{"id":676502,"date":"2026-01-06T00:01:15","date_gmt":"2026-01-06T00:01:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/676502\/"},"modified":"2026-01-06T00:01:15","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T00:01:15","slug":"dont-joust-mid-reel-a-kiltmakers-guide-to-surviving-the-ceilidh","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/676502\/","title":{"rendered":"“Don’t Joust Mid-Reel”: A Kiltmaker\u2019s Guide to Surviving the Ceilidh"},"content":{"rendered":"

With Burns Night just around the corner, ceilidhs are back in full swing across Edinburgh. But while traditional Highlandwear looks stunning, it can be surprisingly tricky to manage during a vigorous Gay Gordons. To keep us right, we sat down with\u00a0Louise Nicolson<\/strong>, Creative Director at\u00a0Gordon Nicolson Kiltmakers<\/a>, to discuss how to avoid the most common wardrobe mishaps this season.<\/p>\n

\"Couple;<\/a>By Gordon Nicolson Kiltmakers<\/p>\n

Explore More On Edinburgh Reviews<\/p>\n

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Q: Louise, we all know ceilidhs can get quite spirited. What\u2019s the general vibe you see during Burns season?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Louise:<\/strong>\u00a0Tradition and chaos go hand in hand at a ceilidh! It\u2019s all about bringing together fun, laughter, and the occasional disaster. But honestly, a few simple wardrobe tweaks can help you leave with memories of great music, rather than wardrobe mishaps or black eyes.<\/p>\n

Q: Let\u2019s talk about the\u00a0kilt\u00a0itself. What is the number one mistake men make on the dance floor?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Louise:<\/strong>\u00a0It has to be the sporran positioning. When you are ceilidh-ing in a\u00a0kilt, please don\u2019t forget to shimmy your sporran around to the side \u2013 left or right, wherever feels comfortable. Otherwise, you might remember your night of\u00a0Stripping the Willow\u00a0for all the wrong (and painful) reasons!<\/p>\n

Q: And for the ladies, or anyone wearing lighter shoes, is there a specific footwear rule?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Louise:<\/strong>\u00a0As pretty as a pair of ballet pumps may be, they\u2019re really not worth the trip to A&E. The same goes for the fellas. Proper, sturdy footwear with grip is an absolute must. Unexpected slips are often hilarious, but we want to avoid genuine injuries.<\/p>\n

Q: Highlandwear involves a lot of accessories. Are there any safety hazards we should be aware of?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Louise:<\/strong>\u00a0Absolutely. First, the\u00a0sgian dubh. It looks great in your sock, but while dancing, your sporran is a much safer home for it. Nobody wants an accidental joust mid-reel! Secondly, jewellery. As beautiful as it may be, heavy chains or large pieces aren\u2019t always the best fit for a ceilidh. No one wants to go home with a black eye from a swinging necklace at the end of the night.<\/p>\n

Q: Finally, it gets incredibly warm in those halls. How do you suggest balancing the heavy wool with the heat of the dance?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Louise:<\/strong>\u00a0Tweed and wool look stunning, but ceilidh dance floors heat up fast. Don\u2019t just wear one thick layer. I always recommend wearing a thin layer underneath your tweed so you can remove the heavier jacket if you get too hot. And avoid overly restrictive clothing in general \u2013 if your outfit can\u2019t keep up with your feet, your\u00a0Gay Gordon\u00a0might end up being a\u00a0Grumpy\u00a0one!<\/p>\n

Burns Night is on Sunday, the 25th of January and celebrates the birthday of Scottish poet Robert Burns. If you\u2019re looking for a Burns Night event, check\u00a0Eventbrite;<\/a>\u00a0there are often whisky tastings and other parties. <\/p>\n

\n\tRelated<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"With Burns Night just around the corner, ceilidhs are back in full swing across Edinburgh. But while traditional…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":676503,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8816],"tags":[748,1102,205568,4884,205569,23469,712,110001,16,15,15469],"class_list":{"0":"post-676502","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-edinburgh","8":"tag-britain","9":"tag-edinburgh","10":"tag-gordon-nicolson-kiltmakers","11":"tag-great-britain","12":"tag-kilts","13":"tag-robert-burns","14":"tag-scotland","15":"tag-traditions","16":"tag-uk","17":"tag-united-kingdom","18":"tag-whisky"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115845221429738257","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/676502","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=676502"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/676502\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/676503"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=676502"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=676502"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=676502"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}