Edinburgh is often associated with the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the world’s largest art & comedy festival, but it’s not this festival alone that has given the city its nickname as the “festival city” - in fact there are over 12 festivals taking place in Edinburgh every year.

Rather than shining the spotlight on the already well known Festival Fringe, we’ll share some other great festivals in Edinburgh coming up next month that are well worth checking out …

Edinburgh International Festival
(9th August – 2nd September)

The festival that started it all, the Edinburgh International Festival was founded in 1947, with a love of classical music at its heart.

With the first festival taking place just after the horrors of World War II, the event’s founders aimed to “provide a platform for the flowering of the human spirit”, and enrich the cultural life of Scotland.

Now staged primarily in The Hub, a truly breathtaking building just next to Edinburgh’s famous castle, it is one of the most famous festivals in the world.

Drawing in the finest purveyors of classical music, opera, theatre and dance from all over the globe, it’s helped put Edinburgh on the map, with many repeat visitors wooed by Edinburgh’s jawdropping architecture and undeniable charm.

This year’s festival looks back to the founder’s original intent, to uplift the human spirit – and with a triple-dip recession looming, we could all use a little of that.

Highlights for 2012 include visionary theatre director Silviu Purcărete’s take on Gulliver’s Travels, a chance to catch the dance stars of the future with an exciting triple bill from New York’s famous Juilliard School, a playful and innovative take on My Fair Lady in Meine faire Dame – a Language Laboratory, and a return performance from one of the world’s greatest opera singers, Waltraud Meier.

Edinburgh Art Festival
2nd August – 2nd September

Despite the International Festival running for over 60 years now, the visual arts tend to have been neglected. In 2004, the Edinburgh Art Festival set out to change all that, with the help of the EIF.

The vast majority of events and exhibitions taking place as part of the month long festival are completely free, designed to encourage as many people as possible to discover the latest and greatest artists from around the globe.

This year’s festival is the biggest yet, with a series of new public art commissions and more than 45 major exhibitions taking place throughout Edinburgh’s many established and independent galleries.

Alongside exhibitions covering the work of David Hockney, Picasso’s contemporaries and 100 works selected from the rarely-glimpsed Royal Collection, emerging artists take over the city, including a new exhibition from someone you’ll usually catch on the Fringe, comedian Harry Hill.

Edinburgh Book Festival
11th – 27th August

Britain’s biggest book festival, even more ambitious in scale than the famous Hays Festival, this celebration of all things literary sprang to life in 1983.

Founded by publisher Jenny Brown, its existence earned Edinburgh the coveted title of UNESCO’s first City of Literature in 2004.

From its humble beginnings, where it played host to just 30 authors, today’s festival now offers up more than 800 writers and events.

From encouraging new writing through its commissioning programme, to encouraging first-time writers through a fascinating series of talks and workshops with established authors, it’s one of the most popular festivals in the country and sells out sharp.

This year’s event welcomes more authors than ever before, including William McIlvanney, Simon Armitage, Iain Banks and A.L. Kennedy.

And if you’re looking to stay in Edinburgh this summer, consider the Holiday Inn Edinburgh for a great value accommodation option.

(photo credits: 1 – 2 – 3 )

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When Rabbie’s Tours offered to take us around Scotland for a few days we thought a 1 day tour to Stirling and Loch Lomond would be perfect.

The first stop was Stirling Castle, one of the most important castles in Scottish history. You could actually visit the chamber and dining halls of the Royal family who used to live there.

We also made a quick stop over to check out Doune Castle where “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” was filmed!

To read more about our time in Stirling & Loch Lomond, make sure you check out:

• Scotland – A Day Trip To Stirling & Loch Lomond

We hope you enjoyed our Stirling & Loch Lomond video, next video German Winter Markets & Skiing!

(Our Trip To Stirling & Loch Lomond was in part sponsored by VisitScotland & Rabbies Tours)

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We stayed in Fort William, known as the gateway to the Highlands and the adventure capital of UK.

Sitting at the foot of Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in UK, and at the head of Loch Linnhe, a sea loch, the beauty surrounding this town is unmistakable.

