The Arlington Bar

Urban legend has it that The Arlington Bar is home to the stone of destiny. The stone was stolen by four patriotic Glasgow Uni students from Westminster on Christmas Day 1950 before being taken back by the London Police just four months later. It wasn’t returned to Scotland until 1996 - some would argue this is why we can’t have nice things. 

However, rumour has it that the stone now on display in Edinburgh alongside the crown jewels is just a very convincing replica and that in fact our very own Arlington, a cosy old-man style pub in the west end is the real resting place of Scotland’s most famous rock, which, if you believe the talk, never left Scotland in the first place after its arrival in two pieces in 1950. 

The pub owners claim that the four students came in for a celebratory pint after returning to Scotland with the stone, as you do, and, instead of sending the real stone back to England, they sent back a fake and hid the real one under a boxed pub seat in the Arli. 

Nationalist pride aside however, The Arlington is a charming blend of old-fashioned boozer and hipster hangout. No attitude and fuss-free, it’s filled largely with art school students and locals, with friendly staff and a wide variety of affordable drinks including craft beer, wine and spirits. 

The regular DJ sets, open mic events and live sports coverage tend to draw regular crowds. Despite its trendy location, The Arlington is a straight-up no nonsense pub, a west end anomaly well-loved by its regulars for its low prices and consistently good atmosphere.

[Rosie McKean]