Edinburgh Information

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- - - Edinburgh Information - - -

Venerable, dramatic EDINBURGH , the showcase capital of Scotland, is a historic, cosmopolitan and cultured city. The setting is wonderfully striking; the city is perched on a series of extinct volcanoes and rocky crags which rise from the generally flat landscape of the Lothians, with the sheltered shoreline of the Firth of Forth to the north. "My own Romantic town", Sir Walter Scott called it, although it was another native author, Robert Louis Stevenson, who perhaps best captured the feel of his "precipitous city", declaring that "No situation could be more commanding for the head of a kingdom; none better chosen for noble prospects."

The centre has two distinct parts, divided by Princes Street Gardens , which run roughly east-west under the shadow of Castle Rock . To the north, the dignified, Grecian-style New Town was immaculately laid out during the Age of Reason, after the announcement of a plan to improve conditions in the city. The Old Town , on the other hand, with its tortuous alleys and tightly packed closes, is unrelentingly medieval, associated in popular imagination with the underworld lore of schizophrenic Deacon Brodie, inspiration for Stevenson's Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde , and the bodysnatchers Burke and Hare. Edinburgh earned its nickname of "Auld Reekie" for the smog and smell generated by the Old Town, which for centuries swam in sewage tipped out of the windows of cramped tenements.

Set on the crag which sweeps down from the towering fairytale castle to the royal Palace of Holyroodhouse , the Old Town preserves all the key reminders of its role as a capital, plus a brand new parliament building rising up opposite the palace. A few hundred yards away a tantalizing glimpse of the wild beauty of Scotland's scenery can be had immediately beyond the palace in Holyrood Park , an extensive area of open countryside dominated by Arthur's Seat , the largest and most impressive of the volcanoes.

In August and early September, around a million visitors flock to the city for the Edinburgh Festival , in fact a series of separate festivals that make up the largest arts extravaganza in the world. Among the many museums, the exciting new National Museum of Scotland houses ten thousand of Scotland's most precious artefacts, while the National Gallery of Scotland and its offshoot, the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art , have two of Britain's finest collections of paintings.

On a less elevated theme, the city's distinctive howffs (pubs), allied to its brewing and distilling traditions, make Edinburgh a great drinking city. The presence of three universities , plus several colleges, means that there is a youthful presence for most of the year - a welcome corrective to the stuffiness which is often regarded as Edinburgh's Achilles heel.

Beyond the city centre, the most lively area is Leith , the city's medieval port, whose seedy edge is softened by a series of great bars and upmarket seafood restaurants, along with the presence of the former royal yacht Britannia , now open to visitors.

- - - History - - -

It was during the Dark Ages that the name of Edinburgh - at least in its early forms of Dunedin or Din Eidyn ("fort of Eidyn") - first appeared. Castle Rock, a strategic fort atop one of the volcanoes, served as the nation's southernmost border post until 1018, when King Malcolm I established the River Tweed as the permanent frontier. In the reign of Malcolm Canmore, the castle became one of the main seats of the court, and the town, which was given privileged status as a royal burgh , began to grow. In 1128 King David established Holyrood Abbey at the foot of the slope, later allowing its monks to found a separate burgh, known as Canongate.

Robert the Bruce granted Edinburgh a new charter in 1329, giving it jurisdiction over the nearby port of Leith, and during the following century the prosperity brought by foreign trade enabled the newly fortified city to establish itself as the permanent capital of Scotland . Under King James IV, the city enjoyed a short but brilliant Renaissance era, which saw not only the construction of a new palace alongside Holyrood Abbey, but also the granting of a royal charter to the College of Surgeons, the earliest in the city's long line of academic and professional bodies.

This period came to an abrupt end in 1513 with the calamitous defeat by the English at the Battle of Flodden , which led to several decades of political instability. In the 1540s, King Henry VIII's attempt to force a royal union with Scotland led to the sack of Edinburgh, prompting the Scots to turn to France: French troops arrived to defend the city, while the young queen Mary was dispatched to Paris as the promised bride of the Dauphin. While the French occupiers succeeded in removing the English threat, they themselves antagonized the locals, who had become increasingly sympathetic to the ideals of the Reformation . When the radical preacher John Knox returned from exile in 1555, he quickly won the city over to his Calvinist message.

