20-05-2025
Activists demand update on 'offensive' Edinburgh Castle cafe name
The Redcoat Cafe found itself at the centre of intense controversy earlier last year, when it reopened after a refurbishment and Scots discovered the name on social media.
The backlash saw calls for a 'swift rebrand', and a petition calling for the 'deeply offensive' name to be changed was set up and gathered more than 5000 signatures.
In response, Historic Environment Scotland (HES) pledged to review the name of the cafe, as well as the name of the Jacobite function room.
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At the time, a spokesperson for HES said: 'We have listened to the strong feelings on both sides of the debate about the name of the cafe at Edinburgh Castle.
"The name has been in place since 1992 and reflects the military history which is told throughout the castle, however, the way we interpret history is constantly evolving.
"As part of our new visitor experience plans for Edinburgh Castle in the coming financial year, the names of both the cafe and the function room will be reviewed and any changes communicated in due course.'
Come the end of the referred-to financial year, running from April 6, 2024, until April 5, 2025, activists are now calling for an update on the review.
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"I think it's taken far too long for this review to take place. It's been well over a year. The issue was raised back in February of last year, and here we are in May 2025. Surely by now, they could have come to a conclusion," Sean Clerkin told The National.
Clerkin (below) and other activists delivered a letter to the cafe calling for customers to boycott the cafe if management did not concede to demands for a name change in March 2024.
He added: "What I believe happened is that after the initial criticisms, they hoped the controversy would die down. They were probably just planning to keep the name and let everything quietly fade away.
"But that's not going to happen. Too many people oppose the name. It would be like opening a café in Dublin and calling it the Black and Tan Cafe — it's the exact same thing.
"The name must be changed. It's important because it reflects something much bigger. The continued use of the Redcoat Cafe name at Edinburgh Castle sends a message that Scotland is not in an unequal union.
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"Having a name like that at one of our most iconic landmarks is a symbol of colonization.
"To change that perception, the name must be dropped — along with any lingering ties to British symbolism.
"This review needs to conclude soon, and the outcome should be clear: the name has to go."
When asked for an update on the review, and clarification on whether it had been delayed, a HES spokesperson said: "As highlighted previously, the review is part of wider visitor experience plans for Edinburgh Castle, this work is ongoing and a decision on the names will be taken in line with this in due course."
