A ferry-side inn grew through several campaigns and became inseparable from literary memories of Robert Louis Stevenson and the Forth crossing.
Quick facts
- Date
- Later seventeenth-century core; nineteenth-century additions; east wing dated 1893
- Architect / designer
- Sydney Mitchell and Wilson, 1893 east wing; earlier builders unrecorded
- Type
- Historic ferry inn enlarged in Scots Baronial form
- Designation
- Listed building, Category B (LB40354)
- OS grid reference
- NT 13698 78353
Architecture and continuing use
The long harled frontage breaks into five sections reflecting gradual enlargement. The 1893 east wing adds crowsteps, an oriel, crenellated parapet and carved detail, while older ranges retain simpler walls and a reused 1638 datestone from New Halls.
Its story
The inn developed from a later seventeenth-century core beside the ferry landing and was known as Newhalls Inn before the end of the nineteenth century. It accommodated travellers and stagecoach changes. Sydney Mitchell and Wilson added a baronial wing in 1893. Literary associations arose through Stevenson’s Kidnapped and references by Sir Walter Scott.
Why it is included
Category B listing recognises a long-lived place of hospitality whose layered architecture is closely tied to ferry travel and Scottish literary culture.
What to notice
- Change in scale and detailing across the five-part frontage.
- Corbelled oriel and crowsteps on the 1893 wing.
- Painted Kidnapped characters and reused 1638 stone.
Reading the surroundings
Enter during advertised business hours as a customer or guest and respect staff, residents and private rooms. Use pavements around the busy pier approach and confirm bookings or opening times with the operator.
Timeline
- Late 17th century An early inn served travellers near the Newhalls ferry landing.
- 18th century Stagecoach traffic used the inn and adjoining stable accommodation.
- 1886 Stevenson’s Kidnapped fixed the Hawes name within literary memory.
- 1893 A new baronial east wing enlarged and visually unified the premises.
What we know — and what remains uncertain
Claims about Stevenson composing part of Kidnapped here are presented by the operator as tradition; published opening hours can change.
Sources & further reading
- Historic Environment Scotland: Hawes Inn, LB40354 — Current designation status, mapped location, date, fabric and architectural interest.
- Trove designation: LB40354 — Parallel national record identity and archival context.
- Hawes Inn: official operator page — Current pub, restaurant and accommodation identity.
- Hawes Inn: contact and opening information — Current address, telephone and published opening hours.
Location
OS grid reference NT 13698 78353 · Location confidence: High: the current national designation supplies an exact mapped National Grid Reference; public text separately states access and current-use uncertainty. · Select the marker to open its satellite view in Google Maps. On desktop, drag Pegman (the yellow figure) onto a blue road. On mobile, turn on the Street View layer and tap a blue road. Other photo markers may be user-contributed.
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