In retrospect, it was probably not the best idea to go to a city with no notion of a plan and stay for so long. And I probably didn’t endear myself to a few people with my waywardness but Edinburgh endeared itself to me. It is nothing short of gorgeous. The architecture is stunning, it’s one of the eeriest towns in Europe and in the month of August each year, it transforms into a bustling, vibrant city of festivals. There are many – the jazz festival, the book festival, the marketing festival (umm), the extremely popular annual Military Tattoo but the biggest and brightest is the unmistakable Fringe, the biggest annual performing arts festival in the world.
But yes, just over a week in Edinburgh. I had my fair share of acquaintances, and by the time I’d left I’d definitely made a few friends but for the most part, I hung out with myself. But being alone is good for the ego and it’s hard to feel lonely when there’s always something to capture your imagination. Plus with an assortment of acts, over 2500 in fact, in a variety of venues – from churches to caves, teepees to townhalls, and lively streets made exploring the city on foot and finding something to see or do, pretty damn easy.
Venues
Bathroom stall.
Being the (moderate) history geek I am, I decided to go on a walking tour, a fantastic way to spend an entire afternoon learning facts and fables and unearthing some of the best local spots for eating, drinking and to avoid. The one I did zigzags across the Mile, down to the Grassmarket, stopping behind the Elephant House coffee shop where JK Rowling penned the first two Harry Potter novels (they let the then struggling mother, nurse only a single cup of tea each day and write, and now they do a roaring trade because of it – a lesson in kindness), the haunted cemetery and the school that Hogwarts is inspired by, and the lush Princes Street gardens. I can’t recommend the walking tour enough. They even run a ghost tour and a pub crawl if you’re so inclined.
The main strip, the Royal Mile; much longer than a mile and thus resulting in the unique measure the Scots Mile, runs from Edinburgh Castle on top of Castle Rock to the Palace of Holyroodhouse; is the busiest, filled with a few hundred of the many performers trying to sell their shows. Getting anywhere in a hurry is nearly impossible as you will be handed flyers to all kinds of shows that run the course of the Fringe – live music, stand up comedy, theatre, and musicals, and be distracted by all kinds of street artists, buskers, stalls selling the work of independent artists and caricaturists. Some very good, and some very strange.
Red electric cellist Carol Thorns
I got pretty lucky in Edinburgh. I’ve worked a fair few festivals in my life, and the comedians and artists I’d previously worked with took really very good care of me. I saw maybe twenty different shows – with my favourites being Somewhere over the David O’Doherty, Claudia O’Doherty’s Monster of the Deep 3D, musical trio Axis of Awesome, The Crack, the lovely, whimsical Josie Long and of course, Bombay jam band Something Relevant. Pick up the fat program and dog-end the pages and highlight all the shows you want to see. The best thing about the Fringe is you can splurge on the ones you know are good, buy tickets at the half-price booth and experiment with newer acts, or just catch the dozens of shows that are part of the Free Fringe, and spend your pennies on Boddingtons beer.
Scotland doesn’t provide much for culinary exploits and it’s highly likely that a major percentage of your dietary intake will include scotch, tatties (potatoes), cider, Angus steak burgers and late night shwarmas after late night jazz. I, having become the slightly adventurous version of me (which only happens when I travel), decided to try haggis, and it wasn’t half bad – sort of like meatloaf with added oats and a peppery sauce.
My favourite though was Iglu, a gorgeous little cafe in Newtown recommended by my friend Kelly, a brilliant chef and restaurateur. At Iglu, we played scrabble, drank the most local lagers and ate bunless wild boar burgers with thick, luscious homemade mayonnaise and Earl Grey jelly petit fours.
Nightlife is good too. I was in a state of disarray by midnight, which tends to happen when you’re equal parts blood and alcohol. The Spiegeltent and Assembly tent have some crazy parties, but you’re bound to meet people who will point you in the right direction of that night’s best gig, bar or club. There’s a nice mix of locals, tourists, festival staff and performers about. The latter three returning every season for good reason.
