The World’s End: 4 High Street, Old Town, Edinburgh

This pub is listed in many tourist guides as if it’s a bit of an Edinburgh institution, but writing as an Edinburgh resident, it’s not a bar I’d return to.

The World’s End does have connections to Edinburgh’s long history, which may attract some tourists. Situated on the corner of the Royal Mile and St Mary’s Street, the site marked the old outer boundary of Edinburgh in the sixteenth century when the city was protectively surrounded by the Flodden wall (hence the name). However, its association with more recent history is pretty horrible, as it is also tragically known for being the last place two seventeen year old girls were seen alive in 1977 (before they left the pub and disappeared), in what became known as the World's End murders case.

Inside the bar the architecture is the sort of oak wood style you get in many ‘traditional’ pubs (also known as ‘old man’ bars) in Edinburgh. There is also the usual standard Scottish tourist memorabilia decorating the walls. The beer on offer is pretty standard also with some hand pulls on offer but nothing you couldn’t find elsewhere.

The staff did seem fairly friendly but the atmosphere was pretty terrible. I popped in for a drink one weeknight in December and there was only a few people in the pub (who seemed like regulars) crowded by the bar. The layout of the pub doesn’t help, as the kitchen is a little cupboard in the middle of the seating area at the rear of the bar, so if you are just in for a quiet drink, the sight, smell and sound of food being prepared is a bit intrusive. I was also aware of the cleaner sitting at a table nearby polishing cutlery. This didn’t seem particularly professional while they were open for business.

The World’s End isn’t a terrible bar, and perhaps on a weekend with a better atmosphere it might improve. However the bar provided very little that I couldn’t get from one of the many other similar tourist pubs on the High Street. If I was going back for a drink in this area I’d go across the road to the Tass or even around the corner to the Waverley.