Hi everybody!
I’m going to fly to Co. Fife and Edinburgh, has anyone some tips for me? Does anyone know good pubs, sessions, musicshops?
Thanxs
Hi Sean
Firstly, “Co. Fife” is a tad incorrect: just say “Fife”, although it is officially known as the Kingdom of Fife.
In Edinburgh, Sandy Bell’s Bar in Forrest Rd, and the Ceilidh House by the Tron Kirk in the High St. would be the best places to find out what’s current. The session scene is big, and changes very quickly, and I haven’t lived in Scotland for many years. You could check out the Fife scene with people in Edinburgh, but I would guess that there will also be a some good session in Dundee (just across the firth of Tay from north Fife).
Willie Haines of Blackfriars Music, 49 Blackfriars Street, Edinburgh (just off the High St.), would be a good contact: it’s a folk music shop, with instruments, CDs, and all sorts of good stuff.
Edinburgh famously has many many good pubs, but you should check out old favourites like the Cafe Royal, the Abbotsford, the Sheep’s Head (in Duddingston), and some of the new pubs in the Leith area - the Shore used to a good place for music.
Enjoy your visit: Scotland is a beautiful country (tho’ the weather can be variable). If you have the chance, take a short trip south to the Borders: Melrose and Peebles are lovely little towns, and Julian Goodacre in Peebles is one of the great bagpipe makers. Both are around 1 hour’s drive south of Edinburgh.
good luck
brian
Aye an get yer self up the A9 and come ta Ross-shire and have a wee visit we me!!! 
First check out http://www.gigguide.co.uk/ for gigs in and around Edinburgh. There is a lot on, but it seems to be getting less every year. Unfortunately the ceilidh house turned into a “It’s A Scream” games pub years ago (c 2000?) and I wept.
It depends whether you are looking to listen, sing or play, but Sandy Bell’s is probably a good start and the Thursday night session in the Antiquary in Stockbridge seems to be quite welcoming as well. I am not 100% sure, but some of these sessions might be a bit quiet in the summer what with all the festivals that happen here, but during the Edinburgh Festival and Fringe, there’s loads going on. There’s a new session thing sponsored by the McEwan’s brewery
http://www.albafolk.co.uk/ also has other information about festivals and stuff outside Edinburgh
The best music shop in town is Coda on the Mound. They won an award for being the best traditional music shop this year and the manager and staff have a phenomenal amount of knowledge. Blackfriars is good as well, if it is open!
I am less familiar with what is happening in Fife but http://www.easystages.co.uk/folkinfife.htm will help.
Sean ,the local paper in this area is a D.C Thomson publication(www.dcthomson.co.uk) it has two very active message board sites,the Bar and Backroom, a request to any of these sites and I’m sure you will be inundated with replies for your query.
Thanx for all these information, I think it will help me alot!
Hi folks,
cheers for the information you see I’m back and I only can say Scotland is great!!! 
Cheers to “brianholton” for the address of the shop, really a great shop!
See you
you’re welcome, Sean. I’m glad to hear that Blackfriars Music is still surviving…
it’s simple: go to scotland. just go.
yours aye
brian
boy, you beat me to that, it’s exactly what i was going to write.
true, you must check out those links, and, sandy bell’s bar is the place to be..