Pub radar - FCC's picks for a pre-match pint in Leith & Gorgie

Edinburgh is home to two of Scotland's biggest football clubs - Hibernian and Heart of Midlothian. Both teams attract around 15-20k fans through the turnstiles every second week to Easter Road and Tynecastle respectively, but where is best to enjoy a pre or post-match drink in the capital? Football Culture Club has you covered.

HIBERNIAN

(Recommendations by Callum Watt)

The Harp and Castle

Outside The Harp and Castle on Leith Walk (Image - Creative Commons)

• 'The Harp' is the quintessential "Hibs pub" and is even named after two elements of the club's badge

• Inside is fully decked out with Hibernian memorabilia and various images from years gone by

• Located on Leith Walk, it's only a short walk from Easter Road Stadium and is a favourite amongst fans seeking a pre or post-match drink

• 'The Harp' boasts a good drinks selection at reasonable prices but be sure to get there early on big matchdays as it fills up quickly

The Iona Bar

• The Iona is located on the corner of Easter Road and Iona Street making it one of the closest pubs to the ground

• It's also a proper "Hibs pub" and features a variety of Hibs-themed decor inside

• The Iona is a family-run pub and has a well-priced selection of alcoholic and soft drinks

• Like The Harp, though, it fills up very quickly when Hearts, Celtic and Rangers come to town (many people opt to stand outside and soak up the pre-match atmosphere with a carryout)

The Artisan Bar

• A favourite of FCC founder Callum Watt, the 'Arty' is a sports bar located on London Road around 10 minutes from Easter Road Stadium

• It features an island bar with a good selection of drinks & has lots of stool seating along all four walls

• Large HD TVs in each corner of the pub make it a great place to catch the early kick-off or enjoy a post-match debrief with the 5.30pm game on

• However, unlike the other two, The Artisan is not exclusively a Hibs fans pub and is often also frequented by good-natured away supporters as it's closest to where their supporters buses park at Abbeyhill

HEARTS

(Recommendations by Angus Blacklock)

The Tynecastle Arms

Outside The Tynecastle Arms on Gorgie Road (Image - Creative Commons)

• Top marks for location - in the shadow of the stadium itself, you can stumble out of the pub at 14:58 and still make kick-off (and you can make it back in time to still see some of the full time scores come in)

• It’s competitively priced at £4 a pint, however there are limited draught options

• It isn’t the biggest pub so it fills up quite quickly and you sometimes struggle to get served

Athletic Arms

• Informally known as 'The Diggers', it’s a proper pub - plenty draught options and the bar circles the whole pub so you're never waiting too long to be served

• It’s a 10 minute walk from the ground so not too long to walk - though it's perhaps for the more mature fan

• It’s similarly priced to the Tynie Arms at around £4.50 a pint. There are also plenty whisky options

The Shandon

• The Shandon is absolutely massive but has the smallest bar out of the lot, which is always a recipe for disaster - nightmare to get served, however it's the place to be on a big match day (the Gorgie Ultras start their marches from here and the drum is often in the pub before to provide a good atmosphere)

• As I said, it’s a nightmare to get served so people have been known to bring carryouts into the pub

• It’s similarly priced to the other two at around £4 a pint