The Last Drop, The Grassmarket, Edinburgh

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From the very first moment that you set foot in The Last Drop, you cannot help but get a feel for its historical significance and associations. Whether that be due to the "Old Worldly" wooden beams aplenty, the deliberately and carefully subdued lighting, the memorial sites in the street you have just left or a complex blend of all three and more, you will have to judge for yourself. This sense of tradition and heritage is very important to the proprietors and something they are always looking to maintain.

So what is your favourite tipple? You certainly won't be short of choices from this well-stocked bar. Is a traditional pint the order of the day? Select an ale from a choice of Belhaven Best, Caledonian 80 shilling or perhaps that favourite of Ian Rankin's Inspector Rebus, Deuchars IPA. Lager drinkers also have the option of partaking of Scotland's favourite and best selling lager, Tennent's.

Wines and spirits drinkers too have a great selection to choose from but being in Scotland, surely you have to try a "wee dram" of the world's finest malt whisky? The owners of The Last Drop have actually supplied a tasting guide to help you make an informed choice from thirteen of the very best. Browse the guide, or ask for advice - there will almost certainly be at least one there to suit your taste!

Soft drinks and coffee are of course available for any drivers or teetotallers. I can also strongly recommend a Gaelic style coffee, laced with fine whisky and topped with cream. This is particularly enjoyable after a fine meal, which we shall look at in more detail a little later on...

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I vividly recall the occasion of my very first visit to The Last Drop. I did not live in Edinburgh at that time and was visiting the city with an uncle to attend an International Rugby Union match and we went there on his personal recommendation.

I was immediately impressed.

I liked the layout of the pub, the beer was great, and as it was around lunchtime, we decided to order some food. Being the carnivore that I am, I went for the Steak and Guinness Pie and I was not disappointed. It was absolutely delicious and I am delighted to say that it is still made in The Last Drop, by the same, secret recipe, and served up right to this very day. I have since partaken of it on a great many more occasions.

The food in The Last Drop is served from noon until nine pm, seven days a week, and is prepared fresh on the premises wherever possible and practical. This is something which very much comes across in the eating experience. It is also cooked in a healthy fashion, with not a deep fat fryer to be found in this kitchen. The other big seller on the menu (apart from the Steak and Guinness Pie) is the haggis, turnip and potato - or haggis, neeps and tatties as you are perhaps more likely to hear it referred by aficionados of traditional Scottish food. The haggis is bought in fresh from a trusted local butcher and is not of the "chemically enhanced," tinned variety!

There are of course many more items on The Last Drop's menu at extremely reasonable prices, including everything from snacks and wraps to salads and baked potatoes. Perhaps you may fancy something with an international flavour, such as pasta, curry or enchiladas? Whatever your choice, I very much hope you have the chance to experience it soon and know that regardless of what it may be, you are in for a treat.

There are of course a great many of us who love our whisky and other spirits - but equally, it can be possible to take this passion a little too far! Are you one of those people whose friends lock their drinks' cabinets when you pay them a visit? Do you perhaps have to lock your own drinks' cabinet when particular friends pay you a visit?

The t-shirt pictured is but one example of dozens of products available to buy online at fantastic prices, summing up just such people. Click here to visit the store and snap up a hilarious bargain today.

The Grassmarket is situated in the shadow of the city's most famous landmark, Edinburgh Castle, and is currently in the process of receiving a multi-million pound redevelopment. It first appeared in the 15th century as a marketplace but has a rich, often dark, cultural history far beyond the boundaries of the purpose for which it was created. Historical figures such as Rabbie Burns, Sir Walter Scott and the infamous Burke and Hare have all graced this place at one time or another and many of the properties on the Grassmarket were at one time in fact owned by the Knight's Templar, the secret society so recently brought back to prominence by Dan Brown's book, "The Da Vinci Code."

But it is the Grassmarket's function as the place of public hangings which leads to the name, "The Last Drop." Many a wicked criminal, innocent soul and religious martyr alike met their end at this location. The exact spot where the gallows once stood is marked by a St Andrew's cross in the cobblestones bearing the inscription, "For the Protestant faith, on this spot many martyrs and covenanters died." The Last Drop offers t-shirts for sale to those seeking a souvenir of their visit with the solemn monogram of a public gallows emblazoned prominently on the front.

Many a visitor to The Last Drop over the years has felt a gentle tug to their shirt or jacket from a seemingly unknown source. Some have even caught ill-defined sight of a young girl standing forlornly in the corner. Have you had, or could you yet have, such an experience?

Legend has it that Maria was a young Irish girl, murdered by a Scotsman and that she still frequents The Last Drop with mischief on her mind. Do you believe in such tales...?

It was in mid-March 2009 that I was asked by Squidoo's Lensmaster of the Year 2008, Jaguar Julie, from Florida, USA, to be the first participant in a worldwide charity project she was in the process of organising. She planned on sending a t-shirt and journal on a worldwide trip via Squidoo contributors. Each person is required to sign the t-shirt, make an entry in the journal, take a relevant photo, make a donation to their favourite charity and subsequently post the items on to the next person.

I felt of course extremely honoured and was delighted to be a part of this very worthwhile project. I decided that, as the very first Squidoo site I created about a place was this one on The Last Drop, what better place to send The Journal of the Travelling Squid on its way than the place where essentially I started my own Squidoo journey.

The t-shirt and the journal can be seen in the photograph above along with Last Drop barman Alex Mill and I. This image was taken on 31st March 2009 and the items packaged up and sent on their onward journey the following day to Squidoo contributor aj2008.

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