(Japanese girl when asked why she came two nights running) It’s so joyful!
(Best compliment we’ve ever had. She’s right.
Music + Dance + Social Interaction = Joy.
Ken the dance teacher/caller)

Fringe 2026
Set in historic St Cuthbert’s Church, the evening is led by dance teacher and caller Ken Gourlay. The concept is purely interactive – you learn by getting out on the dancefloor and giving it a go. There is little to no point in watching from the side because, in all honesty, it looks more complex from the outside. There are couple dances, group dances and plenty of opportunities to swap partners and meet new people. It is welcoming even to complete beginners – you don’t need to know what you’re doing, you just need to follow the instructions and keep moving. With a mostly international crowd, the odds of success are quite even. Luckily, a few Scots are there to set the tone and give you some extra inspiration. Everyone is learning on the go and not thinking twice about getting a step wrong. And in case you discover that you have two left feet, you can simply laugh it off with your dance partner and carry on. The best part is that it is a place where you can socialise the old-fashioned way, with no phones or social media involved. It is simply good, energetic fun – the kind that leaves you sweaty, smiling and strangely connected to a room full of strangers.
Katerina Godunoff – professional critic for Broadway Baby

Mary Geddes(Audience member)
I went with my daughter and had a grand time with a good, energetic crowd. The caller was wonderful and the Auld Spice band provided excellent music in the St. Cuthbert church

Fringe 2025
Mark Stewart(Audience member) 9 Aug 2025
So glad we got the change to experience a traditional Ceilidh. Such a grand room and such a great vibe from the band and leader. Everyone entered into the spirit with gusto and just a great night. Thank you

Hi Ken, Just to say a big thank you to you and your team of dancers for an excellent evening at the Castle, the feedback from the guests was very positive. – Kind regards until next time – Kent Milne M.Inst. TT, Managing Director, Select World Travel

What a wonderful night! A tremendous & great night – MAGIC!!!
– The Lads & Lasses from the Shearwater Platform in the North Sea

A great lively evening. We’re only up for the weekend from Derby. It was good to find a ceilidh. – Maureen & Dennis, Run of the Mill Folk Dance Club

Very cosmopolitan – Japanese, Canadian & Scottish came together to have a great evening. Fabulous!! – Joyce Matear, Carricknowe Primary School

It’s very nice to be at a ceilidh with so little downtime between dances. Keep up the good pace of dancing. – Michael

Thank you for a fantastic night! I didn’t know what to expect from a ceilidh, but now having been here, I think it is an absolutely fantastic night & I would definitely come again! All of us girls really appreciated being made so welcome. Thanks again – The Hen Party from Reading

I took 15 students from the Duncan Place CBESL class to the ceilidh on Friday night and we all thoroughly enjoyed it. The students and myself all said that we would like to go again sometime. It gave a real feeling of the ceilidh tradition. So thanks to you and all the band, plus the Ghanaian group – Katherine, Stevenson College

We took part in a ceilidh dance in the Assembly Rooms with a fabulous and very accommodating dance instructor, Mr. Ken Gourlay. What a wonderful evening. Thank you for the good times and the special attention – Alles gute & viel liebe –Jay, Ina & Theda Erdmann, Germany

What a lovely time you showed us – we really appreciate your kindness and hospitality in making us feel welcome and at home. What a treat it turned out to be. You inspired us to start dancing regularly when we get back to Hawaii. Aloha nui loa (with much affection) – Sandy & John Bassford, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

We are delighted to be here for the Scottish ceilidh dance. A group of 5 students from Nepal are here in the Royal Botanic Gardens. We are having great fun at the weekend – Krishna, Nepal

I would like to thank you for organising such a wonderful evening. I attended with a group of colleagues for a ‘leaving do’ and we all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. I hope to attend the next Ceilidh on the 20th – Sara Jishaq

The students loved it. It was the highlight of the year, so thank you very much! I’m planning next semester’s schedule and would like to book tickets for the Ceilidh on 9th March – Mary Fischer, Scottish Culture & Society, Napier University

Ken, we can’t make the next one but keep us in touch – everyone had a great time! – Jackie Macdonald

We had a really excellent (first) time at the Ceilidh dance event at the Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh when we visited last week – Nora Evans

