Sheep Heid Inn Edinburgh

Not been here for many years but still an awesome place for a nice lunch. I had the monkfish scampi as a main and salt and pepper squid to start. J had the sausage and mash with the pate starter. Just loved it. Great service from the team as well

The Sheep’s Heid became our local for several weeks this winter after arriving for our extended stay in Edinburgh. My sister and I spent many enjoyable hours in this cozy, welcoming pet friendly pub/restaurant. It’s a must visit for the history, the tremendous service, drinks, and food. We shall temporarily miss our evenings with our favourite people who were so good to us and Caleb the Llaso Apso. We thoroughly enjoyed Hogmanay 2025. Quiet, but special! We will return in the Spring to enjoy the lovely patio and our new friends, Craig, Kamil, Harry, Irena, Ruk, Archie, Riley, Albi. Also, have to learn how to play Skittles.

We visited The Sheep Heid Inn for my birthday and everything was absolutely exceptional. The food was delicious and beautifully presented, but what really made the experience special was the service from Irena — attentive, friendly, and genuinely welcoming without being overbearing. The team went out of their way to make the occasion feel special. Couldn’t have asked for a better birthday meal. Highly recommend!

Cozy, rustic atmosphere with lots of character. The whisky advice was detailed and knowledgeable – you can really feel the passion behind it. A very warm place with friendly conversations, both with other guests and the staff. The bowling alley is a great highlight and makes even half an hour a lot of fun. Highly recommended.

Celebrated my partner's birthday today at the Sheep Heid Inn Edinburgh. My first visit and a wonderful pub environment, welcoming and very comfortable. Service excellent and food beautifully presented and tasty. Thanking you for the birthday treat for my partner. Made his day. Will certainly revisit as a customer.

We love this pub and it's never disappointed. It has a great atmosphere, cosy and traditional. Have been here for Sunday lunches, occasional dinners, this time for a late weekday lunch. Staff were super friendly, jokey but professional, seats were great and food was outstanding (scallops, pies, salad, soup, pizza, pork, desserts), well presented, great composition of flavours, good portion size. Will come back on a regular basis, as we are local, but also bring visitors. Not stayed in rooms so cannot comment on this.

Excellent Sunday lunch. Good vibe, old and quaint. Had beef sirloin which was cooked beautifully pink. Good yorkshire pudding and BOTTOMLESS GRAVY!! Plenty of veg and some optional sides. Pudding options were good and we had after lunch cocktails which were well made. Server (Harry) was friendly and attentive. Forgot to take photos of lunch.

Had our Works Christmas lunch here and we were very impressed. Great quality food, much of it "home made", proper turkey served, good sized portions for everything. Service was excellent as well. Will very likely go back here.

In from the States, my family and I enjoyed our first meal in the Oldest Pub in Scotland. Located near Holyroodhouse and Arthur's Seat, we made reservations, which are highly recommended. Entering the establishment, you are immediately taken back in time with the aesthetics. A bar is immediately to your right with bar area tables to the left. Further back and around is a small dining room where we were seated. In front of our table was another with two very high back chairs. HRH Queen Elizabeth II dined here in 2016. We ordered scallop with prosciutto appetizers, pub burgers and fish and chips. Everything was delicious.

Gord and I had supper Monday evening at the Sheep Heid Inn because it's apparently the oldest pub in Edinburgh ... established in 1360! Gord ordered Battered Line-caught Cod & Chips (minted pea pureé, chunky tartare sauce, lemon) and I ordered Steak and Ale Pie (creamed potato, beef-dripping. Plus Gord ordered a black currant mousse. All were good. Lucy was friendly and took good care of us.

Excellent service by Jessie, food we outstanding. This is a must experience. Make sure to stop by the bowling ally.

The building is pretty cool. Service was nice, but the food is subpar. Dinner was edible however dessert was not. The flour on the apple crumble tasted raw, the apples were still firm and the most awful thing... the custard. It tasted like play dough boiled with milk. I actually gagged. Go for the atmosphere and a drink, skip the rest.

