A family who run one of Scotland’s most famous pubs has lodged plans to create a 14-room hotel next door.

The Kerr family, who have been associated with the Canny Man’s in Morningside for over 150 years, have lodged a proposal with City of Edinburgh Council to create a new hotel in the pub’s current car park with architect Lee Boyd.

The pub, which dates from 1871 and is famed for its eclectic ornaments, currently has an associated six-room boutique hotel called The Lane but is to build a separate facility to meet growing demand.

It states: “The Canny Man’s Pub and Lane Hotel are run by the Kerr family that has been associated with the Canny Man’s for over 150 years.

“Whilst the pub is well known, the Lane Hotel is a more recent edition to the business and has survived Covid lockdowns to become a busy and popular destination for visitors to Edinburgh."

The Herald: View from Canaan Lane looking to Morningside RoadView from Canaan Lane looking to Morningside Road (Image: Google/ Canny Man's/Lee Boyd)

It said: “The Lane Hotel cannot cope with the demand for accommodation and therefore the rationale for this project is to increase the number of hotel rooms available for rent on land owned by the family.

“The proposal is to construct a new building to provide an additional 14 rooms.”

It said it was “not considered possible, practical or viable” to extend any of the existing properties.

“The location for a proposed new building is the pub car park that sits between the pub, its beer garden and the Lane Hotel. It is an under-used facility as most of the pub customers avoid travelling to the Canny Man’s by car.

“Similarly, many of the hotel guests who might share the facility, travel to the city without a car. This space is therefore sacrificial in relation to current use and deemed the best location to consider a new building,” the application stated.


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