The Royal Oak
- Telephone 0131 557 2976
- Seasonal times open till 4 during festival, Christmas and Hogmanay
- Bar open Mon–Sat 11.30am–2am; Sun 3pm–2am. Extended in Fest
- Website www.royal-oak-folk.com
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An honest, frill-free hub for local Scottish folk music, the Royal Oak represents Edinburgh’s ever-diminishing traditional face, stripped of canned bagpipes, faux chandeliers and obscure cocktail ingredients – in fact, any cocktail ingredients. This is an ale and spirits pub, with just three, single-portion sized wines on offer. The luxury lies in a 35-year-old legacy of unpretentious commitment to live folk music, mostly open-mike, every night. You’ll not get through the door without being absorbed into a conversation, and if you bring an acoustic guitar and a good tune with you, so much the better. The only time you’ll not be able to get right into the thick of things is during the Edinburgh Festival, when more formal concerts run every night. Both the public bar and bookable downstairs gig space are pretty small with limited seating, and décor that would make any sort of chandelier feel very out of place.
- Provides: Free wi-fi
- Music on stereo: Folk music
- Live entertainment: Folk 7 days a week
- Largest group: 40
- Open since: A long time ago
- Number of wines sold by the glass: 3
Events at this venue
There are 4 events at this location
Sorted by title / date & time
Festival Folk at the Oak
Twenty-nine nights of the best local and international folk music showcasing a different artist each night. There are only 30 seats so book early to save disappointment.
Mon 29 Jul
Tue 30 Jul
Wed 31 Jul
Gone Native
Nicholson and Gore Two native singer/songwriters return to the Fringe for the seventh consecutive year. Their five-star, sell-out show features original and traditional songs of Edinburgh and Scotland. ‘Quality voice!’ (Edinburgh Evening News). 'Nicholson's songs masquerade as funny vignettes, but there's an edge to…
Fri 2 Aug
Sat 3 Aug
Sun 4 Aug
Rebustours – Hidden Edinburgh
Rebustours Experience the dark and hidden atmosphere of the Detective Inspector John Rebus books which are written by best-selling crime writer Ian Rankin. Discover some of the fascinating real locations and feel the history, mystery and humour of this most ancient and modern European capital city. Readings from the…
Sat 3 Aug
Mon 5 Aug
Tue 6 Aug
The Wee Folk Club
Changing folk and acoustic lineup every Sunday evening.
Sun 26 May
£6 / 0131 557 2976
- 20:30 – 22:30
Sun 2 Jun
£6 / 0131 557 2976
- 20:30 – 22:30
Sun 9 Jun
£6 / 0131 557 2976
- 20:30 – 22:30
Reviews & features
Where to find traditional music nights in Edinburgh
16 Feb 2011
The venues full of traditional live Scottish music every night of the week
Every night of the week, the walls of the Royal Oak bar reverberate to the sound of live music, most of it with a Scottish, folk and traditional flavour. Long a focal point for folk music in the city, this cosy little bar also attracts other acoustic…