Well started out strong here with reservations at Skittles on July 8th. Super fun way to start our night out. Then at 9 it all went down hill. Had reservations for 6 which they sat us but with not saying order now all you are getting including desert due to kitchen closing. Had these reservations for months and nothing ever said about this, but, we did what they requested. Got food out, and honestly it all looked good in pictures. Some stuff tasted better than others, but let's just say 3 of the 6 of us, got death defying food poison, and for us 3, we only had the tomato soup the same so it had to be from that. We were out 2 days being sick and it was not a way to start our 16 days over there. Waiter was fIne, servers sorta rude and was pushed inter time while eating and drinks forgot. Would not suggest if only going to say you been to this old place. I would say grab a pint and bowl a game then leave and eat somewhere else.

Excellent food, drinks, service. Off the beaten path in Edinburgh but well worth the journey for the meal and atmosphere.

What a wonderful way to spend our first night in Edinburgh! The history of the oldest public house in Edinburgh and the village where Sheep's Heid is located are both charming! The food was fantastic, the four of us had the Beef Brisket and cheese pie, the venison, the sea bass and the pork belly. Absolutely delicious each one! The Haggis was also delicious! Rachel, our server was just perfect and helped make it a fabulous experience. On her recommendation we tried the sticky toffee pudding and it was fantastic, as was the pavlova! Thank you to all of you and we wish you hundreds of more years of success!

Fantastic lamb and drinks at the oldest pub. Loved the STP too. The calamari was good too. We will visit here again.

Outstanding pub. I appreciated the impressive vegan options. I ordered the Morracan-styled cauliflower tart. The pastry was delicious and the filling was so creamy it just melted in your mouth. For dessert I had the apple plum crumble with soy custard. It was the perfect ending. Definitely make reservations. The night we went there was a sign on the door saying they couldn't accept walk ins.

This. Place. Is. Amazing. It claims to be Scotland's oldest pub, and it's easy to see why it's still in business since 1360. This place is just far enough out of the city centre that you can justify spending a whole afternoon or evening there, but close enough that almost everyone you ask will know about it or have been at least once. From the outside, it looks just like any given old man's pub, serving real ales and home-cooked food. Nothing surprising so far. But when you get inside the place has a surprisingly young and laid back crowd, with an atmosphere to match. The food is way better than you'd expect in most pubs, although it is slightly pricer. For your money though, you get decent-sized portions and according to the menu certain ingredients like the sausages are sourced locally, so you can feel proud of yourself for helping out local farmers/butchers in the process of stuffing your face with bangers and mash. I'm not a real ale drinker, in fact I'm about as far in the opposite direction as you can go, and there's definitely a good range of spirits and wines to cater for the likes of me. They stock ginger beer to go with my gin for a start, instead of watery ginger ale that a lot of places have. But saving the best 'til last... they still have the original Victorian skittles alley out the back which you can hire out. Most pubs are doing well with a pool table or an it-box, but this definitely trumps a dartboard and I'd highly recommend it.

This is such a cool place! Not only is it Edinburgh's oldest pub which makes it great in itself, but it is set in a lovely location, being in Duddingston Village and close to Arthurs Seat. It's good to go to on sunny or rainy days. I love the atmosphere in this pub. When I went I was able to grab a seat in the beer garden, before it became really busy, and was able enjoy the sun (yes sun in Edinburgh). Then myself and a friend went inside to have some good food. I don't think you're allowed to have food out in the beer garden, though there is a small balcony area upstairs where it looked like you can have food. There's a good mix of clientele from families to groups of friends out for a few drinks. They had a guy singing in the beer garden yesterday which was a nice touch. He did covers of what I consider to be chilled out songs which suited the atmosphere of the place. There is also the skittles alley which I've yet to try, but I've heard great things about it so it's definitely on my list of things to do. Great pub!

I absolutely love the idea of this place but in reality it is neither as quaint nor accommodating as it seems. After reading the website, a month from my travel, I did not book a reservation to eat based on their website's insistence that they were "always avaIlable for walk-ins". I was a single, which I thought would make things easier, but was told straight away (at 4.15 PM) that they had "absolutely no opening". I got a spot w/in the bar area but was not told by the bartender that the Sunday roast is not available in the seated bar area (that information is also not available on their website). After asking, I was basically told "sorry/oh well" from both the hostest and bar staff, a trip I made solely for that roast. In all, lovely place but absolutely book because their laissez fare attitude on their website is hardly their practice.

