Edinburgh Singles Après-Ski | 3 Matched Group Dates | Haystack Dating

Haystack Dating are bringing their matched group dates to The Bothy at Brewhemia on Thursday 26 November, with an après-ski theme to set the mood. The night is built around three matched group dates spaced across the evening, so you're not just cycling through a long line of strangers in one go. Once the matched rounds are over, there's time to chat with everyone else in the room, which takes the pressure off and lets the night settle into something more like a normal night out.

There's a bit of a story behind how Haystack does things. They're a small independent business run by a team who, by their own account, walked out of a traditional dating event after twenty minutes, frustrated by the impersonal, high-pressure feel of mass events and dating apps. They decided to build their own matching technology instead — a proprietary Python algorithm that looks for similarities between people, which they then combine with human judgement to group guests by age, sexuality, shared values and interests. The aim is to make meeting new people feel as natural as grabbing a drink with friends, and they pay a good deal of attention to friendship matches too. They report that 92% of their guests arrive alone and they've run more than 30 sold-out events.

The night itself leans into the après-ski theme, with private chalet vibes and cosy corners. The Bothy at Brewhemia sits on an upper level and is accessed via stairs, so keep that in mind if you're planning your evening. Tickets are £22.38, and it runs from 6pm until midnight on Thursday 26 November.