Dear Ken, I have left Edinburgh and I am now in Cape Town completing my studies. I was a few times at the ceilidh and I enjoyed it a lot. It was a new and very refreshing experience to me. Kind regards, Theresia Pellio

I thoroughly enjoyed the ceilidh on fri – it was an amazing experience!! Thank you very much. – Eleanor Hereford

THANK YOU. WE WERE AT QUEEN’S HALL LAST SATURDAY AND IT WAS GREAT!
THANK YOU, BEST REGARDS, MARIA-TRINIDAD HERRERO

Hi Ken, many thanks again for the excellent ceilidh last Saturday. My students all had an excellent time and have said it was one of the highlights of the trip.-Neil Davie BA (Hon), Fachhochschule Südwestfalen, Deutschland

Hi Ken, I was at your ceilidh on the 7th of August. It was great. I had been walking all day – even climbed Arthur’s Seat – and I thought I wouldn’t dance much… well, I was wrong! It was a wonderful experience: the music, the enthusiasm you passed on to everybody, the way young people mingled with us – let’s say we have been young for longer than them – so, if you are planning to do a ceilidh in Portugal, please let me know. Thanks. I hope to dance at one of your ceilidhs next year.
Best wishes, Isabel Neves

Hi,I would like to be added to your mailing list on ceilidhs. It was great today in the roxy art center!!! I hope I can do that again!! Best regards- Franziska Hornlimann

Hi Ken, Just so you know, I met my partner at a ceilidh you organised just over a year ago and we have just had our 1 year anniversary a couple weekends ago. We moved together from Scotland to the Netherlands where he is from just over 2 months ago. So thanks for organising the Ceilidhs, it has changed my life forever, and keep up the good work. Regards, Sophie Lloyd

I really enjoyed your Ceilidhs in the Roxy and I’m missing them;) – Regards, florian

We enjoyed your ceilidh on our visit to Edinburgh at the start of June – Douglas Hedley & Ruth Carter

Hi Ken, we met at one of your ceilidhs in the Lauriston Hall. I am one of the swiss dancer. Ophélie my friend who was there with me is interested to know if you could do a ceilidhs in our country next year. I gave her your email and she will get in touch with you. It may be a opportunity for you to think on a european tour. It’s been a pleasure to dance under your leadership – warm regards, laure Schorpp

Hi Ken, On behalf of the Finnsh group I want to thank you for a very enjoyable evening at Lauriston Hall. I hope that when we come next time we will remember all the turns and steps little bit better 🙂 I will surely recommend anyone who is visiting Edinburgh to try Ceilidh dancing at Lauriston Hall. Kind regards, Tepa

Always really enjoyed the ceilidhs! – take care – Laura Koster

Thanks for doing such a great job hosting the ceilidh we visited again this year. Everyone had a great time and it was one of the highlights of our week – Neil Davie BA (Hons), Fachhochschule Südwestfalen, Germany

Dear Ken, I am the leader of the Austrian group who did Scottish dancing with you last Friday. I would like to tell you that my students really enjoyed it, so thank you very much for your efforts. It is good to know you´re taking holidays in Tyrol very close to the place where our school is: Seefeld is only about 15km away. So when you´re here next time we might like to invite you to teach us more Scottish dances if you want (on a similar basis as in Edinburgh), so if you like tell me when you´re here again. Regards, Georg Weiss, Meinhardinum Grammar School, Stams, Tyrol, Austria

Ken, Just like to say thanks for a great band and your attention to detail was much appreciated. You all, especially you, worked hard at getting folk up – at times not an easy task. I had a great time even tho I missed the Orcadian strip the willow in the first half! Cheers, Gordon Jardine

I would like again to say many thanks for the ceilidh at Greenbank Church last week – lots of people have said how much they enjoyed it and how great the band were. Jennifer Brooke, PhD candidate, Probing the water content of Earth’s mantle, School of Geosciences, Grant Institute, University of Edinburgh

Hi Ken, Lovely ceilidh last night, our friends enjoyed it and we all thought the
music was really good. – Francesca

I am very dizzy, but it is very interesting – Chinese teacher of English

You’re really cool – young lady to very hot and sweaty caller

Best putdown : I danced with the other old man – Spanish girl

ken@edinburghceilidhs.net
07585 445 995 (24 hours)