Great atmosphere but small. They have an awesome burger that if your American, like me, you will love it! All the drink are awesome also!

Good local spot. Food was good but service was lacking. She brought the wrong bottle of wine to another couple at our table then it took longer d for food. Trivia was starting as we were finishing so it got very crowded in the front of the restaurant. We will go again in hopes the service improves. Food and prices are good.

At 1360 years old, it's the oldest kittle alley in Scotland. The mini boing alley is absolutely awesome and hidden gem if you ask anyone. The Sheeps Heid Inn is, in and of itself, is awesome. Besides the history, the customer service and local bits and beers are tops. I highly recommend this historic experience to anyone who comes to Scotland. #sheepsheidinn

Following the steps of Her Majesty the Queen we paid a visit to the renowned Sheep Heid Inn. We booked for 4 people at 1:30pm, the table was waiting for us upon arrival and we're welcomed by friendly front of house Kelsie. The place was rather busy as all tables were pre-booked. We ordered some drinks (alcohol free beers, Caesar Augustus ale and some orange juice) As per starters we had two soups of the day, Stilton & Mushroom with artisan rustic bread & butter, Salt & Szechuan Pepper Squid followed by Cod & chips, Wagyu Burger with extra bacon, child portion Fish Goujon and a Duck Salad as mains. And here's when all kicked off... we were served by a tall dude who looked spaced out/in the zone and by waitress Kelsie & a bearded waiter as a back-up... Tall Dude took the drink orders, but they never arrived...until we re-asked to Bearded Waiter and ...voila drinks arrived in 1 minute... After a 25 minutes wait our starters arrived; the Stilton & Mushroom soups were a terrible disappointment as they did not taste of Stilton or mushrooms either, they were certainly not creamy and they looked more like some green over diluted salty stock...or dirty warm water... To top it up, Tall Dude got catering lesson 1.0.1 wrong as he did not do the mise-en-place...AKA forgot to bring spoons....we asked him for them to no avail so I started to drink it from the bowl, camping style... when we got the attention of Bearded Waiter we got the spoons in a second... After finishing our almost edible starters, we ordered a second round of drinks to Tall Dude; who of course did not deliver...after 5 minutes we got Kelsie and she brought our drinks in a good timely fashion, thank goodness. After a long wait for our mains, Tall Dude appeared with all our mains; but guess what ... catering lesson 1.0.2 was missed too as he forgot to clear the empty bowls & plates from the starters to make room...anyhow... My mate's Cod & Chips was a 5/10 experience while my Wagyu Burger was good enough; so it was the Duck Salad (7/10). Pros: Kelsie & Bearded Waiter, the atmosphere, the pub interiors. Cons: the food & the Tall Dude appalling non-existent service. Plenty room for improvement as you may guess...but it won't be me testing if that happen (or not)... any time soon....

If you're in Edinburgh, stop in to the oldest pub! Food and service were fantastic! A bit out of the way but worth the Uber ride over.

Have you wanted to get out of the City but you don't have a car and can't be bothered with buses? Head towards the famous "hill" of Edinburgh, Arthurs Seat. You can climb it if you want- it does have spectacular views from the top and provides the feeling of self accomplishment. However you can also walk around it and head towards the village of Duddingston. There are a variety of routes to reach the village, either following the road , from which you will get to see Duddingston Loch, or under via the Innocent Cycle Path or even over Arthur's Seat. Once you arrive at the village head towards the famous Sheep's Heid Inn- the "oldest public House of Scotland" (from 1360!). It was thought to be the stopping place for travellers and royalty going between Holyrood and Craigmillar Castle. Here you will find a good selection of beers and ales and other drinks (much needed after the walk) as well as food. The pub is like a treasure trove, with various memorabilia left from previous visitors-so take your time to have a look around(I surely did), as well as board games you are welcome to use. There is also a cute beer garden in the back if you are lucky with the weather, and do not miss out on taking a look at the old skittle alley- ask a member of staff to let you in if you can't find it. Skittles is like an early form of bowling and the Inn is quite popular for it, so it is usually hard to book a slot. There is a large variety of food to choose from, from tourist favourites of haggis and other Scottish delicacies to lighter options. On Sunday's there is also a roast which tends to get quite popular (call to book in advance!) and around spring and the summer there are various barbeques and beer festivals (check their website for more details: http://www.sheepheid.co.uk/history.html). Prices are on the verge of affordable, but one is really visiting this place for its ambience. I always take visiting friends here as a sort of "outing". Although the food can be quite stodgy and heavy I would highly recommend this place to any visitor or resident of Edinburgh who wants to let go of the city and get a feel of an "authentic" pub-a cosy place whatever the weather may be!

