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Edinburgh Live
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David McLean

Fascinating story behind Edinburgh's 'Canny Man's' and how unofficial name stuck


Having been on the go for well over 150 years, the Canny Man's pub in Morningside is a true capital institution, but even many of its regulars are unsure of the origins behind its name.

As it turns out, it's a rather fascinating story that goes right back to the earliest days of the establishment.

For a start, while everyone knows the pub at the corner of Morningside Road and Canaan Lane as 'The Canny Man's', this is actually a nickname. The true name is the Volunteer Arms.

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Believed to date back to the 18th century, the original pub on the site was known as the Volunteer's Rest - a nod to the members of the Edinburgh Rifle Volunteers, who stopped often in the area for a drink after a day's shooting on Blackford Hill.

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In 1871, the establishment was acquired by Biggar-born John Kerr, who kept with tradition and named the pub the Volunteer Arms. Kerr even had the renowned English landscape painter Sam Bough, then a resident of Jordan Lane, paint two inn signs depicting a kneeling rifleman; one on canvas, the other an oak panel.

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Previously employed as a drayman, Kerr had a real love for horses and began collecting all manner of equine-related ephemera, including horse shoes and harnesses - much of which remains on display in the pub to this day.

So how did the pub end up being called "The Canny Man's"? Well, it had nothing to do with Kerr being shrewd or thrifty, as many might assume.

According to the late Morningside historian Charles J. Smith, it was all down to Kerr keeping a caring eye out for his more sozzled patrons.

In his book Historic South Edinburgh, Smith wrote: "When the many carters, who had come in from the farms south of Morningside and stopped in the village, simply to rest or wait while their horses were being attended to in Denholm's smiddy, they would enjoy a refreshment and pass the time in the Volunteer Arms.

"However, if any showed signs of over-indulgence, Kerr, thinking of the remainder of their journey on horseback, would issue the salutary warning: 'Ca' canny man!' ('Go easy, man!')."

For the rest of his days and forevermore, as it would turn out, Kerr's inn was known locally as the "Canny Man's".

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