In Edinburgh, the Royal Scots Guards have a house, which they share with the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards. They are each others mutual defence and consider each other family. The bottom floor is the bar and upstairs for functions. Apparently, it is the norm. Only a small plaque at the door identifies it. Otherwise it blends into the neighborhood. The RSDG have a pub just outside the castle gate on the Royal Mile, which the owner and the locals consider the gathering place for the Regiment. Maybe d&b could add something about the use of houses as regimental retreats.
My first posting was to Edinburgh, Redford Barracks, for public duties.
There was an Officers' Mess in the barracks that we used occasionally, but we mostly went downtown of course because: Edinburgh. I used to go to the Ensign Ewart, the first pub outside the castle's gate, every once in awhile. Top tip: if you're going to 'Drink the Mile', it's best to start from the high ground and head downhill.
Until I read your post, I had no idea that
those sissy craphat bastards local Scots regiments had special mess houses available for their use and have never heard of that being available anywhere else in the UK. As these regiments are dripping with cash, and could be guaranteed to be based in Edinburgh (more or less in perpetuity) it doesn't surprise me really. Other regiments packed up and moved physically around the UK, and elsewhere around the globe, every 2 years so that kind of stability and continuity was usually impossible.
In general, the messes that were furthest away from urban centres tended to be the liveliest. For example, the 45 Commando Group mess at RM Condor in Arbroath was fantastic. Friday nights were always a spectacular pub night type event, with wives joining in. The 1 PARA mess at Bulford Camp, next to Salisbury Plain, and the mess in Dhekelia, Cyprus, were similar.
In contrast I always found that my regiment's messes in Aldershot, close to London, weren't all that well attended because people would usually head into 'the Smoke' on a weekend.