It was one of the oldest hostelries in all of Scotland, and yet Edinburgh's romantically-named Castle O'Clouts suffered the indignity of being flattened for what would become a DIY chain car park.
Established in 1724 on land that had previously been open country, the three-storey house at 104 St Leonard's Street, was one of the oldest in the capital, witnessing everything from the final Jacobite Rebellion to the rise of Beatlemania.
In its early days, the Southside landmark is believed to have been called Hunters Hall, after its owner, a tailor burgess of Edinburgh named William Hunter. Close by, on the site of modern-day Preston Street, was the 'gibbet', named as such as a deterrent to any would-be criminals entering Edinburgh from the south.
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The Castle O'Clouts name, derived from the old Scots word 'cloot' or 'clout', meaning 'a piece of cloth' or 'rag', was coined at Hunter's expense around 1838.
In his 1825 book, Traditions of Edinburgh, Robert Chambers notes that Castle O'Clouts was "…a goodly house of three storeys upon the Dalkeith Road, near the city, which was built about sixty years ago by one Hunter, a tailor" and the building was later "sneeringly denominated the Castle o' Clouts".
Licensed premises had operated from the ground floor of the building since the 18th century, but at some point, the name Castle O'Clouts was used specifically to describe only the pub.
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Despite falling into a state of disrepair, the historic watering hole managed to cling on well into the 20th century, with an architectural survey in the 1940s noting that, while the flats inside the building had been subdivided, "some of the rooms still retain their original stone fireplaces".
Sadly, Castle O'Clouts was not long for this world. In the post-war era, the mostly derelict building was acquired by the Vaux brewing company, sealing its eventual demise.
The 200-year-old Castle O'Clouts was eventually demolished in 1970 to make way for a beer storage facility. In the 1990s, the site was redeveloped again, with DIY chain Homebase creating a car park on the site once occupied by the historic pub.
The Homebase store and its car park were swept away in 2015 for the construction of the new student flats that currently occupy the site.
While the number of people in the capital who can still clearly recall Castle O'Clouts is dwindling, there are still a few Southsiders around today with fond memories of the building and its pub.
June McBride wrote on the Lost Edinburgh Facebook page: "The Castle O'Clouts was my Dad's favourite pub. We lived at 17 Parkside Street which has also been demolished.
"So very sad. I remember playing out on the street beside the big brewery and the coal station was just over the wall.
Peggy McAvoy said: "Good memories with Fran Pratt who managed the pub with his wife, also with Rita & Frank. Gone but not forgotten."
Hugh Rafferty added: "Little bit of TLC and that building would be good for another 250 years - vandals!"
