Okay. Honesty that’s a bit of an exaggeration but in Edinburgh I’ve been living la Vida loca or what have you. The truth is I love music
During the day Edinburgh is a bustling little town with dozens of shops boasting either their importance to the Harry Potter franchise or that they sell Harry Potter paraphernalia. But everything that isn’t a restaurant is generally closed by six (at least in the areas I was in around that time perhaps in New Town Edinburgh things stay open later)
By night the city comes alive in an explosion of pubs and clubs and live music.
In my trek to the castle yesterday most of the bars I passed boasted live music nightly. On my first night here I was browsing flyers in the hostel lobby looking for an experience because this trip wasn’t designed as sight seeing and taking pictures (which of course I’ve done but I haven’t focused on it, I’ve mostly gone where my wandering feet led me) it was designed as an attempt to embrace living and culture away from my own.
I found a flyer for a local bar called Stramash that had live music listed for every night and they were only about a 5 minute walk from the hostel so I could go and check it out and if it wasn’t my cup of tea (I just realized I haven’t had any tea since I’ve been here…anyway…) I could leave. As it turned out it was amazing. The first band that played was teaching the people in the bar dances, like proper dances… I’m pretty sure I heard the word waltz thrown out. There was also a bagpipe.
I could not have wished for more from my first night in Scotland then the second band was two guys and one had a mandolin and they were a delight as well. On that night that was my favorite place in the world.
Last night I met a vast selection of lovely people at the hostel and we ended up at a tiny basement bar called The Jazz Club. There they had (As you might have guessed) a sixish piece jazz band including a trumpet AND a saxophone. They were quite good as well.
Tonight on my last night in Edinburgh I decided to pop back to Stramash (no cover and a promise of more live music I’m down first time every time.) The first band I saw tonight was a bit of a different vibe to the mandolin and the bagpipes
But they were clearly having so much fun that even though it wasn’t a style I’d generally seek out they were exciting to watch once I wrapped my head around the costumes…or at least came to terms that they were just cooler than me and I simple don’t deserve to “get it”. Next came a Scottish I guess ska band? Generally if it’s music I can find some value there… Scottish ska or as I like call it “skattish music” is just not for me. But you do you lads.
Overall I would probably move here just for live music every night but alas I move along. Inverness in the morning…well afternoon.
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Carefully Reckless Travel 
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