Despite being the capital of Scotland and home to the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh is in fact quite a small city. It boasts three universities and a relatively well-respected art school.

Edinburgh has traditionally been better known for theatre than for music. In August of each year it hosts the Edinburgh International Festival and Fringe, the Edinburgh Film Festival and the Edinburgh Art Festival - but no music festival (aside from the trusty Triptych).

However, the capital's music scene should not be underestimated. Although Glasgow does tend to exert a sort of gravity on Scottish musicians, Edinburgh can lay claim to several of the most influential Scottish acts of the past few decades - among them The Fire Engines, The Bay City Rollers, The Vaselines and The Beta Band. The city is currently home to a number of recent exports, including Aberfeldy, James Yorkston, ballboy and Vashti Bunyan. It also boasts a handful of small indie labels: SL (ballboy, St Jude's Infirmary, Dawn Of The Replicants), Wee Black Skelf (Lucky Luke, Simon Joyner), mrw44 (Hex, Jad Fair, Alleschwindel), Benbecula (Christ, Birdengine, Genaro).

In recent years Edinburgh's cosy experimental scene has been thriving, producing artists such as Wounded Knee, Usurper and Frogpocket. Central to this scene are events curated by Tremors and the aforementioned Benbecula Records.

A lack of council funding has led to the closure of several popular music venues in Edinburgh over the past few years. However, there are still a clutch of decent small to mid-sized venues in the city. Among them are:

- Cabaret Voltaire

- Liquid Room

- Subway

- Henry's Cellar Bar

- Wilkie House

- The Bedlam Theatre

- The Bristo Church

- Cafe Royale

- The Queen's Hall

- Bannermans

If you are a band looking for a gig you may want to contact one of the city's promoters:

- Baby Tiger