Cheap flights to Edinburgh
Edinburgh Festival
Each and every August the lilt of laughter and the lament of bagpipes can be heard throughout Edinburgh, as it’s world famous festival rolls into town.
Here’s a quick rundown of to expect in 2013.
Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2-26 August
Edinburgh Fringe is the world’s largest and arguably most famous arts festival. Over 2,5000 shows are set to take place, ranging drama to puppetry and of course comedy. Ali McGregor’s fun packed cabaret show and hundreds of free events right across town are sure to put a smile on your face.
Edinburgh Military Tattoo 2-24 August
Set against the stunning backdrop of Edinburgh Castle and steeped in heritage, pride and professionalism, the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo brings together breath-taking military and civilian performances. Mixing music from across globe with the traditional sounds of Massed Pipes and Drums, it’s sure to delight all who visit.
Edinburgh International Festival. 9 August – 1 September.
As the centrepiece to the celebrations, the Edinburgh International Festival has been running since 1947, offering opera, dance and theatre and plenty in-between. This year’s highlights include a performance of Beethoven’s only opera Fidelio, a Leonardo da Vinci: The Mechanics of Man exhibition and performances from the Scottish Ballet and Scottish Dance Theatre. And not to be missed is the festival’s stunning finale firework concert on 1 September.
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Looking more like a film set than a city, Edinburgh is a picture postcard of Gothic and medieval streets that will impress even the most experienced traveller. Nicknamed the Athens of the North, Edinburgh is one of the most beautiful and atmospheric cities in Europe. It is certainly one of the most visited, seeing over a million tourists trampling its streets each year. They come for its snaking, medieval streets, Georgian architecture, popular festivals and the majestic Edinburgh Castle that has overlooked the city for centuries.
As the capital of Scotland, Edinburgh is full of things to see and do, from its scary age-old dungeons and submerged and forgotten medieval streets to art-filled galleries and royal palaces.
Shopping
April 2013
Concrete Wardrobe is a treasure trove of craft as art for the home at the bottom of Broughton Street. It specialises in quality, one-off or short-run pieces by Scottish-based designers (50A Broughton Street, New Town, tel: 0131 558 7130, concretewardrobe.com).
Sightseeing
May 2013
The national tour of emotion-tugging Ghost the Musical arrives at the Edinburgh Playhouse on the 14th for a three-week run. Rebecca Trehearn plays the bereaved Molly with Wendy Mae Brown as psychic Oda Mae Brown (18-22 Greenside Place, tel: 0844 871 3014, edinburgh-playhouse.co.uk).
Key Areas
January 2013
The Southside, just past the Meadows, is a great place to browse for antiques and clock quirky architectural anomalies, such as Basil Spence's iconic 1960s garage (now a wine emporium) among the 19th-century tenements.
Day Trips
May 2013
The Scottish Seabird Centre at North Berwick, 30 minutes east of the capital by train or car, has plenty to interest at this time of year, including video links to the nesting birds on the islands in the Firth of Forth. The town has a pretty harbour, sandy beach and several warm cafes and pubs.