James VI's rule saw the foundation of the University of Edinburgh in 1582, but following the Union of the Crowns in 1603 the city was totally upstaged by London: although James promised to visit every three years, it was not until 1617 that he made his only return trip. In 1633 Charles I visited Edinburgh for his coronation, but soon afterwards precipitated a crisis by introducing episcopacy to the Church of Scotland, in the process making Edinburgh a bishopric for the first time. Fifty years of religious turmoil followed, culminating in the triumph of Presbyterianism . Despite these vicissitudes, Edinburgh expanded throughout the seventeenth century and, constrained by its walls, was forced to build both upwards and inwards.

The Union of the Parliaments of 1707 dealt a further blow to Edinburgh's political prestige, though the guaranteed preservation of the national church and the legal and educational systems ensured that it was never relegated to a purely provincial role. On the contrary, it was in the second half of the eighteenth century that Edinburgh achieved the height of its intellectual influence, led by an outstanding group including David Hume and Adam Smith. Around the same time, the city began to expand beyond its medieval boundaries, laying out a New Town , a masterpiece of the Neoclassical style.

Industrialization affected Edinburgh less than any other major city in the nation, and it never lost its white-collar character. Nevertheless, it underwent an enormous urban expansion in the course of the nineteenth century.

In 1947 Edinburgh was chosen to host the great International Festival which served as a symbol of the new peaceful European order; despite some hiccups, it has flourished ever since, in the process helping to make tourism a mainstay of the local economy. In 1975 the city carried out another territorial expansion, moving its boundaries westwards as far as the old burgh of South Queensferry and the Forth Bridges. Four years later, an inconclusive referendum on Scottish devolution delayed Edinburgh's revival of its role as a governmental capital, and Glasgow, previously the poor relation but always a tenacious rival, began to challenge the city's status as a cultural centre.

However, while the 1990s saw Glasgow establish a clear lead in driving Scotland's contemporary arts scene, the decade also marked the return of power and influence to Edinburgh. Following a referendum in 1997, in which Scotland voted resoundingly in favour of re-establishing its own parliament , elections were held in May 1999. On July 1, 1999 the Queen formally opened the parliament, temporarily housed in the twin-towered Church of Scotland Assembly Halls on the Mound. Inevitably, the early years of the parliament have seen petty squabbling mixed with rather dizzying constitutional manoeuvring, but with debates, decisions and demonstrations about crucial aspects of the government of Scotland now taking place in Edinburgh, there has been a notable upturn in the sense of importance of the city. Added to this, recent acquisitions and mergers involving Scotland's two major banks, the Royal Bank of Scotland and the Bank of Scotland, have affirmed Edinburgh's significant place as a financial centre not just in Britain, but also Europe. Meanwhile, construction teams are at work on the parliament building, which will take its place opposite the ancient Palace of Holyroodhouse at the foot of the Royal Mile.

- - - Arrival - - -

Although Edinburgh occupies a large area relative to its population - less than half a million people - most places worth visiting lie within the compact city centre, which is easily explored on foot. This is divided clearly and unequivocally between the maze-like Old Town , which lies on and around the crag linking the castle and the Palace, and the New Town , laid out in a symmetrical pattern on the undulating ground to the north.

Edinburgh International Airport (tel 0131/333 1000) is at Turnhouse, seven miles west of the city centre; regular Airlink shuttle buses (Ł3.30) connect to Waverley Bridge in the town centre; taxis charge around Ł15 for the same journey. Conveniently situated at the eastern end of Princes Street in the New Town, Waverley Station (timetable and fare enquiries tel 0845/748 4950) is the terminus for all mainline trains. There's a second mainline train stop, Haymarket Station , just under two miles west on the lines from Waverley to Glasgow, Fife and the Highlands, although this is only really of use if you're staying nearby. The bus terminal for local and intercity services is on St Andrew Square, two minutes' walk from Waverley Station, on the opposite side of Princes Street.

- - - City Transport - - -

Edinburgh is well served by buses, although even locals are confused by the consequences of deregulation, with several companies offering competing services along similar routes. Most bus stops have a useful diagram indicating which services pass the stop and which routes they take.

