Auld Reekie. The smoky capital of Scotland. With its all-seeing castle, grand Georgian architecture and steep gothic streets, Edinburgh makes for a beautiful break at any time of year. But it’s during August that the city truly comes alive.
It’s a well-known fact that every summer, Edinburgh hosts one of the biggest parties on the planet: the Edinburgh festival fringe. But this year, it’s bigger than ever. The abundance of theatre troupes, circus performers, poets, musicians, cabaret stars, comedians and performance artists pushes 2018’s tally to 56,796 performances of 3,548 shows (the most in its history) across 317 venues. Even Maureen Lipman fans have got something to be excited about, as her latest show – a foray into cabaret – sees her making a fringe comeback after 50 years.
Plus, there are loads of other great attractions in a city that’s accessible via frequent direct trains from many UK cities and towns (whose journeys can also be had on the cheap with a railcard offering 1/3 off tickets). Think incredible culinary creations, amazing vegan food and pubs with their own skittle lanes. Here are our reasons to visit Edinburgh this August.
Skittles and a (non-dangerous) volcano
It’s fairly well known that the bulk of Holyrood park, which is a brief walk from the city centre, is largely comprised of Arthur’s Seat – a huge, extinct volcano. But less well known is that once you’ve climbed this 250-metre grassy slope for spectacular views over the city, there’s a great place nearby to reward yourself for your efforts. Edinburgh’s oldest pub, the Sheep Heid Inn – built in 1360 – sits at the foot of Arthur’s Seat and features its own dinky two-lane skittle alley.
Where else could you see films that are six-seconds long?
Scotland’s cult comedy hero Limmy – star of his own BBC Scotland series and one of the funniest tweeters out there – rarely performs live. To be fair, he’s not on stage much in his Edinburgh fringe show, either. Limmy’s Vines (The Stand’s New Town Theatre, 3-12 Aug) is a screening of the comic’s microfilms, all edited together into an hour’s worth of six-second videos. Intense, hypnotising, fast-burning clips – one after another – for 60-minutes, plus a Q&A from the man himself once you’ve got your bearings back.
Graverobbing, plagues and books bound in human skin: Edinburgh’s a gore-fest
Nineteenth-century murderers Burke and Hare killed 16 people, selling their bodies for use in anatomy lectures. Creepy dolls – miniature likenesses of the pair’s victims, each with their own tiny coffin, that were found in a local park 10 years after the murders and thought to be linked to the crime – are on display at the National Museum of Scotland. Fancy being grossed-out by a book bound in Burke’s skin? You’ll find that, and other macabre marvels, at the Surgeons’ Hall Museums. If you’ve still got a taste for the terrifying, make the deathly decision to pick one of Edinburgh’s ghost walks. Visit vaults and tombs in the dead of night, or try Mercat Tours’ Gory Stories, a daytime walk for ages five and up.
There’ll be an oxygen-starved monkey woman
Award-winning ventriloquist Nina Conti has achieved more than most comedians could ever dream of: sell-out tours, West End residencies and Hollywood movie roles. But this year she’s gone meta for her fringe run, becoming a life-sized version of her puppet sidekick, Monkey. She’s dressed head-to-toe as a primate – with limited vision and even more restricted oxygen – for an hour of improvised larks. Plus, with her face covered, it doesn’t matter if Conti’s lips are moving. Genius!
You can step inside the elephant that gave birth to Harry Potter
Well, not literally. JK Rowling famously wrote the first boy wizard books in the Elephant House cafe on George IV Bridge, where the toilet walls are now covered with Potter-fan graffiti. Edinburgh itself was a major inspiration for Rowling’s stories, which is evident with a quick stroll through the Hogwarts-esque architecture of the Old Town. If spells aren’t your cup of Butterbeer, the Rebus walking tour takes in the mysterious locations of Ian Rankin’s character creation, departing from the fictional detective’s favourite pub, the Royal Oak.
Forget deep-fried Mars – try a doughnut burger or pancake pasta
Whether you’re a health freak or a competitive eater, Edinburgh’s got you covered on the food front. For high-end gastronomy, Michelin-starred restaurant The Kitchin in Leith serves sumptuous seafood. For more ‘grammable delicacies, head to Mary’s Milk Bar on Grassmarket for eye-watering ice-cream creations; Bread Meats Bread on Lothian Road for a double cheeseburger inside a glazed doughnut bun; or pancake pasta pesto at Civerinos in Hunter Square. Veggies and vegans, there’s not a haggis in sight at totally vegan restaurants Harmonium or Hendersons, and for veggie nachos bigger than your head, run to the Auld Hoose on St Leonard’s Street.
There are kids shows that aren’t just for kids
Bright colours, baby talk and repetitive stories involving an animal for some reason – that’s children’s theatre, yes? Not any more. The fringe is packed full of shows aimed at little ’uns that are just as fun for grownups. Such as The Amazing Bubble Man (Underbelly George Square, 2-27 Aug), who can’t quite hide his disdain for children no matter how hard he tries. Or John Hegley: Morning Wordship (Pleasance Courtyard, 4-5 Aug, 9-12, 16-19), which sees the veteran poet whip up some 10.30am whimsy. Or Wolfgang (Circus Hub, 4-25 Aug), where acclaimed circus troupe Circa combine impressive acrobatics with musical mischief to celebrate the life of Mozart. Who said kids don’t appreciate highbrow?
Surprise! There’s sand and sea
Sunbathing might not be your first association with the Scottish capital, but a short bus ride away from the town centre is the beautiful Portobello beach – a two-mile stretch of idyllic sand, perfect for a dip or an amusement arcade fling. Or for the particularly adventurous, Port Edgar Watersports offers windsurfing and dinghy sailing for a range of ages on the picturesque Firth of Forth.
There’s an amazing array of bizarre celeb cameos
Each year Edinburgh’s festivals attract a brilliantly bizarre roster of C- to Z-list celebs staging serious plays, weirdo performance art or unashamedly glitzy light entertainment. This year’s crop includes Jason Donovan and his Amazing Mid-Life Crisis (Assembly George Square Gardens, 22-26 Aug), which sees the former Neighbours’ star in conversation; Hi-De-Hi’s Su Pollard stars in a one-woman play about hoarders called Harpy (Underbelly Cowgate, 2-26 Aug); TV’s favourite reverend, Richard Coles, promises candid chat in Confessions (Pleasance Courtyard, 13-27 Aug); and kids’ TV legends Dick and Dom go bogey-to-bogey in Dick v Dom (Underbelly Bristo Square, 1-12 Aug). But if faux-celebrities are more your bag, try Ripley’s Like a Sturgeon (Underbelly Cowgate, 20-26 Aug) for drag reinterpretations of the SNP leader, Melania Trump and Theresa May. There’s no lack of unusual activities to be found in this city.
Want 1/3 off rail fares? Find out which railcard is right for you at railcard.co.uk. Prices start from £20.
