POLICE Scotland has confirmed it is investigating after someone supposedly threatened to firebomb an Edinburgh Castle café online.
It comes after Historic Environment Scotland, which runs the popular attraction, had pledged to “review” the name of the Redcoat Café.
The backlash was sparked by the announcement of a completed renovation of the café with SNP MP Douglas Chapman among those to call for a “swift rebrand”.
Responding to the controversy, a spokesperson for Historic Environment Scotland said: “We are aware of the comments on social media on both sides of the debate about the name of the café at Edinburgh Castle.
READ MORE: Edinburgh Castle's Redcoat cafe needs a name that is less emotive
“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 future plans for Edinburgh Castle, the names of both the Redcoat Café and Jacobite function room will now be reviewed.”
Why is it called the Redcoat Café?
The Redcoat Café is currently named after the red-uniformed British troops who fought against the Jacobites in Scotland, against US succession in North America, and were involved in colonisation across the globe. They counted a number of Scots among their ranks.
The Jacobite room refers to supporters of King James VII of Scotland and II of England, the last Catholic British monarch. James was deposed by protestant supporters of his daughter Mary and son-in-law William of Orange.
READ MORE: Who were the 'redcoats'? The story behind the Edinburgh café name
A petition calling for the name of the café to be changed had gathered hundreds of signatures within hours of going live and it now has more than 4000.
Speaking to The National, Scotland’s top historian, Tom Devine (below), also weighed in on the controversy surrounding the name of the café, adding that for many Scots it might conjure up “bloody images”.
Meanwhile, the TripAdvisor page for the café has been forced to stop accepting reviews.
A notice at the top of the page for the Redcoat Café states: “Due to a recent event that has attracted media attention and has caused an influx of review submissions that do not describe a first-hand experience, we have temporarily suspended publishing new reviews for this listing.
“If you’ve had a firsthand experience at this property, please check back soon - we’re looking forward to receiving your review!”
The café remains open while the investigation is ongoing and a review of the name is taking place.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel