Edinburgh Big Weekend

Your weekend, day by day

1. 1

   Day 1

   

   Stag Olympics & highland games

   From about 11:00 · 1.5 hours

   Arrival day. The highland games run outside the city, so arrive in good time: a host takes the group through team events, including caber tossing, haggis hurling and tug of war. Sportswear, trainers and something warm; tartan is optional but encouraged.

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   This is the place to do the highland version properly. Mini highland games run about 90 minutes on site, with roughly an hour of competition: caber tossing, haggis hurling, tug of war, and in longer formats welly wanging and putting the stone. Medals and miniature whiskies go to the winning clan, and tartan is encouraged. Sports day formats use pitches at Portobello, by the beach, and at Sighthill. Wear trainers, bring water and a change of clothes. A 90-minute indoor task challenge in a private bar room is the wet-weather fallback.

   A host runs the group through a series of short events: tug of war, welly wanging, relay races, and in the highland version caber toss and hammer throw. Everything is scored, there is a leaderboard, and the events are chosen so that being fit is no guarantee of winning.

   It runs an hour or two outdoors and the host does most of the work, which is the appeal when you have organised everything else yourself.

   Sportswear and trainers, and something warm for standing between events. Most operators supply the kilts for the highland version.

   

   Club entry, VIP & booths

   From about 23:30 · 4 hours

   Reserved club entry in the evening, past the queue on the guest list. The Cowgate and the Grassmarket hold the late end of the night. Dress codes are enforced on stag groups: no sportswear and no matching shirts.

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   In Edinburgh, guestlist entry usually comes with a time limit: the group needs to be in before about 10pm at some venues, which means eating early. Options include a late-night Irish bar with live music every night, a large club with three themed rooms and six bars, and a German-style beer hall with reserved seating, a stein and a schnapps. Smart casual is the safe dress code. Groups of six or more are the norm, and the whole group should arrive together to use the guestlist.

   Standard entry gets the group past the queue on a guest list, which matters because large male groups are the first ones a door turns away. A booth adds a reserved table, a set number of bottles with mixers and a host who looks after the table.

   Booths are sold on a minimum spend rather than a flat fee at many clubs, so the bottles you order count towards it. Ask what the minimum is and what it includes before you agree to anything.

   Dress code is enforced hard on stag groups. No sportswear, no trainers at some doors, no matching shirts, and nobody visibly drunk gets in regardless of the booking.

2. 2

   Day 2

   

   Whisky, gin & rum tasting

   From about 15:00 · 1 hour

   A slow morning, then the whisky tasting in the Old Town: a sit-down session with a host taking the group through each pour. Whisky bars shut earlier than the clubs, so it suits the afternoon before a later night.

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   Edinburgh's whisky tastings centre on the Royal Mile. A visitor attraction beside the castle runs a guided tour of about one hour 15 minutes, with a dram, an introduction to the aromas and a tasting glass to keep. A whisky bar just off the Royal Mile, stocking more than 200, hosts groups of four to 12 for a guided tasting of four. Gin tastings of at least four gins run Friday to Sunday, from midday to 7pm, with the venue confirmed about two weeks before. ID is checked. Take this side of the night first.

   A host pours a flight of four or five spirits and talks through where each comes from, how it is made and what you are supposed to be tasting. There is usually water and something to eat alongside, and the pours are measured rather than generous.

   Some sessions add a distillery tour, and a gin tasting often includes blending your own bottle to take home.

   It runs around ninety minutes, sitting down, and it works well for a group that wants a civilised hour before the night rather than another round of pints.

3. 3

   Day 3

   

   Group dinner & restaurant

   From about 19:30 · 1.5 hours

   The booked group dinner, with one table for the whole group. Confirm final numbers and any dietary needs with the restaurant ahead of the day. If the group is heading out afterwards, dress for the bars rather than the restaurant.

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   The local evidence here is thin. One quick, informal option before a night out is a themed bar on George IV Bridge in the Old Town, where groups of four or more get reserved tables, half a pizza and a two-pint stein each over about an hour. If the group has a rented flat, a fine-dining kit can be delivered and finished at home, which needs an oven tray, a frying pan and two saucepans. For a proper sit-down dinner, ask us early so we can find a table that seats the whole group.

   A restaurant taking a large group will usually want a set menu, a deposit and final numbers a few days ahead. That is normal and it works in your favour: the food comes out together and the bill is per head rather than an hour of arithmetic.

   Tell them about allergies and anyone who does not eat meat when you confirm the numbers, not on the night.

   Dress code is the restaurant's. If you are heading to a club afterwards, dress for the club, because the restaurant is the softer door.