The Witchery by the Castle
Encyclopedia
The Witchery by the Castle is a restaurant on the Royal Mile
near Edinburgh Castle
which also provides lavish bed and breakfast
accommodation.
The restaurant was opened in 1979 by chef James Thompson. At the start there were just three staff but the business has now grown to employ over 70, including a housekeeper
, night porter
and pastry chef
.
The building is said to be haunted by one of the thousand people who were burned for witchcraft
on Castlehill in 15th and 16th centuries. The eight bedroom suites are furnished in a lavish gothic style with oak panelling, tapestries
and numerous antique features.
The list of celebrities who have stayed here includes Andrew Lloyd Webber
and Catherine Zeta Jones.
Royal Mile
The Royal Mile is a succession of streets which form the main thoroughfare of the Old Town of the city of Edinburgh in Scotland.As the name suggests, the Royal Mile is approximately one Scots mile long, and runs between two foci of history in Scotland, from Edinburgh Castle at the top of the Castle...
near Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle is a fortress which dominates the skyline of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, from its position atop the volcanic Castle Rock. Human habitation of the site is dated back as far as the 9th century BC, although the nature of early settlement is unclear...
which also provides lavish bed and breakfast
Bed and breakfast
A bed and breakfast is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast, but usually does not offer other meals. Since the 1980s, the meaning of the term has also extended to include accommodations that are also known as "self-catering" establishments...
accommodation.
The restaurant was opened in 1979 by chef James Thompson. At the start there were just three staff but the business has now grown to employ over 70, including a housekeeper
Housekeeper (servant)
A housekeeper is an individual responsible for the cleaning and maintenance of the interior of a residence, including direction of subordinate maids...
, night porter
Night porter
A night porter is a porter who is on duty during the night. A hotel commonly has a night porter to attend to the needs of guests and other incidents during the night. They may also be required to perform sundry maintenance and cleaning tasks such as polishing boots, emptying spittoons and...
and pastry chef
Pastry chef
A pastry chef or pâtissier is a station chef in a professional kitchen, skilled in the making of pastries, desserts, breads and other baked goods...
.
The building is said to be haunted by one of the thousand people who were burned for witchcraft
Witchcraft
Witchcraft, in historical, anthropological, religious, and mythological contexts, is the alleged use of supernatural or magical powers. A witch is a practitioner of witchcraft...
on Castlehill in 15th and 16th centuries. The eight bedroom suites are furnished in a lavish gothic style with oak panelling, tapestries
Tapestry
Tapestry is a form of textile art, traditionally woven on a vertical loom, however it can also be woven on a floor loom as well. It is composed of two sets of interlaced threads, those running parallel to the length and those parallel to the width ; the warp threads are set up under tension on a...
and numerous antique features.
The list of celebrities who have stayed here includes Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of...
and Catherine Zeta Jones.