Legendary Edinburgh pub Port O'Leith to change hands after noise complaints
The current landlord is stepping down after almost ten years of running the pub
The Port O’Leith pub on Constitution Street, which was famously run by the unofficial ‘Queen of Leith’, Mary Moriarty, is set to change hands following noise complaints from residents.
The raucous Leith bar shut its doors at the weekend and has put up for lease by Star Pubs, the pub arm of Heineken UK.
Craig Smith, who has run the pub for almost ten years, will be stepping down.
The pub has not yet been listed on the company’s website but a ‘for lease’ sign has been spotted outside the venue.
Star Pubs said it hoped to reopen the venue as soon as possible.
Footage from the weekend shows locals at the packed-out bar belting out Sunshine on Leith, celebrating the end of an era at the much-loved pub.
The watering hole was previously run by legendary landlady Mary Moriarty, who ran the Port for 25 years and died in 2022 at the age of 83.
She was beloved by locals who gave her the affectionate moniker of the Queen of Leith.
The popular local has been rocked by noise complaints over the last year.
In March, the pub was subject to a review by Edinburgh Council’s licensing board and was subsequently issued a 10pm noise limit order.
It is understood the pub’s lease was already coming up for renewal this year, but Heineken UK brought the end of the lease forward.
A spokesperson for Star Pubs said: "The Port O Leith is a much-loved pub. We are keen to reopen it as quickly as possible.
“We will be listing all the details of the pub on the company’s website at some point in the next couple of weeks for those interested in leasing it.”
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