When asking the locals in Edinburgh what their favorite place in Scotland was, they all said with dreamy eyes that nothing beats the highlands.

To read more about our time in Fort William, make sure you check out:

• Fort William – The Adventure Capital Of Uk

We hope you enjoyed our Fort William video, next stop Stirling & Loch Lomond, Scotland!

(Our Trip To Fort William was in part sponsored by VisitScotland, Alpine Bikes & Crannog Cruises)

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Edinburgh is often referred to as the most haunted city in Europe, perhaps because around every corner there is a story to tell.

I don’t think I have ever learned so much about a city’s history through stories and tales as I have of Edinburgh.

And the fact that the city has preserved so much of its medieval architecture and style made it easy to imagine what it must have been like living back then.

To read more about our time in Edinburgh, make sure you check out:

• Edinburgh, Scotland = History Overload!

We hope you enjoyed our Edinburgh video, next stop Fort William, Scotland!

(Our Trip To Edinburgh was in part sponsored by VisitScotland & Royal Mile Backpackers)

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One of the reasons I love Europe so much is because of its amazing history, or more precisely how easy it is to experience part of European history even today.

In Europe, history is all around us, and Edinburgh was no exception: The Auld Reekie (smokey city), like it was once called, was a city bursting with history.

The black stains on the buildings in the Old town marked the evidence of just how polluted the city once was, and the narrow closes (alleyways), leading the curious visitor into a labyrinth of small streets, are still there preserving the town’s medieval layout.

Edinburgh is often referred to as the most haunted city in Europe, perhaps because around every corner there is a story to tell.

I don’t think I have ever learned so much about a city’s history through stories and tales as I have of Edinburgh, and the fact that the city has preserved so much of its medieval architecture and style made it easy to imagine what it must have been like living back then.

But Edinburgh brings the past even closer than that – in fact there are even streets and rooms that have remained untouched since then: a close called Mary King’s Close.

Mary King’s Close

Mary King’s Close is a warren of underground streets and spaces, a place which has remained frozen in time since the 17^th century when it was open to the skies and full of life.

It was amazing to see how everything was still there, how the narrow street where people used to trade their goods was still intact, how even the wooden toilet of one of the families who used to live there was still standing right where they had left it, some 300 years earlier.

The ceilings in the rooms were covered in plaster made of horse hair and the ashes of human bodies who died in the plague, and in Mary King’s Close plague was so common that they had to quaranteen the close, which is now the most haunted place in Scotland!

It gave you a very real impression of life in the days when people threw their waste out on the streets and had to walk barefoot in it themselves because they were too poor to afford shoes.

The Edinburgh you see today is a mixture of the best, it has the same cozy atmosphere, but cleaner and safer, and with some incredible green gardens and family villas to escape to as well.

We left Edinburgh with a fascination of the city’s past, but so happy to be there in the 21^st century..!

Our trip through Scotland was in general filled with stories from the past, of how Scotland came to be, of William Wallace, and the Scottish pride and shame.

The Scotts seemed to love their tales, and like the Scottish proverb goes ”a good tale never tires in the telling”.

It’s been great to see so much of Scotland and get to know its history.

Next time I’m back in the UK I’d like to do the same with England, visit the “heart of England”, indulge a bit and stay in one of those traditional thatched luxury Cotswold cottages and learn more about the stories and tales from England, which make it what it is today.

Disclaimer: Our trip to Scotland was in part sponsored by VisitScotland.

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After three days in Edinburgh, with the most amazing summer weather and getting the most out of our press passes from VisitScotland, we headed further inland to one of the most beautiful parts of Scotland – the Highlands.

We stayed in Fort William, known as the gateway to the Highlands and the adventure capital of UK.

Sitting at the foot of Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in UK, and at the head of Loch Linnhe, a sea loch, the beauty surrounding this town is unmistakable.

When asking the locals in Edinburgh what their favorite place in Scotland was, they all said with dreamy eyes that nothing beats the highlands.