Most useful are the maroon buses operated by Lothian Regional Transport (LRT); all buses referred to in the text are run by them unless otherwise stated. Timetables and passes are available from their ticket centres on Waverley Bridge or at 27 Hanover St (enquiry line tel 0131/555 6363), or from the city council-run Traveline, at 2 Cockburn St (tel 0800/232323). Of the various passes available, there's an LRT day pass for Ł2.20 (Ł1.50 if you buy it after 9.30am, or Ł4.20 including the airport bus), or, of course, you can buy individual tickets from the driver, for which you'll need exact change - the most common fare is 80p.

Edinburgh is well endowed with taxi ranks, and you can also hail black cabs on the street. We've listed phone numbers for taxi firms. It is emphatically not a good idea to take a car into central Edinburgh: despite the presence of several expensive multistorey car parks, finding somewhere to park involves long and often fruitless searches. In addition, street parking restrictions are famously draconian. Edinburgh is, however, a reasonably cycle-friendly city - although hilly - with several cycle paths . The local cycling action group, Spokes (tel 0131/313 2114, ), publishes an excellent cycle map of the city.

- - - Cafés and Restaurants - - -

The last decade has seen an upsurge in style, sophistication and good taste in Edinburgh's cafés and restaurants. Café culture has hit the centre of the city, with tables spilling onto the pavements in the summer, and this has been matched by the rise of a clutch of original, upmarket and stylish restaurants , many identifying their cuisine as "contemporary" or "modern Scottish" and championing top-quality meat, game and fish. As with most large British cities, the culinary map of Edinburgh is colourful and global, with long-established Chinese, Indian and Mexican places competing with outlets for Thai, Japanese, North African and Spanish cuisine.

Generally, small diners and bistros predominate, many adopting a casual French style and offering good-value set menus. Traditional Scottish cooking can still be found at some of the more formal restaurants, and inevitably some tourist-oriented places offer haggis and other classic clichés. Edinburgh excels in vegetarian restaurants, including a couple of classic Indian vegetarian places, and seafood - it's long been a speciality of the Leith waterfront, and you'll now also find a number of great seafood bistros in the centre of town.

The Royal Mile and around

:: Bistros, Cafés and Diners ::

Café Hub Lawnmarket. Colourful, well-run café in the Edinburgh Festival centre, with light modern meals served right through the day and evening. Teas, coffees, snacks and drinks also served. The large terrace is usefully central on sunny days. Inexpensive.

Café Odile Stills Gallery, 23 Cockburn St. Not the easiest place to find, but worth seeking out. French home-cooking at its best, with tasty, original savoury tarts, flans, salads and sandwiches, as well as delicious cakes and coffee. Inexpensive.

Elephant House 21 George IV Bridge. A popular café with a large selection of coffees, teas, sandwiches, light meals and big cakes. The cavernous back room is great for reading newspapers and having philosophical discussions. Open every day 8am-11pm. Inexpensive.

Lower Aisle In the High Kirk of St Giles, High Street. Popular with bewigged advocates from the High Court, this café in the crypt serves good-value light lunches, with excellent home baking. Closed evenings and all day Sat. Inexpensive.

Netherbow Café Netherbow Arts Centre, 43 High St. Decent wholefood and vegetarian soups and light meals, with a courtyard for sunny days and kids' corner. Lunchtimes only. Closed Sun. Inexpensive.

:: Restaurants ::

Bann UK 5 Hunter Square tel 0131/226 1112. Thoroughly modern vegetarian restaurant, with interesting, non-conventional dishes, stylish design and DJs playing ambient music late on. Mon-Thurs & Sun 10am-1am, Fri & Sat 10am-3am. Moderate.

Black Bo's 57 Blackfriars St tel 0131/557 6136. Inventive non-meat diner with an earthy atmosphere and friendly service. Open evenings daily and lunch Fri & Sat. Moderate.

Creelers 3 Hunter Sq tel 0131/220 4447. The only specialist seafood restaurant in the Old Town, with fresh produce brought in from a sister restaurant/fish shop on Arran. Moderate-expensive.

