Local Shops for Self-Catering at Craigwell Cottage, Edinburgh

One of the first things that you will want to do on arrival at Craigwell Cottage is to make sure that you have arranged sufficient supplies for your immediate needs. We do leave small supplies of tea, coffee, salt, pepper, sugar for you, but if you have a requirement for us to do some shopping ready for your arrival we'd be happy to provide this service for you. We will charge any groceries purchased at cost, with a small charge of £5 for the service. This will be deducted from your security deposit before it is returned to you. Please contact us by e-mail if you would like to discuss your requirements.

There are a couple of local convenience stores within walking distance of Craigwell Cottage which are useful for immediate needs such as bread and milk. You'll find Canongate Stores by crossing Calton Road, going up Campbells Close opposite Nether Craigwell, and turning right when you reach the Royal Mile.

We're delighted that a wonderful cafe, Foodies at Holyrood, has opened very close to Craigwell Cottage. It is situated in Holyrood Road which you can easily reach on foot by taking a short cut via Campbell's Close to the Royal Mile, then walking up a few yards to Crichton's Close, past the Scottish Poetry Library and on to Holyrood Road, where you'll find Foodies at Holyrood just on your right.

The luxury Scottish produce provider, Foodie Box Company is the dynamic team behind Foodies at Holyrood. We really urge guests to Craigwell Cottage to sample the delights on offer there. So why not treat yourself to an extra special breakfast on arrival at Craigwell Cottage? You could either visit Foodies at Holyrood for breakfast at the Cafe, buy the ingredients for your breakfast at the Foodies at Holyrood shop, or pre-order one of their excellent FoodieBoxes for delivery to Craigwell Cottage during your stay.

For a traditional afternoon tea, pop in to Clarinda's Tea Room (where Campbell's Close meets the Royal Mile) - they open early in the morning for cooked breakfasts and you won't be able to resist going back later in the day for reasonably priced lunches or delicious home baking and pots of tea.

The nearest Marks and Spencer Simply Food store is in Waverley Station, which is a short walk up Calton Road. You'll find the entrance to Waverley Station on the left side of Calton Road and a footbridge takes you to Platform 2 where the Marks and Spencer Simply Food Store is located.

There is a large branch of Marks and Spencer at 54 Princes Street where you'll find a food hall in the basement.

There is a Sainsbury's Central situated on St Andrews Square, which you'll find immediately behind Jenners the famous Princes Street Store.

The food hall in Jenners is worth a visit too - you'll find speciality foods and whiskies there. The Edinburgh Evening News Article comparing up-market food shopping in Edinburgh gives a comparison between Jenners, Harvey Nichols, Marks and Spencer and Waitrose. Finding this reminded me that there is a food department in Harvey Nichols but to date I've not managed to add this particular store to my list of shopping experiences.

We're also starting to explore the area around the top of Easter Road to find more local stores within a short walk from Craigwell Cottage. I'd definitely recommend the baker's shop and cafe called The Manna House which you can find at No 22-24 Easter Road. A wonderful patisserie and bakery shop with croissants, cakes, scones, speciality breads. Definitely worth a quick early-morning stroll there to find breakfast. If you read the Guardian Review of this local treasure, you will be drooling already! The locals rate it highly too - another rave review to read.

If you've come by car to stay at Craigwell Cottage there's a large Sainsbury's Store at the Meadowbank Retail Park if you want to do a supermarket shop to stock up.

Susan McNaughton
Updated February 2010

Events of 1822

As the Craigwell Brewery was being built, the foundation stones for the National Monument were being laid. - More on this.

Source: Old and New Edinburgh: http://www.oldandnewedinburgh.co.uk - chapter on the Calton Hill.

Researching Calton Road

Interesting Website 'Old and New Edinburgh' with many sketches of Old Edinburgh - worth a further look when I get the time - link saved to 'Calton Road' Search

Beers Brewed at Craigwell Brewery

Got an e-mail this morning from Iain Russell the Scottish Brewing Archivist at Glasgow University. He's going to look out some information about Craigwell Brewery, but he says:

We have some black and white photos of the brewery in the archive, and a short (1 and a wee bit pages!) history of the firm post 1923 which mentions that the brewery produced Heavy Bitter Ale, Scotch Stout, Triple Ale, Unique Scotch Ale and a strong ale called Gay Gordon.