And then, finally, when it was right before my eyes, I could see why - the scenery spreading out far into the distance was absolutely stunning.

Muddy Mountain Biking

But walking down the main street in Fort William one thing became very clear to us: everyone else must have known something which we did not, as they were all fully equipped with enough gear and clothing to go mountaineering for days, ready to tackle any weather.

Sure enough the next day, the weather had switched. It was cold, rainy and windy, and the mountains were hiding behind the mist.

We were going on our first adventure: mountain biking.

The Ben Nevis range is world famous for its great mountain biking, and Nathan who loves mountain biking talked me into it.

We grabbed some bikes from Alpine Bikes and when we arrived at the start of the mountainbike track the weather suddenly changed again. The mist was gone and the sun came out.

But many of the tracks were still muddy, and with no experience whatsoever I was up for quite a challenge.

At first I actually walked down with my bike (pretending to having biked down to Nathan) because I was so scared of the steep hill, but then I pulled myself together and decided that I was going to do this, falling and hurting myself or not (which I eventually did), I would not chicken out.

And like I’ve said before, if you try something you’re scared of you might actually find that you like it.

Fast forward 10 minutes later and all I could say was WOW – it was so much fun, and the track was awesome.

With many hills going down and not so many going up, it was less challenging for the condition and more for the skills, but it was still hard not to look away from the windy road to appreciate the green forest and the river running next to you.

The View From Aonach Mor

We finished the day by taking a gondola up to Anoach Mor, a big mountain with incredible views over Ben Nevis, the Great Glen and the Inner Hebrides.

While seeing the landscape from below is great, seeing it from above was definitely the best way to truly appreciate it. The view you see is that of the first picture in this post.

Cruising The Loch

The next day we went on a cruise on Loch Linnhe with Crannog Cruises. The morning started out windy, and the sun and clouds were fighting each other for attention.

It was quite spectacular to see the patches of sun and shadows playing over the smooth rolling hills around us, and with the sea being everything but calm, the little boat was up for a bumpy ride.

Having been in Fort William for only three days, I had quickly understood why everyone else had so much gear with them – the weather could change from one moment to the other, and we actually experienced three seasons in one day..!

The Most Scenic Train Journey In The World?

We left Fort William with some awesome experiences, and took the West Highland Line to Glasgow, which was voted the most scenic train journey in the world on Wanderlust magazine. So, was it true?

To tell you the truth, the scenery was definitely one of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen, and since the Europe Train Challenge we have been on a lot of trains..!

Most of the time the landscape was very remote and it kept changing all the time, which made it very interesting.

This is a great way to spend a few days in the Highlands and I would love to go back and see more.

Disclaimer: Our trip to Scotland was in part sponsored by VisitScotland, our mountain bike hire sponsored by Alpine Bikes, & our cruise trip sponsored by Crannog Cruises.

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Squeezing as much as possible into a travel itinerary is not ideal, so if you want to see as much as possible of Scotland in a short period of time, it’s best once you have arrived and after the right currency exchange rate has been checked to either rent your own car or go with a great tour company so they can take you to the best places.

So when Rabbie’s Tours offered to take us around Scotland for a few days we thought a 1 day tour to Stirling and Loch Lomond would be perfect.

The Guide And The Tales

The tour began at 9 o clock in the morning, and after an amazing cup of mint hot chocolate from Chocolate Soup (thanks for the tip Anthony!) we met up outside their office on the Royal Mile.

The guide, Mac, dressed in kilt, t-shirt and calf high socks in tartan material wrapped with leather strings, was a charismatic guy who had such a strong passion for Scotland.

During the long drive passing stunning scenery on selected off the beaten track roads, we sat with our ears and eyes wide open and took in the scenery while listening to the crazy stories and tales of Scotland’s history and the people who made it what it is today.

Mac shared the history behind the many famous thieves, and royalties who shaped Scotland, talked about how life used to be for the people in this land, and the reason why there are only 5 million Scots in Scotland and about 20 million around the rest of the world.