Glad we tried the oldest pub in Scotland (I think?). Drink choices were good and I like that it's hidden away a bit and doesn't feel touristy.

This place is the perfect country pub - but you don't have to drive out to the country. Very cosy with great staff (though maybe a bit mental). Always got a couple great Real Ales. Good bar menu, we had the steak frites and the burger, both were great value for money. freshly ground coffees also, and we shared a chocolate brownie, BOOM! This is what pub lunches are all about, don't look anywhere else. Also, don't forget, beer garden, beer festival, separate restaurant, child and dog friendly, skittle alley.... I HEART The Sheep Heid!!

After debating whether this pub was called the sheeps head OR the sheeps heed, a friend and I trekked past Arthur's seat to go find out! It's a beautiful walk up there in good weather, but definitely out of the way if one's situated in Edinburgh city centre. It has the cosy feeling that many Edinburgh pubs have, but seemed much lighter, probably due to the sunny day and after ordering our drinks, we made our way to the back where there's a really pleasant outdoor seating area. There was a little drama over our orders, as not that many bartenders are accustomed to mixing Guinness with coke! The most surprising aspect of the trip was how large and modern the bathrooms our; they would do any hotel proud! If the Sheepsheid was a little bit closer, I'd probably visit more often!

I found my way here across Holyrood park from the residences at Pollock Halls on the suggestion of a local. The walk, the neighborhood, the food, the service, and the restaurant experience were all delightful. While the place was very busy with many people waiting, the staff was congenial and professional. Once seated my order was taken quickly, and served promptly. I ordered the Trio Sunday Roast (beef, chicken, and pork, and the typical potatoes, vegetables, and Yorkshire pudding) and enjoyed it. It was just the right portions for me as well, with room for a bit of desert. I had the mini-rasberry creme brulee and a capacino which were particularly nice. Everything was above average, and met my expectation as set by the fellow who recommended it to me. I will return if ever I get the chance. As a bonus, the family sitting at the table next to mine had several charming youngsters who had just learned to clink glasses and exclaim "Cheers!" It made for a lively and very cheerful dinner time for me. I can highly recommend you arrange to arrive at about the same time as them and get a table nearby. Cheers!

Pretty mediocre Sunday roast. No lamb option. The chicken was immediately forgettable. The beef was over cooked. The potatoes were under cooked. The cabbage was starting to turn. Maybe they hated me because I tried to order custard and was told there was no custard. Then someone in my group ordered custard. Dude, I'm going to find out because we are literally sitting next to each other. Totally not cool.

I love this place. Officially the oldest pub in Scotland! After a long post Christmas walk up and around Arthur's seat we needed some grub. We had visited the Sheep's Heid before so we knew we would get something good. Nestled down a cobbled street in Duddingston, The Sheep's Heid is the cutest Inn you ever did see. Inside is super cosy and welcoming. We walk into the bar and the friendly staff show us to a table in the back. This pub looks small but it can hold quite a few tables! The lighting is dim and the chairs are super comfy, after a couple of pints you could easily drift off into a slumber. We look at the menu and David does his usual and goes for the burger. I decide upon the seabass. The food doesn't take long and we are soon tucking in. My seabass is beautifully cooked and came with delicious vegetables and dressing. David's burger must have been good as he seemed to inhale it! We are both too full for a dessert even though they do sound amazing. Lunch cost about £30 but that was with a drink each as well, not bad at all. A great place to bring the family to or just hanging out on a Sunday. I am desperate to try their Sunday roast! If you have the energy afterwards you can play a game of proper old fashioned skittles, they have an alley in the back. Just ask the guys at the bar. A definite winner for me! Cheers, Amy

