Booking a hall for a ceilidh is not quite the same as booking a room for a party. Ceilidh dancing needs space to move, a decent floor, somewhere for the band to set up, and neighbours who will tolerate a few hundred enthusiastic Strip the Willow enthusiasts. Get the basics right and the night practically runs itself. Get them wrong and you will spend the evening apologising to a caretaker. Here are the questions worth asking before you sign anything.

Start With the Numbers: Capacity and Floor Space

Ask the venue for two figures: the maximum capacity for a standing or dancing event, and the capacity when seated at tables. These are often quite different, and the figure you need is usually the lower one once you have factored in a dance floor.

A useful rule of thumb for a ceilidh is that the dancing area should be roughly half the usable floor space. If the room holds 200 people shoulder to shoulder, it will not comfortably hold 200 dancers and a caller with a microphone. Around a third of your guests will dance at any given moment, so work on roughly one square metre of clear floor per active dancer.

• Licensed capacity — what the venue's licence actually permits, not what the caretaker reckons.
• Dancing space — clear, unobstructed floor with no pillars in the middle of the set.
• Floor surface — polished wood or good laminate is ideal; deep carpet or a sticky sports floor will ruin a Gay Gordons.
• Ceiling height — low beams and ornate chandeliers are a hazard for anyone being swung.

Will the Band Fit? Stage, Power and Acoustics

A ceilidh band is not a laptop and a speaker. A typical line-up — fiddle, accordion, guitar, drums, caller, plus a PA — needs a footprint of roughly four by three metres, and the musicians need to see each other and the dancers.

Ask specifically whether the venue has a stage, and if so, how deep it is. A stage that looks generous from the audience is often barely a metre deep at the back, which leaves nowhere for a drum kit. If there is no stage, check whether the band can set up at floor level without blocking fire exits or being trampled by the dancers.

• Power supply — at least two separate 13-amp sockets near the performance area, not one socket across the room.
• Access — how far is the load-in from the nearest vehicle access? Bands will not thank you for three flights of stairs.
• Set-up time — an hour minimum before doors open, ideally more.
• Sound limits — some halls have noise cut-off devices that will trip the moment the drums start.

Parking, Access and Getting People There

Edinburgh venues vary enormously on this point. A city-centre hall might have no parking at all but sit two minutes from a bus stop, while a suburban community centre has a generous car park but the last bus leaves at ten past ten.

Ask how many spaces the venue has, whether they are reserved for anyone else, and whether there is an overflow option nearby. If parking is limited, say so clearly on the invitation and suggest public transport or a shared taxi. Disabled access matters too: step-free entry, an accessible toilet, and a route that does not involve a cobbled close or a spiral stair.

Curfew, Noise and the Small Print

This is where ceilidhs go wrong. A hall that closes at eleven is not the same as a hall where the music must stop at ten thirty, and neither is the same as a hall where you must be packed up and out by eleven.

Ask for the exact times in writing:

• Music curfew — when the band must stop playing.
• Bar closing — and whether you can bring your own alcohol or must use the venue's bar.
• Vacating time — including clearing tables, stacking chairs and taking rubbish away.
• Noise restrictions — decibel limits, sound meters or a residential-neighbour agreement.
• Insurance and licensing — whether the venue holds its own public liability cover or expects you to arrange it.

If the venue is near housing, ask whether there have been complaints at previous events. It is far better to know now than to have the plug pulled at half past nine.

Catering, Furniture and the Practical Extras

Find out what is included and what costs extra. Tables and chairs are usually free; tablecloths, crockery and a cloakroom often are not. If you are serving food, check whether the venue has a kitchen, whether you can use it, and whether you need a food hygiene certificate or a licensed caterer.

• Bar — licensed bar, corkage fee, or bring your own?
• Kitchen — ovens, fridges, urn for tea, and washing-up facilities.
• Storage — somewhere secure for decorations, instruments and coats.
• Staffing — is there a caretaker on site, and do they stay for the whole event?
• Deposit and cancellation — how much, when, and is it refundable?

View the Hall in Person Before You Book

Photographs flatter rooms. Visit at the same time of day as your event, walk the dance floor, stand where the band will stand, and check the acoustics by clapping once and listening. Ask about the heating, because a hall full of dancers gets warm quickly, and confirm who holds the keys and how you collect them.

Finally, get everything in writing — capacity, times, costs, inclusions and the name of the person who will be on site. A good hall, a clear contract and a band that can see the dancers is all you need. Then the only thing left to worry about is remembering the order of the Dashing White Sergeant.