A local dad has shared how he transformed an abandoned Midlothian pub into one of the area's plushest holiday rentals.
Philip Thompson, 30, was able to completely renovate the old 17th century building into an incredible Airbnb in under a year after taking the site on in early 2021.
Originally looking to renovate the cottage and sell it on, after clearing the garden space Philip told Edinburgh Live he instantly realised the potential, and has been almost fully booked ever since completion.
Catering for up to eight guests, the Middleton Inn now comes with four luxurious bedrooms, a private hot tub and outdoor bar area, quite the new lease of life from it's former days as a run down pub.
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Speaking to Edinburgh Live, Philip said: "It took from May 3 when we started the work and we finished up in mid December so it was around seven months work.
"Originally my plan was to sell it and make a profit but once we cleared the land at the back it was so beautiful and it's next to the river so it's quiet. So I thought I'd love to live here myself but then the idea of the holiday let came up.
"The work went well to be honest, I had a good group of guys and it went well there were some issues as its an old building but once we stripped everything back to the brick it was pretty easy starting with a blank canvas."
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Stripping almost everything out of the building, Philip levelled out the garden to make way for the impressive patio and hot tub set up, with the site even featuring a Love Island style vine wall and pink neon 'relax' sign.
Hoping to give the decor an Instagram-worthy aesthetic, Philip added:
"The whole relax sign was a focal point and a picture point for Instagram, we wanted people to have a nice backdrop to get a good photograph."
Now around six months on from opening, the inn has been almost completely booked up, with many people coming from just a few minutes down the road to escape from Edinburgh and other surrounding towns.
Offering a stunning getaway not too far from home, Philip explained that the idea of a getaway that requires minimal travel has gone down a treat. He said:
"We only have one weekend available now until February of next year, so it's been very busy.
"When I first had the idea people said I'm not sure if it's going to work as it's so close to Edinburgh people wont want to go there on holiday, but that's actually the whole idea behind it because it is such a short commute, you're still away from the hustle and bustle and it saves you driving hours up north, once you close the front door you feel like you're almost in the highlands, I've even had people come from literally a mile down the road.
"Especially after covid people didn't get the chance to spend a lot of time together and we even get weddings, people on say a hen do or people coming before a wedding just to relax."
You can find more information on the Middleton Inn and its availability here.
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