Dinner and ceilidh
- What it is
- A staged evening: meal, stories, music, dancing
- Dancing
- Ceilidh dancing guests join
- Booking
- A dated ticket, cancellable up to 24 hours ahead
Do you need to know the dances?
What is a ceilidh, and do you need to know the dances?
No. A ceilidh is a Scottish social evening that today usually means dancing to live traditional music, and the dances are made for beginners. Wikipedia says the basic steps can be learned easily and a short lesson often comes first, and in Scotland a caller may teach each dance. On this evening the dancing comes after a three-course dinner, a storyteller and a Highland dancing demonstration, and guests join in.
- 1
What it is
A booked evening of about two hours at An Seòmar on Church Street: a three-course meal of traditional Scottish food, Highland stories from a resident storyteller, live traditional Scottish music, a Highland dancing demonstration and ceilidh dancing. Drinks are extra, with an optional whisky or local beer flight sold as an add-on.
- 2
What it is not
It is not a pub music session, a Highland games day or a concert you only watch. The Highland dancing is a demonstration for watching, and the ceilidh dancing is for joining. Nothing in the ticket includes transport, drinks or a fixed menu, and the dishes, the stories and the dances can change from night to night.
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Check before you book
Reviews on the booking page average 4.3 across roughly 170 ratings. A few reviewers found the meal service slow when the room was busy, so treat the night as unhurried and avoid a tight connection afterwards. A refund is available when you cancel at least 24 hours ahead through GetYourGuide.
The evening in four facts
- The night
- About two hours.
- The meal
- Three courses of traditional Scottish food.
- On the floor
- Ceilidh dancing that guests join.
- The place
- 11 to 19 Church Street, Inverness.
The floor
The dances you may meet
Six things you may meet on a Highland ceilidh floor, as the sources describe them. The band and the caller choose the dances, so this is a guide to the style.
- 1 The caller
Someone shows you the steps
Wikipedia says a Scottish dance caller may teach the steps before each dance, and that a short lesson is often given before the dancing starts. Callers are there to make sure newcomers can take part.
- 2 Gay Gordons
A march round the room
Couples circle the floor in a march in 2/4 or 4/4 time. They walk forward, step back, turn under a raised hand and finish in a polka hold. The usual tune was written by James Scott Skinner.
- 3 Dashing White Sergeant
Six dancers, two sets of three
A reel in 4/4 time. Six dancers circle, split into two sets of three, and the middle dancer leads each set. The sets walk together, stamp, clap and pass under raised arms.
- 4 Strip the Willow
One couple spins down the line
In a longways set the top couple link arms and spin, then the lady swings each man in turn down the line. The tune is known as Drops of Brandy.
- 5 Highland dancing
A solo tradition you watch
A competitive solo style, recognised as a sport in Scotland. The Highland Fling and the Sword Dance are its best-known dances. On the Inverness night it is a demonstration, not something you join.
- 6 The band
Reels, jigs and strathspeys
Scottish dance music uses reels, jigs and strathspeys, with marches for dances like the Gay Gordons. Scottish bands are commonly two to six players, and the booking page promises live traditional Scottish music.
Wikipedia and the other sources on this page describe ceilidhs in general. They are not a programme for the Inverness evening, whose dances can change from one night to the next.
The evening
What the two hours hold
The booking page lists the parts of the evening and does not give a running order, so these are the ingredients and not a timetable. Your confirmation names the start time for that date.
- Dinner
Three courses of Scottish food
A three-course meal of traditional Scottish food is part of the ticket. The dishes are not listed here because they can change. Drinks are not included.
- Stories
A resident storyteller
Highland stories told by a resident storyteller. Which tales you hear is the storyteller's choice, so nothing here is a programme.
- Music
Live traditional Scottish music
The booking page promises live traditional Scottish music and does not name the instruments. Wikipedia lists the fiddle, accordion and Highland bagpipe among them.
- Highland dance
A demonstration to watch
A Highland dancing demonstration shows the solo, competitive tradition, which is separate from the social dancing that follows.
- Ceilidh
The floor opens to guests
Ceilidh dancing that guests join. Expect the usual ceilidh habit of showing newcomers what to do before they start.
Two ways to spend the evening
A booked dinner night, or a pub music session?
Pub session
- What it is
- An informal gathering of musicians, usually in a pub
- Dancing
- Not what the form is built around
- Booking
- Not a booked show, so the night varies
The ticket
What the ticket settles
Seven things worth knowing before you pick a night.
- Ticket
- A three-course meal, live music, storytelling, a Highland dancing demonstration and ceilidh dancing, in about two hours.
- Place
- An Seòmar, 11 to 19 Church Street, in Inverness city centre.
- Drinks
- Not included. An optional whisky or local beer flight is sold as an add-on.
- Cancellation
- Cancel at least 24 hours before the night and the booking is refunded in full, for tickets booked through GetYourGuide.
- Access
- Marked wheelchair accessible. The booking page gives no detail on the layout, so check with the venue before you travel.
- Rating
- 4.3 from about 170 reviews. Some reviewers say the meal service can be slow at busy times.
- Not included
- Transport to or from the venue, drinks, and any fixed menu or running order.