Igg's 15 Jeffrey St tel 0131/557 8184. A Spanish-owned hybrid, offering tapas snacks and Mediterranean dishes alongside traditional Scottish food. Smart but not intimidating. Closed Sun. Expensive.

Khushi's Lothian Restaurant 16 Drummond St. One of the first Indian places to open in the capital, Khushi's is still essentially a basic cafeteria with few frills, but it's a characterful and friendly place and the food is reliable and cheap. Bring your own drink. Closed Sun. Inexpensive.

Le Sept Old Fishmarket Close tel 0131/225 5428. Long-established French brasserie tucked down a cobbled close off the Royal Mile specializing in fish dishes and filling savoury crepes. Moderate.

Mamma's American Pizza Co . 30 Grassmarket. The best pizzas in this part of town, popular with students and larger groups, with outside tables in the summer and reasonably priced wine. Open Sun-Thurs until midnight, Fri & Sat until 1am. Inexpensive-moderate.

Ortegas 38 St Mary's St tel 0131/557 5754. Comfortable local bistro with some refreshingly original dishes, including good vegetarian options. Although the name is Spanish, the food isn't easily pigeonholed. Moderate.

Suruchi 14a Nicolson St tel 0131/556 6583. Popular establishment serving genuine South Indian dishes - the menu is written in bizarre but entertaining broad Scots. Look out for cross-cultural specials such as tandoori trout. Moderate.

The Tower Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street tel 0131/225 3003. Unique setting on Level 5 of the museum; at night you are escorted along the empty corridors to the restaurant, where spectacular views to the floodlit castle are revealed. Excellent Modern Scottish food in a self-consciously chic setting. Expensive.

Viva Mexico 10 Anchor Close, off Cockburn Street tel 0131/226 5145. For many years one of Edinburgh's best Mexicans, doing the staples well in a friendly, easygoing atmosphere. Moderate.

The Witchery by the Castle 352 Castlehill, Royal Mile tel 0131/225 5613. The restaurant that only Edinburgh could create, with Gothic panelling, tapestries and heavy stonework only a broomstick-hop from the castle. The superb fish and game dishes are pricey, but you can steal a sense of it all with a pre- or post-theatre set menu (Ł10). Expensive.

The New Town and The West End

:: Bistros, Cafés and Diners ::

Glass & Thompson 2 Dundas St. An unusually airy deli with huge bowls of olives and an extensive cheese counter; scattered tables and chairs mean you can linger over a made-to-order sandwich, an irresistible cake and coffee. Closed evenings. Inexpensive.

Hadrian's 2 North Bridge tel 0131/557 5000. Although it's strictly part of the upmarket Balmoral Hotel , this brasserie isn't too overpriced, and the elegance of the design and atmosphere, along with good quality Modern British cooking, make it worth seeking out. Moderate.

Howies at Waterloo 29 Waterloo Place tel 0131/556 5766. Flagship of the small local Howies chain, with a pleasant dining area on the fringe of Calton Hill and reliably well priced, comforting modern Scottish food. Moderate.

:: Restaurants ::

Café Royal Oyster Bar 17a W Register St tel 0131/556 4124. An Edinburgh classic, with its splendidly ornate Victorian interior (featured in Chariots of Fire ), stained-glass windows, marble floor and Doulton tiling. Classic seafood dishes, including freshly caught oysters, served in a civilized, chatty atmosphere. Very expensive.

Café St Honoré 34 Thistle St Lane tel 0131/226 2211. A little piece of Paris tucked away in a New Town back lane. Fairly traditional French fare, but top quality. Closed Sun. Expensive.

Caffč DOC 49a Thistle St. Modern Italian style and a genuine dedication to good food are evident here, with a dining room rather hidden behind the sleek street-front coffee bar. Moderate-expensive.

Cosmo 58a N Castle St tel 0131/226 6743. Straightforward but genuine and delicious Italian cuisine in a long-established, fairly exclusive restaurant. Closed Sun. Expensive.

Fishers in the City 58 Thistle Lane tel 0131/225 5109. New Town incarnation of Leith's best-loved seafood bistro. This one has a sleek modern interior, great service and some stunning seafood. Expensive.

