Royal College of Surgeons, Nicolson Street
Pipes lead the haggis into the room
A company of Highland dancers, pipes, and Robert Burns' Address to a Haggis recited before you eat.
Check dates on GetYourGuide ↗
Royal College of Surgeons, Nicolson Street
A company of Highland dancers, pipes, and Robert Burns' Address to a Haggis recited before you eat.
Check dates on GetYourGuide ↗ Dinner, one drink and the whole show for one price — nothing extra to add at the door.
Doors 6:30, dinner from 7, show 8 to 9:30 — book any evening, not just a weekend.
The haggis is piped in and addressed at your table before the main course
Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, Nicolson Street — a ten-minute walk from Waverley
Five acts, in the same order most nights, with the four courses served between them.
There's a single dinner service a night, built around the show rather than around table turnover — everyone eats the same four courses on the same timetable, and the room is still being served when the pipes start.
Pipe Major Andrew Coulter opens the evening as guests arrive from around 6:30, piping the room to its tables.
The four dancers and the show's youngest, the wee dancer, perform the Highland Fling and the traditional sword dance between courses.
The haggis is piped in and Robert Burns' Address to a Haggis is recited in full before it's served with the main course.
The accordion player, host and hostess bring music, poetry and stories to the tables as the courses turn over.
The full company returns for a last set before the room empties onto Nicolson Street around half past nine.
Doors are around 6:30–6:45pm at the Royal College of Surgeons on Nicolson Street; dinner starts at 7, the show runs 8 to 9:30, and the dress is casual — no kilt required.
A set Scottish menu, the same for every guest, with one drink included per person.
The show is staged at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh on Nicolson Street, a few minutes' walk from the Royal Mile and South Bridge.
Doors open around 6:30–6:45pm, dinner is served from 7, and the show runs from 8 to 9:30pm — about three hours door to door.
The evening is casual. There's no dress code and no need for a kilt or Highland dress unless you own one already.
The show is staged every night of the week and needs to be booked in advance; over the winter months it runs subject to demand, so it's worth checking your date before you commit.
| Spirit of Scotland Show | A public ceilidh | A whisky tasting evening |
|---|---|---|
| A seated dinner and stage show — pipes, Highland dance and the haggis address | Everyone dances, live band, no seated show or dinner | A guided tasting, seated, with a host talking you through each dram |
| A four-course dinner and one drink, with the whole show included | Usually a bar on a tab; food isn't part of it | A flight of drams and tasting notes, sometimes a light snack |
| About three hours — doors 6:30, show 8 to 9:30pm | Two to four hours, and you can come and go | Around 60 to 90 minutes |
| Pipes, Highland dance, the haggis address and dinner in one evening | Dancing yourself rather than watching | Whisky specifically, not music or dance |
At the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh on Nicolson Street, a few minutes' walk from the Royal Mile.
Doors open around 6:30–6:45pm, dinner is served from 7pm, and the show itself runs from 8 to 9:30pm.
Cullen skink soup, smoked salmon with oatcakes, haggis, and cranachan for dessert, plus one drink per person.
The haggis is piped into the room and Robert Burns' Address to a Haggis is recited in full before it's served.
No. The evening is casual — there's no need for black tie or Highland dress.
The cast includes a young 'wee dancer' alongside the adult performers, so it plays as a family evening — check with the operator directly if you have a specific age in mind.
Let them know when you book, ahead of the evening, so the kitchen can adjust your four courses.
It's staged nightly through the warmer months; over winter it runs subject to demand, so it's worth checking your date before booking.
What actually happens between the doors opening at 6:30 and the room emptying at half past nine.
Who's actually on stage — the Pipe Major, the accordion player, and the dances the four dancers perform.
What's actually on the table, and what happens when Robert Burns' Address to a Haggis is recited.
Where the Royal College of Surgeons is, how to get there from the Royal Mile, and what time to arrive.
Three different ways to spend a Scottish evening in Edinburgh, and which one actually suits what you want to do.
What else fills an evening in Edinburgh, on the nights you're not at Nicolson Street.