Sandy Bell's

Sandy Bell's has been a pub on Forrest Road, near the university, since at least the 1920s, and it takes its name from Mrs Bell, an owner in that decade. Folk musicians have played here since the 1940s, and it was one of the centres of the Scottish folk revival: Billy Connolly, Barbara Dickson and Phil Cunningham all passed through. The folklorist Hamish Henderson was a regular until 2002, and his bust sits above the bar.

Sessions happen every night and on some afternoons. They are informal: musicians gather at a table and play, with no stage and no ticket. Not for you if you want a quiet conversation: when a session is on, the music is the room.