For a building that has been an armoury, royal residence and hospital, The Kings Wark is not in short stock when it comes to history. This jovial pub is filled with a sense of those times gone by; in the evening, flickering candles light up the old wooden tables, antique windows and dark wooden flooring. Delightful window seats boast views of the picturesque Water of Leith.

The reasonably priced bar and restaurant menus change weekly according to the fishmonger’s catch. The chefs can always be relied upon to find imaginative ways to utilise sustainable oily fish, top-quality whites and salmon. Accompaniments include confit of fennel and orange, peppercorn and Pernod dressing and even Bloody Mary coulis and tapenade – all equally superb. The menu has an air of fun about it, as well as an impressive attention to detail – the sausages are homemade and the cheeseboard includes Scottish greats like Dunsyre Blue. The pub favourites that feature on the bar menu sit alongside unique dishes such as goat’s cheese and porcini risotto, salt-beef sourdough sandwiches and slow-cooked shoulder of Scottish pork. Why not finish with a glass of Fairtrade wine and a slice of velvety chocolate torte? The perfect preamble to a scenic walk along The Shore, the original port of Leith.