Traditional music in Edinburgh is at its best when there is no stage and little distance between player and listener. In these characterful Old Town pubs, musicians gather around a table for fiddle tunes, songs and spontaneous collaborations. Sessions can be informal and change from night to night, which is part of their charm.
Please treat a session as the musicians’ night out as well as entertainment: listen closely, keep conversation considerate and ask before taking photographs or recording. Check the venue’s current programme before making a special journey.
Getting There
From Ben Cruachan Guest House and Ben Cruachan Rooms & Studios: Take a westbound tram from McDonald Road to St Andrew Square, then cross towards Waverley station and climb into the Old Town. The Royal Oak and Captain’s Bar are reached most directly via North Bridge and South Bridge, while Sandy Bell’s and the Ensign Ewart are easily approached from the Royal Mile and George IV Bridge.
From Caledonian Apartments: Walk to Haymarket and take an eastbound tram to Princes Street, then head uphill via The Mound. The Ensign Ewart is near the castle end of the Royal Mile, while Sandy Bell’s, Captain’s Bar and the Royal Oak lie farther south and east.
Where to Hear Traditional Music
Sandy Bell’s: A Forrest Road institution associated with traditional sessions since 1942. Music is played nightly, bringing together Scottish, Irish and visiting musicians in a famously convivial room.
Captain’s Bar: A tiny South College Street pub where unamplified traditional and contemporary music feels wonderfully intimate. The venue is for over-18s.
The Royal Oak: A pub with around two centuries of history and a folk-music tradition dating from the 1960s. Nightly music fills both the main bar and its atmospheric basement. The venue is for over-18s.
The Ensign Ewart: A historic pub near Edinburgh Castle with a collection of around 250 whiskies and live folk music every night, usually beginning at 9pm.
Image credits: Musicians in an Edinburgh pub by Einarspetz, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized from the original. The Ensign Ewart by Kim Traynor, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped from the original.