We ate here during a recent trip of Scotland. We were staying up the street in an AirBnB and our host recommended this place as being the oldest pub in Scotland. Highly recommend it, but make sure you get a reservation (we had one, and it was needed). Food was high quality, much better then your basic pub fare, and the beer selection was fantastic. Wait staff was really attentive, and the ambiance in the pub could not be beat. Worth a stop into if you are in the area.

Worth the journey! We read about Sheeps Heid in our lonely planet guidebook: the oldest existing inn/pub in Edinburgh. Tucked away behind Arthur's seat, on a house lined street that looks like it's an ancient little town of its own, is a precious gem serving contemporary gastropub fare along with some simple but interesting cocktails I've never heard of. If you love atmosphere, you'll forgive the slant in the floor of the dining room and the slender pickings at the bar and just enjoy soaking up the vibes of what's been a travellers waystation for several centuries.

Great wee pub at duddingston used to live at Lady naire grove just up the back street from it. Nice punters Amazing staff Brilliant wee pub Everything you need Big deal for me was the first day I went in and I ASKED Please may I use your toilet? They said yes I think that's amazing. Thanks Guys. Dr George Mcglashan

The Sheep Heid is our local so we've been in quite a few times & it's a lovely little gastro pub, with a good atmosphere & above average food. During the week it's great for an after-work drink & after a couple of glasses of wine I'll inevitably crack & order the scallops which are delicious. There's also a great mix of people with local mingling with tourists who've just finished climbing Arthur's Seat. However, over the weekend it becomes a bit of a nightmare. It ends up being packed & even when we've booked ahead for dinner or lunch, we've been sat in a cramped corner surrounded by people, which doesn't exactly make for a great dining experience. We also found the Sunday lunch to be pretty disappointing considering the overall good quality of the food. Overall, I'd definitely recommend a trip to the Sheep Heid whether you're a visitor or an Edinburgh local, but avoid the weekend!

I love this pub. Found in Duddingston Village, the walk around Arthur's Seat is good enough to warrant a few stars but the pub itself deserves the full 5. Claiming to be the oldest pub in Scotland (and dating from 1360 it probably is), the Sheep Heid retains a traditional pub atmosphere but manages to avoid the trap of alienating young people because of this. The clientèle are a mix of young and old, and each are catered for in equal measure. There is a good selection of guest ales, that rotate every so often, so you can always be guaranteed to have a new brew to wet your whistle. There is an excellent selection of Malt Whiskies, with different strengths and flavours to suit all palates. And that's not all. Upstairs, the food is probably the best you can get in an Edinburgh pub. With their recently updated menu you can now add a duck and orange salad to the traditional steak pies, fidget pie and excellent burgers and fish and chips. The starters are much better than you would expect from normal pub food, with the best being the fish cakes and the salmon wrapped around cucumber. A starter and a main with a beer or two will cost you less than £20 a head which is pretty reasonable when you bear in mind the quality of the food. And that's still not all; their beer garden is surrounded by the rest of the pub so you aren't distracted by outside noise when supping. On Wednesdays there is a pub quiz which is always good fun, and you can win about £30 to £50 depending on how many groups are taking part. As well as this they have the only remaining Victorian skittle alley, which can be rented out for parties and is a great way for a group to spend an evening. An extra incentive to come to what is already one of the best pubs in Edinburgh. And that's all.

It claims to be the oldest pub in Scotland. It has a wooden skittle alley. These are the two reasons I went searching for this pub. And as I walked past Arthur's Seat, admiring the view I was quite sceptical about this place, I heard it was great, I heard it had one of the best selections of ales in the city and even offered brilliant tasting food! Imagine a pub offering great food! And did these expectations all live up to the hype? Well, yes they did. The bar is quite traditional inside, with a warm, cosy atmosphere. The ales on offer were all very tempting, and were very reasonably priced. The food as well was not expensive, and the Sheep's Heid menu had an extensive menu for a traditional bar. The beer garden outside looked very nice, slightly too cold for me to use that day, but during the summer it must be great! It also has pub quizzes and live music most weeks! The aura of being in Scotland's oldest pub adds to your own experience of visiting this place. Go on, step back in time and visit Scotland's oldest pub!

