A mother and daughter duo who have run a historic 200-year-old Edinburgh pub for two decades say they can't imagine life without it.
May and Heather McKenzie are often seen behind the bar at the famous Royal Oak on Infirmary Street. During the 1960s, the pub was owned by former Hearts footballer Alan Anderson and called 'The Pivot'.
Now, May and Heather are celebrating 20 years at the helm, saying they just "decided to give it a go" having no previous experience in the industry. Despite this, the pair have a passion for folk music, which the pub is renowned for, and couldn't let it slip by the wayside after previous tenants Sandra and Dorothy retired.
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Heather, originally from Livingston, took over the reigns and enlisted her mum May, who had a skincare company, to help with the business side. Looking back on the last 20 years, the pair say they can't believe how long they've been behind the bar and would be 'lost' without the pub.
Heather, who has just extended her lease on the pub, said: "I’m passionate about folk and traditional music and couldn’t bear The Royal Oak to fall by the wayside when the previous licensees, sisters Sandra and Dorothy, retired.
"Mum was looking for a new challenge, so we decided to give running The Royal Oak a go. I never thought we’d be here so long, but I can’t imagine life without The Royal Oak now. It's the kind of place you never want to leave.
"I love music and meeting different people and hearing their stories. It’s a privilege to be the licensee."
Under the McKenzies’ stewardship, The Royal Oak’s reputation for folk music has gone from strength to strength. Resident performers provide live music seven nights a week with every genre of folk, from country to blues, represented.
The Wee Folk Club – which has been based at the pub since it was started by a regular musician over 25 years ago and won the Folk Club of the Year Award at the 2008 Scot Trad Music Awards – hosts a concert in the Lounge Bar every Sunday evening.
In addition to showcasing some of the best folk acts in Scotland, it has hosted performers from all over the world and welcomes new talent and established favourites.
There is no stage – musicians play in a corner of the pub – and the décor is unchanged from the 1980s.
Heather added: "We liked the character of the pub just as it was when we started out, and customers love it, too. Tourists often remark that it’s fantastic to find ‘a real pub’. We’d have a lot of unhappy regulars if we modernised The Royal Oak."
Michael Barclay, Area Manager at Star Pubs & Bars’, who own The Royal Oak, said: "The Royal Oak is a real Edinburgh institution and a testimony to Heather and May’s hard work and commitment.
"It’s not just an amazing music venue, it’s also a wonderful pub where you’re always assured of a warm welcome and some good banter. We wish Heather and May many more happy years behind the bar."
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