Experience Edinburgh: the City, Things to Do, its Origins
Edinburgh equals festivals. Hotels in Edinburgh are at their most popular come August time, which is the festival season and that popularity is for good reason.
Even deciding when to visit can boil down to a decision between the city’s two historic events: Hogmanay at New Year and the Edinburgh International Festival in the summer. Maybe splitting everything into black and white, or green and maroon if you’re a football fan, is overly simplistic. However, it does illustrate the breadth of the spectrum of interests and possibilities that the city offers.
Where the Old Town and the New Town meet at the city’s centre is where Edinburgh hotels are at their best; this is the most vivid and exciting part of the Scottish capital. Edinburgh Castle, medieval stone buildings and winding, cobbled alleys slither around the original part of the city. Ever so slightly north, however, is the vibrancy of development. Since the Georgian period, this area has grown into a hub of creativity; art, literature, science, theatre and philosophy have all thrived and the city has become a byword for innovation.
Further, to the east there is the rugged coastline of the North Sea, and further inland, the city’s vantage point, Arthur’s Seat. To the west there are the Pentland Hills and Roslin Chapel.
While there is much to take in all year round, it is the festivals that take centre stage. The Edinburgh Festival lasts for the duration of August and is an umbrella name for an entire collection of smaller festivals, concerts and events, including the most notable, the Fringe and the Military Tattoo.
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe, or Fringe for short, has been a part of the Edinburgh Festival since 1956 and is now the largest arts festival in the world. This summer, it attracted slightly fewer than two million visitors. As an ‘uninjured’ festival, there are no restrictions on the type of performances that can take place, which adds to its eclectic appeal. Over the course of the Fringe it is possible to watch theatre, comedy, dance, music and everything in between.
Originally developed as an alternative to the more traditional International Festival, the Fringe is so popular that similar events have sprung up across the World as other festivals try to recreate and pay homage to its special atmosphere.
During the same period, the Military Tattoo hosts display teams, military bands and processions at the city’s historic castle. 2009 saw just over 200,000 spectators from Britain and abroad watch the event.
Over the duration of the festival, there is a constant throng of people across the city. The streets are filled with stalls and performing acts, in particular the Royal Mile, where visitors gather to get to the heart of the action. The only thing that can compare to the festival is Hogmanay.
If the festival is the summer soiree, then Hogmanay is the winter warmer. A four day festival starting a day before New Year’s Eve, it is outweighs Christmas as the focal point of the festive season.
The Royal Mile is again integral to the occasion as it is the location of the beginning of the torchlight procession to Calton Hill. Thousands fill the streets and carry flickering, flame torches as they proceed to their destination, while overhead an almighty firework display marks the start of the festivities. The sight of this trail of flames and illuminations filling the bitterly cold winter night is something to behold in its own right.
From then on there is an entire collection of music, concerts and events. Most of central Edinburgh is closed off for street parties, there are candlelight concerts for young children and families and Scotland’s biggest musical acts perform for the masses.
Although these two events represent Edinburgh’s most iconic traditions, there is still much to do for the rest of the year, and it is easier to find cheap hotels. The aforementioned Arthur’s Seat offers the most spectacular view of the city. Situated just to the east, the old volcano is 251m high; tall enough to grasp the city’s landscape in one snapshot, but not too strenuous a walk.
A visit to Scotland in either the spring or autumn means there is a good chance that you will be able to watch the national rugby team play at the colossal Murrayfield Stadium; a 70,000 stronghold that hosts European teams in the spring during the Six Nations, and southern hemisphere sides in November.
As all good cities should, Edinburgh houses a fierce football rivalry. Hibernian, or Hibs, herald from the eastern district of Leith, near the docks. To the west are Hearts, or Heart of Midlothian to give them their full name. Overshadowed by the sectarianism of the higher-profiled Glasgow rivalry of Rangers and Celtic, the Edinburgh derby can still offer up quality football and vitriol in equal measure. The Scottish take these games very seriously and they provide entertainment to rival any theatre.
Any visitor to Edinburgh, regardless of interests, should consider an Edinburgh Pass. This allows you to visit 27 attractions for free or at a substantial discount, including museums, galleries, whiskey distillery tours and events. It also comes with an extensive guidebook, vouchers for discounts in restaurants and high street shops, and unlimited use of public transport. A day ticket costs £24, and a three-day pass is double that.
Edinburgh will always hang on to its illustrious heritage and tradition, and as its popularity increases, so will its innovation. Blessed with an almost unrivalled combination of old and new, it is a city that caters for all who occupy it.
