Edinburgh's Kyloe restaurant says goodbye to replica cow

Edinburgh's Kyloe restaurant & grill has lost a battle to save its large replica cow that juts out from the venue's first floor window.

The business staged a protest last year, with demonstrators dressed as cows, to try to persuade Edinburgh City Council to reverse its decision to remove the cow from the eaterie in Rutland Street.

The cow had been in place for two years but official proceedings have now begun to have the fibreglass model removed.

According to a letter issued by a planning officer of the City of Edinburgh Council dated December 2013, it had to be taken down because of its "detrimental effect on the character of the listed building and on the amenity of the area caused by its position".

The letter gave the business 21 days to remove the offending cow, but it has since remained in place. However, despite the fact that the restaurant's subsequent "Save the Kyloe Cow" petition received nearly 3,000 signatures, the restaurant said it had now accepted the cow's fate. It will be taken down this month.

Nic Wood, owner of Signature Pub Group, which operates the venue, said: "The cow sculpture started out as a desperate plea to customers to tell them where we were amidst the debilitating tram works and became a fantastic symbol for our restaurant and a beacon for the much beleaguered West End.

"I am aggrieved that we have been forced to remove the Kyloe cow and am disappointed that the City of Edinburgh Council are demonstrating such a spectacular sense of humour failure in enforcing this action. However, I am proud that my team can stand here today obeying that instruction yet displaying quite an extraordinary sense of humour and we stand shoulder to shoulder in saying farewell to our cow."

The Kyloe will hold a service and wake for its bovine friend on Wednesday 18 February at 10.30am where mourners can say their final goodbyes.

Herd of protestors gather to save Edinburgh restaurant's cow >>