Ardbeg! My favourite. Love all your videos, but this one just left me with a smile on my face the whole way through. I'm an old bugger who loves pubs without music and TV's. Most of my best conversations have been held in basic pubs with beautiful beer.
Vinnie gave you guys a wrong information about Glenkinchie. It is not from Islay but from Lowland. The distillery is at just about 15 mile away from the Edinburgh castle.
You're up the street from one of the best pubs in the UK. The Bow Bar is an evening in itself...from what I remember. Glad you demonstrated what a real ale pub is. Bow Bar has Scottish fonts though. Rare. Ask the guitarist if he's walking home to Leith. Heh. And yes, Ardbeg's whisky is top 3.
I love Edinburgh. I went years ago and it was perfect. Your time looked like a lot of fun. I love the old town and the underground tunnel bars. So cool.
Loved this vid the no planning is great, i love you got the Scottish vibe and friendlyness. The Proclamers are one of the biggest bands in Scotland, wee love singing there misic.
Hi , watched your channel for a long time, after seeing your blog in Scotland, we are now drinking in Kay’s bar , great small bar in Edinburgh, love your channel ❤️
I used couchsurfing back in '10-12... In UK, in Bulgaria, Serbia, Bosnia... wonderful experiences. My wife was never quite down with it, and I tried to sell it hard. We did it in Portland, Oregon around 2013 or 14, and had a good experience though.
Glasgow is a hidden gem. The reputation is more working class... it feels so genuine. That was my feeling back in 2010. I've not been to Edinburgh, but we're going this summer!
a beer and a whisky the whisky is called a wee chaser the beer is usually a half pint you drink it over and chase it down with a whisky called you enjoyed my home town, the last time I was in Kays Bar would have been 1978 probably couldn't afford to drink in there now it was expensive back in the 70s
Thanks, Keith! Kay's didn't seem too bad but I'm sure there are so many local spots that we didn't come across. Would love to return to Scotland one day soon. We had a great trip. Thanks for watching!
I'm over 65 and Scottish. My father told me that when my grandfather drank whisky, it was cheap, raw stuff and he would quickly knock it back in one go followed by a drink from his beer. Today, if I'm offered a whisky and beer, I will be asked if I want a hauf (half of whisky) and a hauf (half pint of beer). However, I've also heard of the beer being called a chaser. Also when I had a part-time job as a bar man in my late teens, it was sometimes called a pony (which confused me no end when a customer first ordered this from me and I poured him the wrong beer which happened to be a called a Pony). I've never heard it called "a True Scot" (sounds like something someone would make up to tell a tourist). I don't come from Edinburgh so could be wrong but I seem to recall that there used to be a pub in Roseburn Terrace near Murrayfield (the home of Scottish Rugby Union) called "The Fly Half" - a nice play of words on the player position in a rugby team and a sneaky half of whisky. 😄
Great that you got to those three bars. However, anyone following your sequence might want to go right when exiting Kay's bar (you went left, which is also fine), turn right down India Street, descend the steps and cross the street before heading along fabulous Circus Lane (an Instagram fave) to St. Vincent's Bar, which at the end of the lane. And on the way back up the hill, stop at the Oxford Bar on Young Street (the west end of Thistle Street, near Charlotte Square). This is the favourite of author Ian Rankin as well as Inspector Rebus, the central character in Rankin's series of best-seller books (I hear a third TV series is possibly in the works). Very true about music in the St. Vincent being a detractor. It is merely noise that necessitates everyone speak more loudly to be heard. Sandy Bell's is a different matter. But Kay's Bar and the Oxford Bar (from my experience) are 'quiet' bars. The Cumberland, mentioned in one of your chats with the barmen, is also popular, though I've never been. Worth noting that with the exception of Sandy Bell's the rest are in the New Town, which is primarily residential, with fabulous Georgian architecture, cobble stone streets...and tenants who can afford the high cost of property there. BTW, the St. Vincent is in the Stockbridge area, which includes a wonderful village/residential area, Dean Village (which you show in another video), the Glenogle Road colonies, the Royal Botanic Gardens...all along the narrow river named the Water of Leith that cut through Dean Viallage. That is a whole other world and definitely one of Edinburgh's finer experiences. Great that you loved the Virgin Hotel. It is brand new and in an ideal location. Haste ye back!
