 site narrative and ghost/throne tale; these are kept explicitly as operator history and legend rather than independently verified building history.
Research reviewed
- Nicholson’s Pub in Edinburgh | The Mitre BarNicholson’s Pubsofficial
SupportsCurrent operator, address, opening hours, food/beer offer and the operator’s site-history account.
- Edinburgh Ale TrailNicholson’s Pubsofficial
SupportsThe operator’s description of the mitre name and the buried-throne/ghost legend.
- Mitre, EdinburghCampaign for Real Ale (CAMRA)specialist
SupportsCurrent Nicholson’s operation, real ale, layout, live-music programme and survey/update dates.
- Edinburgh, 131 and 133 High StreetHistoric Environment Scotland / National Record of the Historic Environmentgovernment
SupportsNational Record identification of the address as Mitre Public House and nineteenth-century public-house classification.
- Licensed premises dataCity of Edinburgh Councilgovernment
SupportsCurrent council licensed-premises dataset for city-centre premises including The Mitre’s address.
- The Mitre BarTripadvisoreditorial
SupportsBusiness-managed secondary description and recent owner responses corroborating the current pub operation.
