Edinburgh -- feasts, festivals, and friendly folk!

If possible come in August and catch the International Fringe and Book Festivals. Hire a car and see some more of gorgeous Scotland while you're here!

Quick Tips:

Be prepared for cold weather! There are a lot of gorgeous, bright, sunny days with blue skies, but they are still chilly! In winter it can be bitterly cold, and although summer has warm days, it's still colder than most of the rest of Europe.

Best Way To Get Around:

In Edinburgh, walking is the best way to see the city. The public transport is fairly good--good bus service within the city and the rail network takes you across most of Scotland.

Although we found the tables here a bit 'exposed'--that is they don't have much privacy--the food is superb and the service was faultless. A fairly eclectic menu with lots of choice of beautifully prepared and presented food. Great wine list. Not the cheapest by a long shot. Great mojitos!

A fantastic series of events that cover everything from dance, theatre, and comedy to folk, jazz, and classical music. There are websites where you can buy tickets at: here, here, or here.

It is a great time to visit Edinburgh, too, as there is a definite buzz, loads of street entertainment, and the weather is usually not too bad!

This takes place in tandem with the International and Fringe Festivals each year, and is well worth a visit. It is best to go directly to the venue, which is a series of marquees set up in the middle of Charlotte Square. You can then get a guide, check out what is happening, and book your tickets all at the same time. A few of the speakers that appeared this year (2003) were Candace Bushnell, Iain Banks, Ian Rankin, and Alain de Boton.