Nicol Edwards

the very fact that this place is the most haunted pub in Scotland puts me right off it. I’m not into ghosts at all, it freaks me out! So I came in here kicking and screaming.
As has been said before me, the tables were sticky and it wasn’t very clean generally. I would look past this, but I sat in gum. EW!
The wine was warm and the water had little bits in it! and no ice, as Gavin said.
The staff were really friendly though, it was very Scottish and welcoming. Nice atmosphere, but it lacked everywhere else!

Whenever I’m in Edinburgh I stop at the Nicol Edwards for a pint.
Located in the heart of the city, just off the Royal Mile, this underground pub features eerie oil paintings, heavy curtains and literal catacombs that can accommodate large groups of people. The atmosphere is creepy and seedy while at the same time comfortable and genuine.
Deeper into the tunnels there is another room where musicians play, but the shape of the room and exposed stone isn’t conducive to sound. Bring earplugs.
The best time to be at the Nicol Edwards is off peak hours. There’s nothing better than sitting down with a pint and some friends all the while feeling the hair on the back of your neck stand on end.

«The most haunted pub in Scotland», apparently.
We were offered a free drink here after a ghost walk, and the most frightening thing about the bar wasn’t the eerie presence of malevolent spirits, but the sticky tables, messy bar, and heavy metal couple in the corner who were practically copulating. We weren’t in the mood for a free lukewarm house wine or supermarket brand bottled beer, so went for a couple of cans of coke instead. Delicious, but could have done with some ice in a glass.
Absolutely loved the earlier ghost walk mind you, so still have nice memories of Nicol Edwards.

Seedy backstreet dive of a cave, with a wonderful atmosphere!!! Go there during the fringe and your bound to pick up some free comedy!
Probably more for the youngsters at night but friendly bar staff and a great ambience! Look out for a passing ghost tour!

Nicol Edwards is back, (slightly) refurbished but as atmospheric as ever!
More refurn is on the way in ’09.

This is currently closed but rumour has it that it is going to open again under new management. Will let you know if I hear anything else.

Seedy, a dive, dingy, grotty. Yes, all of these descriptions apply. But all of these descriptions are what makes Nicol Edwardswell’Nicol Edwards’. And I’d not change it for that at all.
There’s always a buzz of activity in the downstairs bar — live music galore until 3am for just a minimal entrance fee of about £2. In fact it’s so popular for its live music, it’s a victim of its own success. You’ve really got to get in there early to get yourself a seat and settle yourself down for the night. Otherwise you’ll spend the night standing with your pint and unable to stop your foot from tapping whilst sharing the space with the other dancing [and singing] revellers.
If you’re a student, you can register for a ‘VIP Card’ which gets you a whopping 25% off drinks. You can’t say fairer than that!
For a quieter drink, there’s the dark corridor which forms part of the Edinburgh Vaults — very atmospheric. And if you’re a budding ghost hunter (as I am), then this is definitely the place to be!

This is a very nice little cave, the staff here are very friendly and the drinks are reasonably cheap. There is usually always some sort of live music in the downstairs bar which is always entertaining, its a bit of a dingy cave but its very laid back and relaxed. Its open til 3am so if you don’t fancy going clubbing then this place is perfect, and even if you feel like a little dance a bit later you can just pop downstairs to the live music bar and you won’t go far wrong.

Nicol Edwards is a seedy dive — a fantastic seedy dive. As seedy dives go they don’t get too much scummier than Nicol Edwards. For those among us who don’t much go for the club scene, pubs like this are really the only option after a certain stage of the evening; namely the point at which getting up and attempting to sing ‘American Pie’ to a crowd of drunken backpackers seems like a really, really great idea. Its one of those things that must be done at least once in everyone’s life, and the cellar bar at Nicol Edwards provides the perfect setting with the perfect crowd. Just try not to slip on the vomit stains down Niddry St on your way out.

Nicol’s runs a good tight-​arse Tuesday tradition but other than that, don’t expect to get cheap drinks in general. However, they do one great deal — £3 DOUBLE vodka and red bulls — noice! Another big plus is that this is one of the few pubs open til 3am (most close at 1am).
The pub itself is quite good as there’s pretty much something for everyone. DJs in the underground caves (mostly classic old school pop tunes), and live music in the other downstairs space.
If you don’t like musty smells or tend to get claustrophobic, the caves might not be for you… I think they’re great and really give you an idea of the early days Nicol’s dates back to.

A regular haunt of mine, this bar has a whole lot of character. It’s connected to the underground vaults that honeycomb Edinburgh’s depths, and the ghost tours end here. It smells of cave. I like that, some don’t. Drinks are cheap if you’re a student, and not too bad if you’re not. The staff are usually pretty chatty, especially on week days when it can get rather quiet at the upstairs bar. Nichol Edwards is one of those Edinburgh establishments that mess up your sense of direction by having various routes to the same place — a hazard of being an old vault I suppose. However you get there, the downstairs bar is very cosy, with a lot of live music — most famously that Edinburgh legend, Acoustic Dave. The vault at the back is opened up at weekends, when there’s a (generally) good DJ and an extra bar, and there’s also a function room, I believe. The mix of customers is usually pretty good and the bouncers are lovely. It’s also one of the only pubs with a 3am license. Watch out for weekends — there’s usually a charge to get in after 9pm of £2/​3.