FAQ’s
Do you teach the dances?
Yes! We’ll teach you all the dances. Scottish ceilidh dances are incredibly easy learn on the spot, first time ceilidh dancers can join in right from the start! Our callers will organise everyone for a quick and entertaining walkthrough before each dance. All of our callers are highly experienced teaching Scottish ceilidh dancing to Scottish, UK, and international crowds both at home and abroad. We are fantastic at encouraging folk up onto the dance floor, making sure everyone feels ready and confident to join in the fun. Reassure your international guests that no prior experience or preparation needed – we’ll send them home pros!
Do you play covers?
We don’t play live pop covers or have a singer in our line up, but we do offer a basic complementary DJ service for background music / disco / first dance, etc. We’ll organise track requests for your first dance, mix and manage any disco sets or playlists, and take responsibility for maintaining a lively atmosphere with suitable background music throughout the evening. This is a complimentary service, run using our professional PA system and dance floor lighting already in place. No extra charge or set up required.
How long do you play for?
Most of our ceilidhs run between 2 – 4 hours. We usually suggest longer programmes (3 – 4hrs) for weddings and larger family celebrations. Plenty of time to take things at a leisurely pace, mingle between dances, or even mix in a bit of disco using our complementary DJ service. For parties where the ceilidh is essentially the main event (festive ceilidhs, fundraisers, international student nights, etc) 3hrs is about perfect to keep folk engaged for the duration. For black tie events with jam packed programmes like student balls, dinner-dances, awards nights, etc. then a quick 1.5 – 2hrs blast of ceilidh dancing after a sit down meal is the perfect way to see out the night.
How many breaks will you take?
For shorter ceilidh programmes we tend towards a faster pace, often running sets back to back and settling into a rhythm of short breathers during walkthroughs or between dances as needed. For longer ceilidh programmes like a typical wedding, as well as offering breathers between dances we’ll plan for an extended break to fall about halfway through the evening (roughly 30 mins, usually to coincide with an evening buffet) before returning with more ceilidh dancing, or a mix of ceilidh and disco to see out the rest of evening.
Is it the same price for a shorter ceilidh? / Can we book you for half the night?
The price we quote will cover you for any length of programme, up to 4hrs. The event date and venue location are our most important variables, along with everything that happens behind the scenes get us to ceilidh kick-off: from securing popular dates in our musicians’ diaries in advance, travelling, loading PA gear in and out, setting up and sound checking, to liaising with venues and other service providers, it all takes the same amount of time, expense, and careful preparation, regardless of the performance length. Once we’re on site and set up, playing the tunes and celebrating with you all is the easy part. Choose the length of programme that best suits your plans for the evening, whether longer or shorter, or even leave things flexible, knowing that you’ve secured excellent value, live entertainment.
How to book?
Get in touch. We’ll confirm a quote and availability. Once you’re ready to book we’ll help you secure your date with a £250 deposit, payable online by card or bank transfer.
I’m not quite ready to book, can I put in a note of interest?
Yes. We normally keep any notes of interest active for 14 days. It’s not a reservation as such, but while your note of interest is active we’ll do our best to offer you first refusal on the date.
When is final payment due?
Final payment is due 4 weeks in advance of performance. We’ll send an invoice for the balancing payment (the total fee minus your original deposit) roughly 6 – 8 weeks before your event, around the same time that we’d arrange a catch up to chat through finer programme details.
Do you offer any discounts?
We sometimes manage to offer discounts for certain shorter notice enquiries, especially during the winter season.
Do you offer flexible payment terms for fundraisers?
Yes, we can often offer flexible payments terms on request, such as smaller initial deposit or extended final payment deadlines. Feel free to ask.
Would you consider playing for free?
We don’t usually consider requests to provide our professional services for free. However, we will do everything we can to offer you our best rates and flexible payment terms for fundraisers and similar community events.