Scotland’s history is brutal but so fascinating, we learned about everything from the most important events in the country’s history to small details like how the word black mail and mailbox derives from historical events in Scotland.

The Route

The first stop was Stirling Castle, one of the most important castles in Scottish history. You could actually visit the chamber and dining halls of the Royal family who used to live there.

We also made a quick stop over to check out Doune Castle where “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” was filmed!

If you have seen the movie, you would recognize the castle in the movie more than once, as they pretend the castle was several different castles when it was in reality just one castle, filmed from 3 different angles – you have to love their solutions to budget and convenience..!

We then drove through the Trossachs, often known as the ”highlands in miniature” because of its beautiful scenery with mountains and glens.

The final stop was Inversnaid, a secluded little place north of Loch Lomond, Scotland’s largest loch (lake).

We climbed up many narrow wooden stairs and walked through the green nature which is so distinct to Scotland, and a few minutes later we were facing a powerful, beautiful waterfall.

Usually waterfalls seem to disappoint me due to their weakness, and small size but this one (on the right —>) was actually one of the best I’ve ever seen.

We really enjoyed our tour with Rabbie’s, the guide was amazing, he taught us so much more about Scottish history than we could have imagined – and it really was a great way to spend a day in Scotland.

Disclaimer: Our tour was sponsored by Rabbie’s Trail Burners, but as always our opinions are our own.

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After a busy week traveling around Scotland, we were exhausted and in need of a place where we could just sit back and relax.

It doesn’t matter how cozy a hostel dorm is, if you’re sharing a room with strangers you simply don’t have the freedom to do whatever you want, when you want.

So instead of staying in Glasgow for the day, we hurried on to Edinburgh to enjoy the most of the apartment we had booked with Roomorama for 2 days.

It was the first time we had stayed in an apartment booked online via Roomorama, but they made the booking process easy, with many apartments to choose from and “checking in” to the apartment without a reception or someone to meet you was a breeze.

The apartment itself was amazing. We stayed in Leith, a district in northern Edinburgh, with its own distinct character and once we had settled in - we felt at home right away:

The 2-bedroom apartment was luxurious and stylish but without losing that cozy touch –  the kitchen had everything you could possibly need for cooking, and the living room was spacious and light with large sliding balcony doors in glass, a comfy couch and flat screen TV.

In the hallway there was even a workout area for those wanting to work out, but we took the opportunity to use the high speed WiFi to catch up on work while enjoying a nice glass of red wine instead.

Edinburgh is a fantastic city with so many amazing things to see and do, but for one night we allowed ourselves to do nothing at all, which is somewhat of a luxury when it comes to traveling the way we normally do.

It’s amazing how great you feel after a good meal, a hot bath and a bed with plush pillows, and the next day we got up early, watched the sunrise and headed out on a new adventure to take a day tour to Stirling and Loch Lomond…

Disclaimer: We received two nights free accommodation at Bond31 from Roomorama.

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We knew Scotland would be beautiful even before we stepped off the plane – just from what we saw 2000 ft in the air was enough to know that this spontaneous trip would give us experiences of a lifetime.

We decided to leave the backpacks behind this time and travel with roller bags instead, just to see how we felt about it.

We don’t like to see ourselves getting comfortable with only one way of travel, but want to try out different styles all the time.

Although we have been traveling mostly in a backpacker way I wouldn’t mind experiencing a bit more of that luxury travel style, and although we are not the typical hikers we don’t mind trying that out either.

The only thing is that we are just never prepared for it – although we have become better over the years, like don’t go hiking in flip flops in the Austrian Alps anymore, we still looked like the odd ones out, and in Scotland, once again we were not prepared …

The Moody Weather

I have never seen such a moody weather anywhere else in the world. The weather can change from sunny to rainy, windy to calm, freezing to warm – in a matter of hours!

Sometimes it seemed as though it did all that at the same time, and without any rain gear things got a little complicated… but I guess it’s the weather that has contributed to the amazing nature in Scotland.

The Amazing Nature

The scenery in Scotland is simply breathtaking – the highlands is a dream landscape, with mountains, lochs and glens, and the vibrant autumn colors just made it even better.

