We'll be in Edinburgh in June just for the night. I was wondering if there might be anything along or near the Royal Mile that was more of a pub/night club atmosphere where we could have a drink & see some Scottish dancing? Something somewhat informal. I know we did something similar in Barcelona to see Flamenco dancing and we prefer it over a touristy, formal show. Does anyone know if they've seen anything like this or know of something? We won't have alot of time in Edinburgh, being there only one night, so we want something relatively short. Thanks.
Posted by
New York City, NY, USA
5678 posts
These types of events are not planned far in advance. Music is easy to find. Sandy's Bells often has sessions. Also, check out the gig guide. http://www.gigguide.co.uk/ One option for dancing would be to check on the Royal Scottish Country Dance website http://www.rscds.org/. You should also check when you get in town to see if there is a Ceilidh. These are usually planned at the last minute. They would be more informal than RSCD. Here's a website to check out. http://www.MikesCommunity.com/. Pam
Posted by
OP
San Diego, CA, United States
203 posts
Thanks for the great info. The Ceilidh sounds fun. I'll definitely check that out.
Posted by
Los Angeles, California
1986 posts
If there is a ceilidh- dont miss it- absolutely unique. great way to spend an evening
Posted by
Edinburgh, Scotland
1 posts
How did it go on your visit to Edinburgh? Did you manage to find a ceilidh? Mike mikescommunity.com
Posted by
Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
98 posts
We were in Edinburgh in mid-January and while there were no scheduled Scottish dancing events taking place during our stay, we did enjoy several evenings at Sandy Bells. The music was great and the locals very friendly.
Posted by
OP
San Diego, CA, United States
203 posts
We don't go until June, so I'll let you know. If we don't find a ceilidh we were thinking of going to the Tass Pub. Does anyone think that is a good place to go?
Posted by
New York City, NY, USA
5678 posts
I've not been there, but it got some good reviews. It looks like the difference between The Tass and Sandy's Bells, is that The Tass has paid musicians, whereas Sandy's Bells is more of place where music session happen. Music sessions are very impromptu and depend on who shows up. The quality can vary. I heard great music at a Sandy's Bells session whereas one I attended on the Black Isle was quite iffy. ; ) I think that you want to get to Sandy's Bells around 9 PM if I remember correctly to hear the music. It's looks like The Tass will be more likely to have a schedule. Ah, just double checked my Rick Steve's Snapshot Guide and he confirms that they are performances starting at 21:00. Pam