Edinburgh festival 2012: Murdo Macleod stakes out the Royal Mile - in pictures

A wall pasted with posters for shows at the fringe Photograph: Murdo Macleod for the Guardian

A clown from the the Fourth Monkey Theatre Company jostles with the crowd Photograph: Murdo Macleod for the Guardian

Performers from Knickerbocker Glory hit the Royal Mile to promote their show Photograph: Dave Cheskin/PA

An alien from The Good the Bad and the Extraterrestrials sits on a bench with The Gold Man Photograph: Murdo Macleod for the Guardian

A performer plays the guitar on top of a phone box Photograph: Murdo Macleod for the Guardian

A performer from Tranquillity Serenity Calm has a more relaxed approach to promoting his show Photograph: Danny Lawson/PA

A man carries a sign for waffle-tv, an online TV company that uploades videos daily from the fringe Photograph: Murdo Macleod for the Guardian

Heather Brodorick is a living poster publicising Newland: The Musical Photograph: Danny Lawson/PA

Guerrilla Artisans offer, they say, One-Hour Plays Photograph: Murdo Macleod for the Guardian

The Fourth Monkey Theatre Company try to drum up business Photograph: Murdo Macleod for the Guardian

The fringe box office queue Photograph: Murdo Macleod for the Guardian

The cast from Oedipus the Hour pin up posters for their show Photograph: Murdo Macleod for the Guardian