Henderson's Salad Table 94 Hanover St. A much-loved Edinburgh institution with a self-service basement restaurant offering freshly prepared hot dishes, plus a great choice of salads, soups, sweets and cheeses. The slightly antiquated cafeteria feel can put people off, but the food is rarely short of outstanding. Light jazz every evening. Open Mon-Sat 8am-10.30pm. Inexpensive-moderate. Henderson's Bistro , next door at 25 Thistle St (tel 0131/225 2605) offers moderately priced bistro-style vegetarian meals, and is open during the day and Thurs-Sat evenings. Closed Mon.

Kweilin 19-21 Dundas St tel 0131/557 1875. One of the most reliable Chinese restaurants in town, serving Cantonese and Szechuan dishes in a pleasant atmosphere. Slightly more expensive than some. Moderate.

La Cuisine d'Odile 13 Randolph Crescent, West End tel 0131/225 5685. Genuine French home cooking in a West End basement under the French Institute. Lunch only (noon-2pm). Closed Sun, Mon & July. Inexpensive.

Loon Fung 2 Warriston Place, Canonmills tel 0131/556 1781. Something of a trailblazer for Cantonese cuisine in Scotland, near the eastern entrance to the Botanic Garden. Moderate.

Mussel Inn 61-65 Rose St tel 0131/225 5979. After feasting on a kilo of mussels and a basket of chips for under Ł10 you'll realize why there's a demand to get in here. Owned by two west-coast shellfish farmers, which ensures that the time from sea to stomach is minimal. Closed Sun. Moderate.

Songkran 24a Stafford St, West End tel 0131/225 7889. A simple basement restaurant with some nice authentic decor and good-value tasty Thai food, including "banquet" options. Moderate.

Tampopo 25a Thistle St tel 0131/220 5254. Tiny budget noodle bar offering filling Japanese meals from around Ł5, but engaging owner Katsuo Honjigawa will guide you through more interesting choices including sushi and bento boxes. Tues-Sat noon-2.30pm & 6-9pm. Inexpensive-moderate.

North and West of The New Town

:: Bistros, Cafés and Diners ::

Café Mediterraneo 73 Broughton St. A great little place with a deli counter and a small dining space serving Italian food in unpretentious style. Not a red-checked tablecloth to be seen. Moderate.

The Gallery Café Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Belford Road, Dean. Far more than a standard refreshment stop for gallery visitors, the cultured setting and strong menu attracts reassuring numbers of locals. Serves salads, filled croissants, light meals, coffee and cakes. Open Mon-Sat 10am-4.30pm, Sun noon-4.30pm. Moderate.

Lost Sock Diner 11 East London St, Broughton. Fill up on burgers, wraps and blackboard specials, all at surprising low prices, while your dirty clothes take a spin in the adjacent laundrette. Try the parsnip chips. Open Tues & Wed until 9pm, Thurs-Sat until 10pm. Inexpensive.

Terrace Café Royal Botanic Garden, Inverleith. Superior spot with outside tables offering stunning views of the city skyline, though the food is not that exciting. Their changing menu includes hot dishes, sandwiches and cakes. Inexpensive.

Valvona and Crolla 19 Elm Row, Leith Walk tel 0131/556 6066. The café at the back of this exquisite Italian deli serves authentic and delicious breakfasts, lunches and snacks. The best advert for the café is the walk through the shop - which has food stacked from floor to ceiling, with display cabinets full of sublime olives, meats and cheeses. Open Mon-Sat 8am-5pm. Moderate.

:: Restaurants ::

Blue Parrot Cantina 49 St Stephen's St, Stockbridge tel 0131/225 2941. Cosy Stockbridge basement restaurant, with a small, frequently changing menu which deviates from the Mexican clichés. Moderate.
Modern India 20 Union Place tel 0131/556 4547. Edinburgh's best example of the contemporary curry-house, with bright new decor and a menu daring to stray from the conventional. A little bit of Bollywood right across from the Playhouse Theatre. Moderate.