@@StephandPete Bars? My faves are the more traditional, so here goes: In the New Town: - KAY'S BAR (in Jamaica Mews) Small, no music, mainly locals and aficionados. Consistently rated tops. - THE OXFORD (Young Street at the Charlotte Square end) The fave of author Ian Rankin who makes it the fave of Inspector Rebus, the primary character of his best-selling books. - ST. VINCENT BAR (St. Vincent St.) A few steps down from the pavement, tucked away at the church end of scenic Circus Lane. - CUMBERLAND BAR (Cumberland St.) Much-loved neighbourhood bar in classic New Town residential location. In Tollcross: - BENNET'S BAR (Leven Street) Adjacent to the King's Theatre, a renowned traditional bar of great renown. (20 mins. walk from Princes St. or buses #5, 11, 16) In Morningside (further up the road from Tollcross): (Bus #5, 11, 16 or walk from the Old Town across the Meadows via Middle Meadow Walk and through the residential areas for a better experience) - THE CANNY MAN'S (Morningside Rd.) Renowned for the eccentricity of its original owner, traces of which remain, a great place for drinks and eats. Cheers!
Native Glaswegian here. A whisky and a half pint of beer is called a "half and a half", or a " hauf and a hauf" in the local dialect. Half a whisky and half a pint.. For seme.reason a single shot of whisky is called a half. Presumably because any true Scotsman should get a double!
I remember many years ago when where I worked we were at a social evening being introduced to a new boss who just happened to be the first we had who was English. The new boss asked one of the guys what he would like to drink and as any Glaswegian would he asked for a half and half and the new manager replied 'I don't buy anyone two drinks. It's one or the other'. In his defence the new manager was a teetotaler and had never been to Scotland before but to say everyone at the social evening wasn't impressed is putting it mildly. Needless to say he was soon introduced to our ways and he turned out to be a great boss and over the years we all had a good laugh bringing the incident up many times just to wind him up.
@@StephandPete nope I miss the scenario due to family situations... got the opportunity to get out 9f the country for good... my dad went to England pre wedding days 70s those days he is 72 with his Kerala Syrian Christian friend school mate... he had been to London and Glasgow . I am supposed to go there by 2005 then Melbourne VIC 2007 to 2019 ... 2013 May got my citizenship City of Darebin ...Melbourne ( stereotyped Irish Italian zone with immigration made the change after 90s ) Aussie Meat and Reds are the BEST.. left on Nov1 St 2019 Coimbatore- Manchester of South India... I got my first elder IN San Jose Santa Clara.. she is there from 2002... I love Britain , Victoria Australia and North America.. we will meet Dears..
A whiskey and half a pint chaser is called "a half and a half". Couldn't agree more that Glasgow is miles better than Edinburgh. Edinburgh may be more classically nicer looking, but it isn't Glasgow and that's where it falls short. Glasgow just has a buzz and an energy unmatched by most places in the UK.
Never heard of a, 'True Scot', for a half pint of ale & a spirit, (whisky, rum, etc), before!? Maybees that's just an Edinburgh term. I do know that there at least 2 different names/terms for them though,....in Dundee, (East Coast of Scotland further North of Edinburgh), its called a,... Nip n a Half, (Nip being the spirit, Whisky, Rum, etc, the half being the Half pint of Draught, Ale, Lager, etc). Working men of old used to drink a draught Pint or 2 or 3, before, changing to a Half Pint & a Wee Nip, of whatever was their fancy/tipple, they would continue that for a few Half Pints until all they would drink would be Nips until they left Pub, (no doubt to be hammered by the wife when he got home), they always liked to keep/use the same Nip Glass, the whole time they in the pub, never changing it,.....sacrilegious if a barman did! In Glasgow, in the West of Scotland,... it's called a, 'Hauf n a Hauf', they speak funny over there, 🙃😄. But the reasons are just the same as in Dundee, as is everywhere in Scotland I imagine,....just an old working man's thing,.....rare to find it all happen these days,....most things have changed, not always for the better! But I & many others here in Dundee, still refer to it as a Nip n a Half,.....or just a Wee Nip if that's all yer drinking! Nice vlogs btw.