The food alone is worth the visit but add the great ambience and you have the perfect lazy Sunday afternoon pub lunch!

I've always really enjoyed a trip to the Sheep Heid, especially after a walk up Arthur's Seat. What is it about walking that makes you really want a beer? Is it a UK thing, or a Scottish thing? Is it because you've just done something healthy, you must counteract it? And man does that beer taste good after a long walk. It makes me want to go walking this weekend so I can tuck into a few well deserved pints. Anyway .... I have always really enjoyed coming here for pints. The best bit, in my opinion, is in the summer when they have the BBQ on. They even have amazing beer festivals here and when you combine beer festival with BBQ and sun, you have my perfect weekend. My guy and I are house hunting at the moment and last weekend I looked at a house about 8 minutes walk from here. My guy wasn't too keen on the house itself and I was like "but then we would live withing really really close walking distance to the Sheep Heid and the beer and the barbeque and the beer and the beer!!!" He was not convinced that my argument was strong enough to buy a house there. Pff. The only downside is the tourist trade. Dastardly tourists take up lots of space in this place, but at least they have good taste.

My wife and I ate there last week for my birthday. It was my first time in Edinburgh, and my first time in Scotland. How cool for an American to eat in a pub that has been in service since 1360! We had a bottle of wine, salmon, and roast. All very good, and a very nice walk from downtown. We climbed Arthur's Seat on the way back to walk off the meal. When it came time to pay the check, they comped me as a birthday present! Can't wait to go back and actually pay for my meal!

Cruised Edinburgh last weekend and (thanks to yelp!) discovered the Sheep's Heid. Between us, we had: Scallops The goat cheese salad Veggie potato/squash cake Roast chicken Everything was wonderful- the service was lovely, the food was delicious - we left stuffed and with big ole smiles on our faces! Oh - but one note- don't even think about trying to walk there from the middle of town at night. Just take a cab....

I loved this place. The oldest pub in Edinburgh (or so we were told), great mix of traditional pub fare and trendy food. I had the steak pie which was excellent but others had the fish and loved it. Ask about the skittle lanes in the back (sort of like bowling in the 1700's - much harder than it looks). Take the time to get here as it's not centrally located, it's worth the cab ride.

So good here! The onion and mushroom tart are so good or the fried brie This is by far the best pub we went to on our trip. Amazing food and away from the tourist area. I really wish I could go back here. I am recommending it to everyone who visits Edinburgh.

Let me go on the record. I love pubs and I love history. Put the two together and we have a winner. This for me is the case with the Sheep Heid Inn. I first came here back in 2004 and I'm pleased to say very little has changed...as you'd insist with the oldest pub in Edinburgh. As far as the visit on Sunday just past...I'm happy to say that my order of a pint of Guinness and a white wine at 12.29pm was not effected by the barkeep until 12.30pm (take note Licensing, Customs & Excise inspectors!) and my wanting a table for three upstairs for lunch was warmly received even though I had not booked prior. The staff were more than accommodating of us and of our young son and the meals, huge! I partook of the bean casserole with chorizo and crusty bread (totally yum-ola!) and my wife's steak & guest ale pie looked and wafted a treat...and according to the report back from the other side of the table, very tasty (& yes I did manage a cheeky taste of it and in my limited capacity, all ok from me too). I'd love to bore you with the fantastic history of the pub (wars, deception, deal making, intrigue...and sheep husbandry) and of the village of Duddingston (all of the above) but I'll not put you through it. Suffice to say this pub is a hidden gem within Edinburgh located amongst beautiful surrounds and vista at the base of a (pretty magnificent) rock...superb!

