Key Points
- Lomond Leisure Group is refurbishing the former Kilderkin pub on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile into The Parliament Arms, the closest venue to Holyrood Palace and the Scottish Parliament.
- The £170,000 revamp began this week, with an opening scheduled for mid-March, creating 20 new jobs.
- Interior upgrades include renovated wood-panelled walls, timber floors, leather banquette seating, Scottish-inspired wallpaper, and three saloon-style booths.
- The menu will feature home-cooked Scottish classics like venison, sea bass, salmon, pies, Cullen skink, and haggis, paired with Scottish gins and whiskies, tastings, and local producer events.
- This marks Lomond Leisure’s sixth venue and third partnership with Star Pubs, with expansion plans targeting tourist areas.
Edinburgh (Edinburgh Daily News) February 17, 2026 – Lomond Leisure Group and Star Pubs have broken ground on a £170,000 refurbishment of the Kilderkin pub on the Royal Mile, transforming it into The Parliament Arms ahead of a mid-March opening.
The venue, the closest pub to Holyrood Palace and the Scottish Parliament, will create 20 new jobs and enhance its exterior with new signage, lighting, and architecture-matched character, according to reports from Caterer Licensee and SLTN.
What changes are planned for The Parliament Arms?
Inside, the redesign will renovate wood-panelled walls, timber floors, and the distinctive bar, while introducing leather-covered deep button-backed banquette seating, wallpaper and fabrics inspired by Scottish flora and fauna, and three eight-seater booths with saloon-style doors, as detailed by SLTN.
The food offer will emphasise home-cooked Scottish classics using local ingredients such as venison, sea bass, salmon, hearty pies, Cullen skink, and haggis, with drinks highlighting Scottish gins and whiskies alongside regular tastings and events with local producers, reporting from Morning Advertiser states.
As reported by Chris Thynne of Lomond Leisure Group, what drives this partnership?
“We enjoy partnering with Star Pubs – they’re supportive, transparent and easy to do business with. The Parliament Arms is our second refurbishment with them in the last year. We like their collaborative approach; they listen to us and deliver what we want,”
Chris Thynne, director of Lomond Leisure Group, told Caterer Licensee.
How does Star Pubs view the project?
“We want The Parliament Arms to do justice to its position close to two of Edinburgh’s most important sites. We’re delighted that Lomond Leisure Group are operating the pub; their commitment to Scottish hospitality is a perfect fit for The Parliament Arms,”
said Matt Dyson, Star Pubs’ operations director for Scotland, according to Beertoday and Morning Advertiser.
What does this mean for Lomond Leisure’s growth?
With The Parliament Arms, Lomond Leisure will operate six venues across Scotland, including Gael & Grain, Van Winkle, and Mharsanta in Glasgow, Kirk O’The Lochs in Tarbet, and The Tolbooth Tavern in Edinburgh, as noted by multiple outlets.
The group, having added three sites since early 2025, eyes further expansion in tourist hotspots like Edinburgh, northern Scotland, St Andrews, and northern England destination spots, per Caterer Licensee.
