Edinburgh Castle: Inside the Auckland pub with the dodgy reputation that superstar Neil Finn bought

The historic Edinburgh Castle has been boarded up as Neil Finn adds the site to his property portfolio. Photo / Imogene Bedford

Locals are hoping Neil Finn’s purchase of the Edinburgh Castle signals a significant turning point for the Symonds St site.

Today RNZ confirmed the New Zealand music legend is converting the historic pub into a new wellness centre.

The windows are boarded up and the venue sits vacant, posters advertising rooms by the hour now torn down.

Nearby eateries are welcoming the change, with some saying the venue had become the source of ongoing issues for other Eden Terrace businesses.

Andy, the owner of nearby Hideout Cafe, says he’s excited Finn’s new venture will replace the dive bar.

“There was a lot of trouble”, he said. “It was not the right kind of business.”

The entrance to the former Edinburgh Castle has been boarded up. Photo / Imogene Bedford

The loss of the Edinburgh Castle’s liquor licence in 2023 and gambling licence late last year followed a spate of violent incidents associated with the venue.

Stuff reported last year that more than 162 police complaints had been linked to the site, including a kidnapping, a stabbing and a fatal assault.

In May 2021, MMA fighter Fau Vake was attacked by a group of men in the early hours of the morning outside the bar after a verbal altercation.

Nine days after he was punched in the head during the assault, Vake died in Auckland City Hospital.

Three of the men, all of whom had been patrons of Edinburgh Castle that night, were sentenced for their roles in his death.

The disused interior of the Edinburgh Castle. Photo / Imogene Bedford

Andy said these sorts of incidents seemed to be rife at the pub, which offered accommodation for prices as low as $40 for three hours.

“I heard there were people being sent from the prison. They would be lined up outside here,” Andy said.

A spokesperson for Corrections told the Herald there had been no formal relationship between the department and the venue.

Other business owners in the area have raised similar concerns, with staff at a local lunch spot noticing “strangers” often lingered on the street in the early morning.

After the venue lost its liquor licence, management continued to rent rooms out at low prices. Photo / Imogene Bedford

Work on the 160-year-old building will begin once planning permissions have been approved, Finn’s assistant told RNZ.

While there are few details about the nature of the wellbeing retreat planned for the site, the purchase will further expand the musician’s already significant property presence in the area.

The Crowded House frontman also owns music studio Roundhead around the corner, with his wife’s chandelier business Sharondelier operating out of the same building.