The grey stone cottages along the roads just enhanced the scenery – these cottages were built for sitting in front of the fire, sipping tea and dipping short bread all day, the perfect situation for cozy Autumn luxury holidays - but the one thing that struck me the most about Scotland, what changed my whole perspective on things – were the people we meet.

The Friendly People

I always used to believe that the way the people acted was a reflection on how the weather was – the people from northern Europe like Scandinavia are in general very quiet people whom are difficult to get to know.

You won’t see them start conversations on the bus stop or street with strangers, you will notice that they prefer having an empty seat next to them on the bus etc.

During summertime, that changes a little, and the people become more outgoing. So I used to think that it had to do with the weather.

But when I arrived in Scotland, I was proven to be terribly wrong - Scotland has the strangest weather in the world, mostly quite miserable – yet the people are among the warmest and friendliest I have ever met.

Nowhere else has it been so easy to meet people and strike up conversations with strangers.

No matter where you were, on the bus, walking down a street or in a supermarket, people from all ages would talk to you.

It’s all in the little things. In many ways Scotland reminded me of Vanuatu, where people laughed and smiled more, and where rather than giving you a strange look when talking to them, they actually tarted talking to you.

It will take some time to let all our impressions sink in, but I will write more about Scotland and our experiences – and I will be back, for sure …

(photo credit: 3)

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Places to Visit in Scotland

Just a hop, skip and a jump from Bristol, after a night at one of the many Bristol Airport hotels and you will find yourself in Edinburgh to start your journey through some of the best places to visit in Scotland.

Here is a list of 10 awesome places to visit in Scotland: 

1. One of the many cathedrals and chapels of Edinburgh, particularly Rosslyn Chapel, made famous, perhaps mostly by The Da Vinci Code novel.

2. The Abbey and Palace of Holyroodhouse, a royal residence that is host to the Queen’s Gallery which contains art from the Royal collection.

3. One of the top places to visit in Scotland for nature lovers is to walk up Arthur’s Seat, an extinct volcano that offers a incredible panorama of the city from the summit.

4. When it comes to festivals, one of the very best places to visit in Scotland is Edinburgh, especially in the summer.

Home to over ten festivals during the summer, including the Fringe Festival, the International Festival, the Military Tattoo, and the Edinburgh International Film Festival to name just a few, Edinburgh is often called the city of festivals.

5. The Tall Ship, or the Glenlee, which was built in 1896 and is one of the only five Clydebuilt sailing ships left in the world that are afloat and restored.

It is now berthed at the Riverside museum which is part of Scotland’s Museum of Transport and Travel.

You can explore the Tall Ship and of course the museum as well.

6. If you love animals and zoos, you’ll love visiting places like the Edinburgh Zoo, particularly to watch the Penguin parade.

7. Take a walk along the Glasgow Green which was founded in 1450 by a royal grant and is home to Nelson’s Memorial, The Peoples Palace and The Doulton Fountain which is the largest terracotta fountain in the world.

8. If you want several places to visit in Scotland in a short period of time, take a ride on the West Highland Railway, where you can go from Glasgow to Crianlarch and back.

One of the most beautiful train rides in the world, you’ll see castles and meadows and the River Cylde, you’ll pass under Erskine Bridge. The train ride also takes you past Loch Lomond and Locklong.

9. A short day-trip from Glasgow, the Isle of Arran is often considered to be Scotland in Miniature and allows you to enjoy gardens, Brodick Bay, a castle and a variety of archaeological artifacts that are around the island.

This is one of the best places to visit in Scotland if you want to experience the essence of the country.

10. Visit the city of Stirling which is considered the spiritual home of Braveheart, you’ll also want to check out the castle while you are there.

To make your return trip easier and less stressful, stay at one of the Edinburgh Airport hotels and get a good rest the last night before an early morning flight, but if you’re sleeping at one of the Glasgow Airport hotels  be sure to call ahead to ensure your reservation is completed correctly…

What are your favorite places to visit in Scotland?

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