The Black Bull, Leith Street

[Oscar T Grouch]

Sad to hear that the Black Bull is shutting its doors for the last time in a few weeks. A bar I have memories of stretching back to the late 80s, others will have known it back to the 70s, billed as an alternative rock bar, it always had the best juke box, puggie and pool table for a relaxing night out, more famous now perhaps from a scene in Trainspotting rather than as a pub, it will be a sad day when it closes.

https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/lifestyle/food-and-drink/edinburgh-pubs-popular-black-bull-tavern-on-leith-street-announces-closure-with-great-regret-4513766#

[HUTCHYHIBBY]

I discovered over proof Bundaberg rum in there, it was a messy night. 🤮

[Pretty Boy]

I spent a small fortune in there on the pool table and in the jukebox. Was always a go to for 2 or 3 years after I moved back home in 2011. Thinking back it was never somewhere I can remember ever being really busy albeit I was more likely to be in on a midweek night than at the weekend.

I've only been in sporadically in recent years, largely because I'm only out sporadically these days but still sad to see it go. Another Edinburgh pub casualty. So many of the pubs and clubs of my youth have gone for good now.

[Hiber-nation]

Had some cracking nights in there back in the mid/late 80s.

[DaveF]

Didn't think it was a great pub but it had a brilliant jukebox and was usually a last stop on the way back from a game for a few rum's.

[Moulin Yarns]

I now have Lust For Life playing on a loop in my head 😂

[Gatecrasher]

Sad news, this would fit nicely into the Edinburgh losing its soul thread in the holy ground.

No doubt it will become student accommodation or a vegan cafe.

[Hiber-nation]

Must admit I've never been in for about 15 years, it wasn't great last time, pretty manky and crap beer so didn't go back.

[HibbyDave]

I grew up around that area. Started drinking across the road in The Silhouette. A real pub also sadly now gone.

[Wilson]

I grew up around that area. Started drinking across the road in The Silhouette. A real pub also sadly now gone.

Aye, but it was a shadow of itself.

[Kato]

Aye, but it was a shadow of itself.Cut it out.

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[Jakhog1]

Aye, but it was a shadow of itself.

Please stop casting your projections onto us.

[Green Man]

First place I ever had a pint of Belhaven Best. I used to enjoy a couple of pints there at the start of a night out, out the back door of the railway station and up to the Black Bull.

[Smartie]

Something of an institution, and it will be sad to see it go, however...

I've lived in Leith for 20 years now, have worked at the West End for 14 years. Prior to moving here I lived in Dundee and Kinross, started going to Easter Road regularly in about 1992, arriving via bus or train for the years prior to living here. I'll have gone past it many thousands of times, possibly bordering on the tens of thousands by the time you take all the other trips into town into consideration. I drank a fair bit back in the day and was no stranger to a night out before the kids came along...

Yet I've never set foot in it, not even once. I'll have been to any number of pubs within the vicinity for any number of reasons but have just never had any reason to go in there.

Maybe that sort of thing explains it's downfall?

I feel like going in now...

[Brummie_Hibs]

It was my pre-Madisons haunt for a few years. Late 80's/Early 90’s - back in the day when Morti and Lesley worked there.

[hibsbollah]

I have never been sober in there.

[Sylar]

An alt-culture institution. Edinburgh used to be a great city for rock culture, but it's slowly being eroded (no pun intended, though it definitely works...). I feel similarly about the Bull closing as I did when The Mission closed (an absolute ****hole to be honest, but a regular gathering spot for the subculture I belonged to, and the place I met my now-wife 23 years ago).

Was last in the Bull just before Christmas and it was quiet. I do hope someone will take it over and keep it running as a rock-bar of sorts, but they're disappearing more and more. Thank **** for Solid Rock in Glasgow!

[bringbackbenny]

Always the watering home of choice pre gigs at The Venue or Calton Studios

[weecounty hibby]

Always my kind of pub. Nothing fancy, pool table, a great selection of rock on the jukebox and an assorted bunch of wierdos as customers. Sad to see it go.

[Pretty Boy]

Hearing there is at least one company interested in retaining it as a pub. What kind of pub I don't know.

[Since90+2]

Hearing there is at least one company interested in retaining it as a pub. What kind of pub I don't know.

I've only been in it a few times but from memory it only really lends itself to a hospitality venue. It's fairly small iirc so I'm not sure how easy, or cost effective, it would be to add a main service kitchen to make it food based.

It's not big enough for a express supermarket so that probably rules that out.

Wouldn't be surprised at all if it stays as a pub in some form.

[hibsbollah]

It's not big enough for a express supermarket so that probably rules that out.
.

A terrible shame if true, theres not nearly enough of those in the city.