IN AN amber-lit backroom smelling of old carpet, Ebenezer Balfour is negotiating a kidnapping. His companion, the swarthy Captain Hoseason, is in need of a slave to sell in North Carolina. And over pints at the Hawes Inn, a plan is struck.
Fiction
al abductions such as the one thought up by RL Stevenson in Kidnapped are no longer hatched here, but it's easy to see how they could be. Located on the banks of the Firth of Forth, the Hawes Inn has been a place of comfort for salty sea dogs and pirates since the 17th century. It was here, under the exposed wooden beams and in front of rough stone hearths, that they told their tales and struck their deals.
Time and technological innovation didn't affect the pub's fortunes. "The Hawes Inn flourishes too well for being in the middle of our works, its attractions prove irresistible for a large proportion of our 3,000 workmen," complained Benjamin Baker, an engineer working on the construction of the Forth Bridge in 1887.
Soldiers were next to fill the seats. If you were drinking here on October 16, 1939, you would have witnessed the first enemy action over mainland Britain during the Second World War, as a squadron of German bombers attacked vessels on the Forth.
These days, historic tales of heroism have been replaced by free wi-fi and a children's menu.
What to drink: To help recreate the scene, try a Calypso or Jamaican coffee, made with Tia Maria or rum for £3. Cask ales cost £2.40 to 2.80.
• The Hawes Inn, 7 Newhalls Road, South Queensferry (0845 112 6001)
The full article contains 284 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