I had a cracking dinner here with work friends on a Thursday night, it oozes character with the flattering dark lighting, fireplaces, selection of board games and interesting multitude of 'dust gatherers' (my Mums phrase for general decorative faff) covering the walls. There are alot of animal heads hanging around to watch you enjoying your grub but I did feel sorry for whatever animal was killed and seem to have had only its butt and tail mounted for people to laugh at forever more. I had Fidget Pie because I was reading Harry Potter at the time and the name appealed to me. It had delicious chunks of smoked gammon and apricots in it - delicious. My colleagues had warm salads which also looked scrumptious and really filling.I managed to squeeze in a slice of banoffe pie which was good but not great hence the 4 star rating.

I'd heard quite a bit about the Sheeps Heid Inn, mostly very positive, so it seemed like the natural place to stop after a day wandering the Lothian countryside. The pub has a decent bar, but we were in to eat so grabbed a table in one if the dining areas. We were served with a smile and chose the fish and chips and a goats cheese salad which arrived about 10 minutes later. I have to say I thought the food was fairly average. The fish seemed heavy with fat, and the goats cheese salad lacked imagination - a handful of green leaves with a lump of goat's cheese dumped on top. Just a small improvement wih the food would see this place elevated to 'real gem' status and make it worth the trek out of town to visit. On this evidence they've got a bit to go though so I'd pop in for a passing pint but there are better eateries closer to home.

This is quintessential Scottish pub at it's best. It's amazing, there's no other way of putting it. Edinburgh is a funny place, because although it is a huge city, you never actually feel like you're in a city. Probably because there's a great big bloody hill in the middle of it, but still. But if the city ever gets too much, I always go to the Sheep's Heid. It is about 25minutes from the city centre but you could be on a remote island in the middle of the North Sea. It has such a great atmosphere, and has brilliant live music every week.

This review is for the pub only. I haven't eaten at the restaurant. I'd like to give 3.5 but if forced to round up or down, 3 stars it is. I went here with high expectations after having it built up for me by guidebooks and reviews, but it was just a pub to me. Lovely decor, and we managed to snag a couple of comfy chairs (although it was tight on a Sunday afternoon!), but the ale selection was not out of the ordinary, and the whole experience wasn't anything special. They do make lovely chips though. I would like to go back to eat, and I'll probably stop in again the next time I'm walking to or from Craigmillar Castle. This is a perfectly nice pub -- just not amazing.

Somehow I've lived in Edinburgh for 8 years without ever venturing to The Sheep Heid Inn before, mostly because I don't have a car. However, this week, with the two siblings with whom I share a car back in Glasgow both being on holiday, I had unrestricted use of the Clio so it was brought through to Edinburgh and I've basically been driving everywhere to get some practice. Yesterday we went for a lovely drive round Arthur's Seat and ended up in Duddingston. Finally making it here, after so many years, it seemed silly not to pop by The Sheep Heid for a drink. Obviously, being the driver, I wasn't able to sample anything more exciting than a diet Pepsi, but my sister and boyfriend both opted for the more unusually named offers on draught - Mad Goose and Shark Bite (or something Shark anyway). The former was delicious - not too hoppy but with enough of a flavour to give it some body - but the latter was a little disappointing (or at least the small sip of it I had was). I love a cool, light and refreshing lager, but this Pilsner was a bit meh. Maybe the rest of the pint was better, as I didn't hear any complaints. The inside was busy, as we'd arrived bang on teatime, but the outside courtyard is pleasant with wrought-iron tables and chairs and a covered area with comfier seats (useful when it started to rain!). The interior looked very nice though, in keeping with its oldest pub in Scotland tag. On that, by the way, it's worth noting that whilst there has apparently been a pub of sorts on the premise since 1360, the present building is much newer (though still about 200 years old). We didn't eat, but the food looked and smelled okay. I was a bit perplexed by the prices though - the starters and desserts were on the cheaper end (£3/4) but the mains were distinctly averagely priced (£9/11). Maybe it deserves 4 stars, but it's hard to tell at the moment. They didn't have a great selection on draught (or at least, not a great selection of anything interesting) and whilst the inside is nice, it's nothing massively special when you consider other Scottish pubs in Edinburgh. It is nice though, and would be treat to reward yourself with at the end of a walk or drive through the park. I'll be back I imagine (mostly cos I want to try the 19th century skittles alley!), but I won't be hurrying here.

