Edinburgh is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The castles, the architecture, the pubs, the nightlife, the positive aura of the residents and the history compose a setting that will captivate you and you will fall in love with it.
Like all cities, Edinburgh also hides some strange stories.
We would recommend you to visit the Deacon Brodies Tavern on the Royal Mile Edinburgh which is a very short distance from the imposing Edinburgh Castle.
Most people prefer it for the awesome variety of beers, cocktails and food.
Entering inside you will find that the decoration of the pub is strange. It is inspired by the story of one of the most notorious burglars of the city.
This is William Brodie (September 28, 1741 – October 1, 1788) who was also known as Deacon Brodie.
Brodie was a Scottish cabinetmaker, respected merchant and councillor of Edinburgh, who led a double life.
By day he was one of the most moral and noble inhabitants of Scotland. By night he was a burglar! He had mingled with the high society, the nobility, the poets and the painters of Edinburgh.
His work helped him to acquire the knowledge of how to copy security keys and security mechanisms. In fact, he copied keys using candles.
He had been to most of the houses of the rich in the city, he would befriend them by day and at night he would manage to steal from them!
He was also a gambling addict and one of his first robberies was at a bank without anyone noticing!
When it became known that Brodie was leading a double life, his house was raided and the police found duplicate keys, disguises, a pistol and various other evidence that would lead to his conviction.
He was eventually convicted of his crimes and hanged at the Old Tolbooth, High Street, on October 1, 1788 in front of a crowd of 40,000 people.
Outside Deacon Brodies Tavern you will see the double sign. On one side he is noble and on the other his dark character is depicted.
PHOTO CREDITS: Facebook – Deacon Brodies Tavern
