Best Pubs in Edinburgh, Part 4

Happy Monday. We will continue to list Dr. Whisky's choices of the best places in Edinburgh to have a drink cuz life is too short to spend time in shit pubs.

The Dagda Bar
93 Buccleuch St (pronounced buck-LOO)
Edinburgh, Scotland
EH8 9NG
0131 667 9773

Formerly known as Proctors Pub, this pub recently (2005) fell into the hands of new management with a new overall vision for the place. And thank goodness. In fact, thank Alexander "Sandy" Patterson (the ginger-haired man often found behind the bar).

Named after the celtic God Dagda, the protector of the tribe, one couldn't feel safer in this small pub nestled between the bustle of Clerk St. (at one point or another known as South Bridge, Nicholson, and Newington Road) and the peace of the meadows, a large park to the south of the University of Edinburgh. Some believe the giant figure carved into the Dorset hillside is a representation of the Dagda.

The pub satisfies the important prerequisites to make it onto this list: it has a kind and conscientious barman in Sandy to maintain real cask ales and it has an excellent selection of malt whiskies well organised into price points by different coloured ribbons. Additionally, they keep some stellar bottled beers from the continent in their fridges including Kristin's much-loved Krosovice dark.

All this AND a well-stocked jukebox ready to rock you in that classic pop/rock kinda way.

For Dr. Whisky's other picks for best pubs in Edinburgh, click HERE.