Great bar and very decent food. Apparently the queen had lunch here last year. I do believe that she would not have suffered the poor service I have had on a couple of my visits. Service aside I would have given the place 5 stars. It is an ancient pub with a great atmosphere. Skittles are available.

*Squee!* They redecorated! I was here on Sunday last and it was so absolutely gorgeous that I damned near tripped over the fireplace (yeah, fair warning). The entire downstairs has been redone and now looks more like a fancy gastro-pub. No, no, don't cry! I promise there is still enough of ye olde Shepe Heid Inn in there. The carpet downstairs has a lovely little tartan in beige and white (it looked soft enough to pet) and the dust has been cleared and the air has been cleaned (thank you, on behalf of my asthma, thank you). Bathrooms repainted, walls have been redone, the wood's been cleaned and polished and there are candles on the tables. It looks so absolutely beautiful and slightly romantic that I'd be happy spend the majority of my evenings in there. You know what, ... it kind of has that Christmassy atmosphere. You know the one? Where everything inside looks cosy and warm and inviting without Elfs having vomited Christmas cheer all over the damned place? (Sorry, sorry, couldn't control myself there). I've not tried any of the drinks or food yet, but I'd be surprised if the standard's gone down. It just looks a lot fancier, and a lot ... more inviting now. Strangely enough. Even though my supreme large reading chair (of Doom, yes) is gone, I can forgive them for the fact that they vacuumed. All-in-all, I shall be back!

How have I not reviewed this yet?!?! This is a strong contender for our favorite fish & chips in Edinburgh. We park on the east side of Holyrood Park, follow Queen's Drive to the south, then walk down the hill path to Duddingston and you're right there at Sheep's Heid. If you make that stroll, then you feel you've earned at least part of your supper. ("Heed, pants, now!" Does anyone else like "So I Married an Axe Murderer? That's how you pronounce "heid.") The haggis stack of mash, neeps and haggis was just perfect -- great seasonings & textures. Fish & chips were crisp, hot and tasty. Great atmosphere as well: perfect place to bring those picky out of town guests looking for authentic. Don't forget to bowl.

A great place to spend a whole afternoon!! As Edinburgh's oldest pub it has atmosphere in spades and aa ghostly legend to boot! Fantastic for food, great pub quiz nights to test you!! All in a fantastic local! Ess

Whilst on a break to Edinburgh, I went for a meal at the Sheep Heid Inn. As the oldest bar in Scotland (built in the 1300s) and a traditional Scottish menu it seemed like the most obvious choice. After deliberating between the haggis and the fidget pie, I opted for the fidget pie. The pie consists of chunks of bacon cooked in an apricot sauce. However, when it arrived there was an awful lot of puff pastry and not a lot else. The pie was simply served with mash and could have done with vegetables dish or some other side. Afterwards we went downstairs to sample some Scottish whisky and it's in this area that The Sheep Heid excels. The whisky menu was extensive and had something to suit everytaste. As a non-whisky drinker I plumped for something with undertones of 'caramel shortcake' and I wasn't disappointed with this description. The alcohol prices were very reasonable, but whilst I'd recommend the pub I wouldn't return to the restaurant.

Love place vegetarian haggis is yummi well worth the visit. Book at the weekend tho cause it is very busy. Was going to write about the history but the other qypers beat me to it. I enjoy myself a lot the only reason its not 5/5 is because of slow service, I think they need more staff but the ones there are nice and pleasant.

This is a fantastic old traditional pub. Agree with all that is said below and can't really add anything new without repeating. If you are looking to stay in Edinburgh there is a decent Travel lodge on Willowbrae Road which is just round the corner from the Sheep's Heid. Means you can get the best of both. If you are heading there from the ton and don;t mind a short walk you can get a bus to the Willowbrae road and it is only about a 10 minute walk from there. Duddingston Kirk is just a few minutes from the pub is a popular venue for weddings. Makes the Sheep's Heid a great stop for a pre-ceremony nip.