Ceilidh @ The Biscuit Factory

The Reel Hoosewives Ceilidh Band are taking over The Biscuit Factory on Thursday 29 October for a traditional Scottish ceilidh, the last Thursday of the month. It's a night of Scottish dance with the band calling the steps, so you can jump in even if you've never done this before.

The set is built around the ceilidh bangers you'll recognise from any proper Scottish dance: the Gay Gordons, the Canadian Barn Dance, the Dashing White Sergeant and the Orcadian Strip the Willow. The band calls the steps as they go, so you don't need to know the patterns in advance to get on the floor. The calling is gender-neutral, and the whole thing is aimed at newcomers, so you don't need any previous ceilidh experience to join in.

It's an over-18s night, and the band describes the atmosphere as warm and welcoming, which is exactly what you want when you're learning a new dance on the fly. If you've never been to a ceilidh, this is a good way to start: the band handles the instructions, and the dances are the ones most people know, so you're never left wondering where to go.

The Biscuit Factory is at 4-6 Anderson Place, Edinburgh EH6 5NP. The night runs from 8:00 to 11:30 PM, with the first dance starting at 20:30. General admission is £15, and tickets are also available on the door, subject to capacity.