South and West of The Old Town

:: Bistros, Cafés and Diners ::

The Apartment 7-13 Barclay Place, Bruntsfield tel 0131/228 6456. Hugely popular, highly fashionable modern diner, with IKEA furniture, sisal flooring and abstract modern art on the walls. Their "Chunky, Healthy Lines" feature filling kebabs of meat, fish or vegetables. Moderate.

blue 10 Cambridge St tel 0131/221 1222. Long-standing super-stylish café/bistro in the same building as the avant-garde Traverse Theatre. Modern minimalist decor, with tasty modern dishes for under Ł10 per main course. Open Mon-Sat until 11pm. Moderate.

Favorit 30-32 Leven St, Bruntsfield. Thoroughly modern café-diner dishing up coffees, fruit shakes, cakes and big sandwiches, as well as drinks, right through to 3am.

Ndebele 57 Home St. Colourful African café offering sandwiches with lots of alternative fillings, imaginative salads and biltong for homesick South Africans. Open daily until 10pm. Inexpensive.

:: Restaurants ::

The Atrium 10 Cambridge St tel 0131/228 8882. Proving resilient in its position among the most impressive restaurants in the city. Quirky arty design with railway-sleeper tables and innovative nouvelle cuisine focusing on high-quality Scottish produce. Closed Sunday. Very expensive.

Jasmine 32 Grindlay St tel 0131/229 5757. Modern looking, good-value Cantonese restaurant, with a strong line in fresh fish. Across the street from the Lyceum and the Usher Hall. Moderate.

Kalpna 2 St Patrick Square, Newington tel 0131/667 9890. Outstanding vegetarian restaurant serving authentic Gujarati dishes. Four set meals, including a vegan option, stand alongside the main menu. Closed Sun. Moderate.

The Marque 19-21 Causewayside, Newington tel 0131/466 6660. One of the best exponents of classy-but-casual dining in Edinburgh, with Modern Scottish recipes and some top-value pre- and post-theatre deals. Closed Mon. Moderate-expensive.

Marque Central 30b Grindlay St tel 0131/229 9859. Sister restaurant to the original Southside venture, moving into the theatreland patch with its great value pre- and post-theatre deals. At any time a place for imaginative modern Scottish food. Closed Sun. Moderate-expensive.

Point Hotel 34 Bread St tel 0131/221 5555. A classy feel with modern decor, white linen tablecloths and smartly dressed waiters, and well-presented food based on fresh local fish and meat. One of the best-value deals in town: a three-course set menu is just Ł12.90. Moderate.

Susie's Diner 51 W Nicolson St, Newington. Popular café serving inventive soups, savouries and puddings, and a range of vegan food, to crowds of students. Inexpensive.

Leith and Newhaven

:: Bistros, Cafés and Diners ::

Daniel's , 88 Commercial St tel 0131/553 5933. Top-grade bistro in an attractive setting on the ground floor of a converted warehouse in Leith. Food is from the Alsace region of France; the tarte flambée , one of the specialist dishes, is a sort of pizza with a French name and German ingredients. Moderate.

Malmaison Café Bar 1 Tower Place tel 0131/468 5001. Successful attempt to create the feel of a French café, serving excellent steak and chips as well as indulgent breakfasts and brunches. Moderate.

:: Restaurants ::

Britannia Spice 150 Commercial St tel 0131/555 2255. The decor's nautical, the food is prepared by specialist chefs from the sub-continent and the awards for this relatively new but ambitious Indian restaurant have been piling up. Moderate

Restaurant Martin Wishart 52 The Shore tel 0131/553 3557. Edinburgh's only Michelin-star holder wows the gourmets with French-influenced Scottish food right by the Water of Leith. The food's incredible but the ambience is rather stark. Closed Sun & Mon. Expensive.

Ship on the Shore 24-26 The Shore tel 0131/555 0409. The homeliest and least expensive of the waterfront brasseries, serving good fresh fish and with a changing range of cask ales. Moderate.

Skippers Bistro 1a Dock Place tel 0131/554 1018. More relaxed than it looks from the outside, with a vaguely nautical atmosphere and a superb fish-oriented menu that changes according to what's fresh. Worth booking ahead. Expensive.

The Shore 3 The Shore tel 0131/553 5080. A bar/restaurant with huge mirrors, wood panelling and aproned waiters who serve up good fish dishes and decent wines. Live jazz, folk and hubbub floats through from the adjoining bar. Moderate.