Photographs
From the floor to the Highlands
Dancers at a folk-festival ceilidh in England, a pipe band at a ceilidh near Inverness, Highland dancers, a piper, the River Ness and Inverness Castle. Each caption says where the photograph was taken.
Days to pair with the evening
The ceilidh dinner, and three days out from Inverness
The first card is the dinner-and-ceilidh night this site covers. The other three are day trips from Inverness, each a separate booking for another part of your stay.
The Highland ceilidh dinner
A three-course meal of traditional Scottish food with a storyteller, live music, a Highland dancing demonstration and ceilidh dancing, in about two hours on Church Street.
Loch Ness cruise and Urquhart Castle
A trip from Inverness of about three and a half hours that joins a Loch Ness cruise with the ruins of Urquhart Castle.
Glen Affric, Culloden and Clava Cairns
A guided day of about nine hours from Inverness that takes in Glen Affric, the Culloden battlefield and the Clava Cairns.
The Isle of Skye and the Fairy Pools
A long day trip of about twelve hours from Inverness to the Isle of Skye and the Fairy Pools.
What else to book in Inverness
Practical notes
Venue, drinks and a dinner that can run slow
01
Finding the venue
The booking page gives the venue as An Seòmar, 11 to 19 Church Street, in Inverness city centre. Wikipedia says the traditional centre is bounded by High Street, Church Street and Academy Street. Use a map for the walk from your hotel, as it depends on your route.
02
Drinks
Drinks are not included. The booking page sells an optional whisky or local beer flight as an add-on, and other drinks are bought on the night.
03
Service
The booking page shows a 4.3 rating, and some reviewers say the meal service can be slow at busy times. Allow the full two hours, and order drinks early so the ceilidh part is not rushed.
04
What to wear
The booking page gives no dress code. Wikipedia says ceilidh dress codes range from compulsory Highland dress to informal, so smart-casual clothes and shoes that stay on your feet will do. Nobody needs a kilt.
05
Access and diet
The ticket is marked wheelchair accessible. The booking page does not describe the layout or dietary options, so ask the venue through the booking channel before you travel.
06
Changing plans
You can cancel up to 24 hours ahead for a refund when you book through GetYourGuide. Bear that cut-off in mind if the evening follows a long day trip.
More reading
Six guides to a Highland ceilidh
- 01 Start here
What is a ceilidh? No steps needed
A plain answer for first-timers: what a ceilidh is, whether you need to know the dances, who calls them and what the Inverness dinner night adds. Read the guide → - 02 Compare
Ceilidh night or a pub session?
A booked dinner-and-ceilidh night or an informal pub music session in Inverness: what each gives you, what it asks of you and which one fits your evening. Read the guide → - 03 The floor
Ceilidh dances explained
The Gay Gordons, the Dashing White Sergeant and Strip the Willow: how each common ceilidh dance runs, and how Highland dancing differs from all three. Read the guide → - 04 The stories
Highland stories and Culloden
What a Highland storyteller may draw on: the seanchaidh tradition, Inverness as the Highland capital and the history of 1746, from Culloden to the Dress Act. Read the guide → - 05 Practical
Planning your ceilidh evening
Where the venue is, how long the evening runs, what the ticket does and does not include, and how to plan around a dinner that can run slow. Read the guide → - 06 Pair it
A ceilidh night and Loch Ness
How to pair the Inverness ceilidh dinner with a Loch Ness cruise, Culloden or a longer Highland day, and why the evening should come last. Read the guide →
FAQ
Questions before you book
What is a ceilidh, and do I need to know the dances?
The word began as a social visit and now usually means an evening of dancing to live traditional Scottish music. You do not need to know the dances: Wikipedia says the steps can be learned easily and a short lesson often comes first.
What happens at the Inverness ceilidh dinner?
The ticket covers a three-course meal of traditional Scottish food, Highland stories from a resident storyteller, live traditional Scottish music, a Highland dancing demonstration and ceilidh dancing that guests join, in about two hours.
Is the Inverness ceilidh dinner worth it?
It suits visitors who want a meal, Highland stories and dancing in one booked evening. It has a 4.3 rating, and some reviewers say service can be slow, so allow the full two hours and do not rush it.
Should I book a ceilidh night or find a pub session?
Book the dinner night for a table, a meal and dancing you join. A pub session is an informal gathering of musicians, usually in a pub, with no fixed programme. Plenty of visitors do both on different nights.
Are drinks included?
No. The ticket covers the meal and the show. The booking page sells an optional whisky or local beer flight as an add-on.
Where is the venue?
An Seòmar, 11 to 19 Church Street, in Inverness city centre. Wikipedia says the traditional town centre is bounded by High Street, Church Street and Academy Street.
Is it suitable for wheelchair users?
The ticket is marked wheelchair accessible. The booking page gives no detail on the layout, so check with the venue before you travel.
What if I cannot make it?
Cancel up to 24 hours before the evening and the fare is returned when you book through GetYourGuide. Check the date you pick on the calendar.
Dinner, Highland stories and a floor full of dancers, with the dances explained before you go.
Book the ceilidh dinner ↗Live prices sit on the calendar, shown in the currency you pick.