The Hive

This famously unpretentious, dual-dancefloored Cowgate haunt is beloved by students and pretty young things alike. Open every night of the week, Hive mixes up a rainbow spectrum-playlist of musical styles from electropop to indie hits, R'n'B to nu-metal, and a pinch of just about everything else in between (read: a hefty dose of cheesey pop). Mixed Up Mondays are something of an institution (a crowdpleasing lineup of Hip Hop and Chart, with requests taken left, right and centre in the back room).

Hive even competes easily alongside the broadened nightclub scene brought to Edinburgh by the Fringe. Although tourists and locals are swept up in the bliss of choice, there's a certain loyalty to Hive till five. More of a philosophy than a single clubnight, Hive till five allows clubbers, thespians and fringe tourists to party right from curtain-fall through to sunrise

Although it's a hugely casual affair, we'd also suggest making sure you've got your gladrags on, as the roaming Hive photographers are always on the hunt for happy clubbers to plaster across their Facebook site. Smile, a'body.