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The pub’s story
Stramash at 207 Cowgate is a current, large live-music bar in premises it identifies as the former Cowgate Free Church. The source trail needs a little care: the venue calls it an 1859 Patrick Wilson church, while the National Records of Scotland confirms the Cowgate Free Church charge was sanctioned in 1859 and a church opened for the congregation in 1860. That supports a mid-nineteenth-century church context, not a simplistic date for today’s bar. CAMRA also places the venue on the former Sin nightclub site. Stramash itself says it is a 700-capacity, two-level room with a mezzanine and free bands nightly through 03:00. The Council’s current register confirms it as a licensed Cowgate premises. This is for big, late live music. Not a quiet church-conversion cocktail stop. Because the official site does not state a fixed daytime opening hour, the guide presents the current city listing as a typical time rather than a guarantee.
What to notice
- 01
Read the former-church date carefully: archive evidence supports the Cowgate Free Church charge in 1859 and a church opening in 1860; the operator’s 1859 building date is attributed.
- 02
The operator says 700 capacity, while CAMRA says 900. The app uses the venue’s current 700 figure rather than merging conflicting capacities.
- 03
Free bands run until 03:00. The official site does not publish a fixed daily door time; the listed 17:00 opening is a current third-party guide, not a guarantee.
The time rail
The building, the pub and its interior may date from different periods. The timeline keeps documented dates separate from tradition.
National Records of Scotland records a Free Church congregation forming in St Mary’s Chapel for Cowgate mission work.
A missionary was appointed to the Cowgate mission, becoming its first minister when the charge was sanctioned the following year.
The Free Church Assembly sanctioned the Cowgate Free Church charge; the operator attributes the former church building to 1859 and Patrick Wilson.
National Records of Scotland records a church opening in the Cowgate to house the congregation.
Meeting Edinburgh lists Stramash as established in 2015; this describes the modern venue, not the church fabric.
CAMRA published an exterior record of Stramash at 207 Cowgate and identifies the site as a former church and former Sin nightclub.
Stramash operates as a 700-capacity Cowgate live-music bar with free bands seven nights a week until 03:00.
Sources & confidence
The official site supports current address, 700-capacity live-music identity, free-entry/live-band format and music-until-03:00 claim. Its church date and architect are treated as operator history rather than an independent building survey. Since it does not publish a fixed normal opening time, no machine-readable weekly schedule is inferred.
Research reviewed
- Records of Edinburgh, Cowgate Free Church / Cowgate United Free Church / Union United Free Church (CH3/431)National Records of Scotlandarchive
SupportsCowgate Free Church congregation formation in 1853, mission appointment in 1858, charge sanction in 1859 and church opening in 1860.
- HomeStramashofficial
SupportsCurrent 700-capacity live-music identity, free entry, bands seven nights a week until 03:00 and Wednesday ceilidh.
- About UsStramashofficial
SupportsTwo-floor layout, mezzanine, stage and operator’s 1859 / Patrick Wilson former-Cowgate-Free-Church claim, which is treated as attributed where it conflicts with the archival institutional chronology.
- Find UsStramashofficial
SupportsCurrent 207 Cowgate, EH1 1JQ address and contact details.
- Stramash!, EdinburghCampaign for Real Alespecialist
SupportsFormer-church setting, former Sin nightclub site and CAMRA’s current 900-capacity description; the operator’s current 700-capacity figure is displayed in the app as the primary figure.
- StramashForever Edinburgheditorial
SupportsCurrent third-party listing for 207 Cowgate, two-floor/mezzanine configuration and typical 17:00-03:00 daily opening; the listing is not an official guarantee.
- StramashMeeting Edinburgheditorial
Supports2015 establishment claim, current Cowgate address and independent event-venue description.
- Licensed Premises RegisterCity of Edinburgh Councilgovernment
SupportsCurrent licensed-premises entry for Stramash, Bruce Taverns Ltd, 207 Cowgate, EH1 1JQ.
