The Cross Keys pub in Peebles - built in 1693 - has been put up for sale by owners Wetherspoons, meaning it could close if a buyer is not found.
The historic Borders coaching inn - originally called Cleikum Inn - was a favourite haunt of Sir Walter Scott, and is featured in several of the iconic Edinburgh-born author's novels. There's a statue of the author in the pub garden.
And speaking of 'haunt' - the ghost of the very first landlady, Meg Dodds, is said to haunt the building.
Given the budget pub chain's vast popularity, you would be forgiven for thinking business is thriving for JD Wetherspoon.
But profits at the UK-wide chain have fallen 18.9 per cent to £50.3million in the first half of this financial year as costs rocketed - especially labour, which increased by about £33million.
This is despite revenue rising 7.1 per cent to £889.6million and like-for-like sales increasing by 6.3 per cent in the period.
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As a result, the pub group is selling 16 of its sites across the UK - including one of the very oldest Wetherspoons pubs The Cross Keys, originally built in 1693 as a town mansion by Walter Williamson of Cardrona.
Chairman Tim Martin warned costs would continue to rise in the second half, reports the Daily Record.
He said: "As previously indicated, costs in the second half of the year will be higher than those of the same period last year.
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"The company anticipates an unchanged trading outcome for the current financial year."
He added in the six weeks to March 10, like-for-like sales increased by 9.6 per cent and total revenue jumped 10.9 per cent, helped by good weather and favourable comparables.
In the first half of the year, the business opened two new pubs and closed six, bringing its total estate to 879.
The 16 pubs Wetherspoon has put up for sale
- Queens Hotel, Newport
- Brun Lea, Burnley
- Friar Penketh, Warrington
- Bourtree, Hawick
- The Cross Keys, Peebles
- Chapel an Gansblydhen, Cornwall
- St George's Hall, Bristol
- Isaac Merritt, Devon
- Dee Hotel, Merseyside
- Last Plantagenet, Leicester
- Rhinoceros, Rotherham
- Alexander Bain, Wick
- Pennsylvanian, Rickmansworth
- Time Piece, Dewsbury
- Butler's Bell, Stafford
- Vulcan, Coatbridge
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