A rooftop restaurant and bar space with views of the iconic Edinburgh Castle is being exclusively marketed by Colliers International.
After 22 years, James Thomson’s former Tower Restaurant at the top of Scotland’s most visited attraction, the National Museum of Scotland, has become available following its lease expiry this year. Located on the fifth floor, the new lease offers 1,674 square feet of indoor restaurant and bar space, and 2,174 square feet of outside terrace, that can be available from early 2021.
The National Museum of Scotland, located on Chambers Street in the historic Old Town (part of the city’s UNESCO World Heritage site), welcomed more than 2.2 million visitors in 2019. It is also close to numerous landmarks such as the Greyfriars Bobby statue and Greyfriars Kirk, the National Library of Scotland, University of Edinburgh, George Heriot’s School and St Giles’ Cathedral.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for a new establishment to open up at the most popular tourist attraction in Scotland,” said Paul Shiells from the Licensed & Leisure team at Colliers International. “The National Museum of Scotland is open to considering either restaurant, bistro or bar tenants interested in leasing and developing the space.
“This is a beautiful restaurant setting at the top of this golden sandstone-clad building, with floor to ceiling glass overlooking the veranda providing uninterrupted views of the city. There’s an opportunity to expand the rooftop terrace’s use, to add more covers, or outside drinking areas. The tenant will also be offered opportunities to cater for events held within the museum.”
A spokesperson for The National Museum of Scotland said: “The Tower Restaurant was a great success for the past two decades, and while we were sad to see it close we are looking forward to welcoming a new tenant to work with us in partnership to provide an offering that reflects the quality and reputation of the museum as a 5-star visitor attraction and the most visited tourist attraction in Scotland.”
A base rent is sought, calculated as a percentage of total turnover, supported by a guaranteed minimum annual payment. The restaurant can be accessed by a ground-floor lift through the sentinel-like rotunda entrance. Secondary access is also available by staircase. Also included in the lease is a 1,565 square foot kitchen in the sub-basement and access to a store space.
