Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Record
Daily Record
National
Alexander Smail

The Scottish Wetherspoons pub that once hosted music legends from Pink Floyd to Queen

If you have ever been to Edinburgh, you might have passed by or even been inside The Caley Picture House on Lothian Road.

The Wetherspoons pub opened in 2016 and has since become among the most popular branches of the chain in the city. However, the building itself has a long and storied history dating back one hundred years.

The original Caley Picture House opened its doors in 1923, designed by J.S. Richardson & J.R. McKay. The 900-capacity venue opened with a screening of the silent film The Game of Life.

A few years later, owing to its success and the increasing popularity of films with sound, the Caley Picture House underwent renovations to increase its capacity to 1,900. It was at this time that the iconic stained glass was added to the venue's entrance.

It continued to enjoy success in the years that followed, becoming the first cinema in Edinburgh to show films in widescreen. However, by 1984, the its popularity had dwindled and it was closed.

Two years later, the Caley Picture House reopened as a discotheque and found a second life. With its focus now on live music, the venue came to be known as the Caley Palais.

The iconic stained-glass window was not added until a few years after the building's construction (JD Wetherspoon)

Over the next few years, the Caley Palais hosted countless musicians and bands in its historic walls. Some music legends even played at the venue, including Queen, Pink Floyd, AC/DC, and New Order.

After this, the venue changed names multiple times—being known as Century 2000 and Revolution—before shutting its doors for several years. In 2008, it reopened under the original name of the Caley Picture House (later HMV Picture House) as a full-time concert venue.

Finally, the Caley Picture House closed its doors as a venue for good in 2014 and was purchased by JD Wetherspoon. Two years later, the pub opened and remains popular to this day.

Though far from its heyday as an important culture venue, stepping inside the building today you can feel its storied history.

Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here.

READ NEXT:

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.