I believe we have some old bottles and labels in the archive. I'll have a look for them when I'm back on SBA duties at the end of next week, and let you know what we have. 
How fantastic!  Can't wait to see the labels and old photographs.


Search for "Unique Scotch Ale" provides some information on "The Brewer's Apprentice Website" which shows one Tom Logan is currently brewing:

Logan's Scotch Ale

This unique Scotch Ale was created by Tom Logan, an Brewer's employee and experienced home brewer. We used peated malt and Edinburgh Yeast to achieve this traditional flavor. This one is receiving rave reviews. Price: $190.00

in New Jersey, USA! Wonder if he'd be interested to know that there used to be a beer brewed called "Unique Scotch Ale"? What an interesting concept - a micro-brewery where enthusiasts gather to brew their own ale....

And here's something about 'Triple Ale' - how it's made.

Scotch Stout - being brewed in Santa Maria, California even now! Wow, this whole brewing thing is quite a hobby in the USA.

12 October 2007

More Historic Maps re history of Nether Craigwell

I've found a link to a photograph of a representation of Edinburgh in 1460, in which you can clearly see the river running through the Waverley Valley - which later becomes Calton Road.

The link to Edinburgh Photography website is: http://www.edinphoto.org.uk/1_MAP/1_map_edinburgh_1460.htm#map

History of Craigwell Brewery - Gordon & Blair/ John Blair

Doing a search on the internet of 'Craigwell Brewery' turns up an article in the Scottish Brewing archive, which can be accessed here:

http://www.archives.gla.ac.uk/sba/sbacolls/gb.html

John Blair is quoted as the builder of the Craigwell Brewery in 1822, and this article on Scottish Brewing history mentions his associations with Holyrood (http://www.scottishpubs.co.uk/scotbeers/monk.htm)

Old Brewery Garden, Nether Craigwell, Calton Road, Edinburgh EH8 8DR

The longest of the residents of Nether Craigwell, Dave Fiddimore, who has lived there since the conversion to residential properties in 1987 was on duty on the weekend of 5 May at the entrance to the Garden of Nether Craigwell which was open to the public at the 'Open Gardens Day' - Organised by the Cockburn Association in partnership with Edinburgh World Heritage.

Quoting from the flyer which Dave was handing out:

"Welcome to our wild garden behind a development of flats and houses inside the original superstructure of the Victorian Craigwell Brewery, once one of fourteen in a square mile. The name Craigwell was recorded for the area in 1647, describing a section of The North Back of Canongate (now Calton Road) between Leith Wynd, and what is now the boundary wall of the cemetry. The square stone lip of the well (Nether Craigwell - The well beneath the cliff) can still be seen in our courtyard. The longest range of building was the bonded warehouse, and the brewery garden rose behind it on the flank of Calton Hill - accessed via a tunnel, and steps from the courtyard.

It was once a beautiful garden, with specimen trees (Eucalyptus, Fir, apple and Birch) many of which are still there. It had a pagoda-like summer house, where there is now a small patio to the South East, and a 'folly' cairn in the North West Corner. The grooves in the gound across the current greens track the original garden paths and flower beds.

What you have come to see are the views - The Craigs, Arthur's Seat and the incomporable Edinburgh skyline to the South and West. Burns Monument on Regent Road to the North West, and looking over The New Calton Cemetery, the roofs of Holyrood Palace and Whitehorse Loan to the East. [The 1814 New Calton Cemetery is worth an hour of your time. You will find the 'Lighthouse' Stevensons there, along with a Polish count and a man killed in 1842 during the British retreat from Kabul - what goes around, comes around. Enter from Regent Road.]

The current owners keep the garden 'wildish'. Its wild residents and visitors include the Blackbird and Thrush, 4 kinds of Tit (Blue, Coal, Great and Long-tailed), Sparrows, Dunnock, Green, Bull and Chaf-finch, Tree creepers, Sparrow hawk and Kestrel, Starlings, Magpies - an urban Fox, Stoat, Pipistrelle Bats, Grey Squirrels, Field mice...the Hedgehogs are coming (but not here yet) and last week I watched the early arrival of the first Swallows. Sit for a while if the sun is shining, and enjoy its peace as much as we do... and let us know if you have any comment or suggestion re this "Brewery Garden" open day.

[DF 27th April 2007]"