The Vintner's Rooms 87 Giles St tel 0131/554 6767. Splendid restaurant in a seventeenth-century warehouse; the ornate Rococo dining room is a marvel and the food - ranging from seafood to game - isn't bad either. Very expensive.

Waterfront Wine Bar 1c Dock Place tel 0131/554 7427. Housed in the former lock-keeper's cottage, you can eat in the wonderfully characterful wine bar (smoking) or non-smoking conservatory attached. Fish dishes dominate. Moderate.

- - - Nightlife and Entertainment - - -

Inevitably, Edinburgh's nightlife is at its best during the Festival, which can make the other 49 weeks of the year seem like an anticlimax. However, at any time the city has plenty to offer, especially in the realm of theatre and music .

The club scene is lively, with some excellent venues hosting a changing selection of one-nighters. In the bigger venues, you may find different clubs taking place on each floor. Most of the city-centre clubs stay open until around 3am. You can normally hear live jazz, folk and rock every evening in one or other of the city's pubs. The city has permanent venues large enough to host large touring orchestras and ballet companies; elsewhere you can also uncover a lively comedy club and a couple of excellent art-house cinemas.

Edinburgh has a dynamic gay culture, for years centred round the top of Leith Walk and Broughton Street, where the first gay and lesbian centre appeared in the 1970s. Since the start of the 1990s, more and more gay enterprises, especially cafés and nightclubs, have moved into this area, now dubbed the "Pink Triangle".

The best way to find out what's on is to pick up a copy of The List , a fortnightly listings magazine covering both Edinburgh and Glasgow (Ł1.95). Alternatively, get hold of the Edinburgh Evening News , which appears daily except Sunday: its listings column gives details of performances in the city that day, hotels and bars included.

Pubs and Bars

Many of Edinburgh's pubs , especially in the Old Town, have histories that stretch back centuries, while others, particularly in the New Town, are unaltered Victorian or Edwardian period pieces. Add a plentiful supply of trendy modern bars , and there's a variety of styles and atmospheres to cater for all tastes.

Edinburgh has a long history of brewing beer, though only two principal breweries remain: the giant Scottish & Newcastle (who produce McEwan's and Younger's) and the small independent Caledonian Brewery, which uses old techniques and equipment to produce some of the best beers in Britain. Once upon a time Edinburgh's main drinking strip was the near-legendary Rose Street , and the ultimate Edinburgh pub crawl was to drink a half-pint in each of its dozen or so establishments. Things are a bit more sophisticated these days, with George Street taking a lead: various former financial institutions have been converted into bars, with a predictable invasion of suits by day and style by night. While many of the Royal Mile 's pubs aren't ashamed to make the most of local historical connections to draw in the tourists, you don't have to travel far to find some lively places, notably the student-filled pubs in and around the Grassmarket . Leith has a range of bars, from rough spit-and-sawdust places to polished pseudo-Victoriana, while we've also listed a number of characterful places further away from the centre.

Clubs

The Bongo Club 14 New St tel 0131/556 5204. Great venue above a car park near Waverley Station, attracting some of the most interesting DJs around. Look out for the mighty Messenger Sound System monthly on Saturdays and Club Latino monthly on Fridays.

The Cavendish West Tollcross tel 0131/228 3252. Slightly dingy but still a packed venue for roots, ragga and reggae night on Friday; the Mambo Club on Saturday plays African and Latin rhythms.

Ego 14 Picardy Place tel 0131/478 7434. A former casino, this big venue hosts Joy , one of the city's longest running nights, which plays house and trance to a gay and mixed crowd monthly on Saturdays. The smaller Cocteau Lounge downstairs is another popular venue.

La Belle Angčle 11 Hasties Close tel 0131/225 7536. A rotating selection of Latin, soul, hip-hop and jazz. Look out for the infamous Radio Babylon nights on Fridays, while house rules on Saturdays. Occasionally hosts important touring bands.

Gay Clubs and Bars

Blue Moon Café 1 Barony St tel 0131/556 2788. Coffee, drinks and light meals available at this long-standing friendly café-bar which attracts a mixed crowd. Mon-Fri 11am-10pm, Sat & Sun 9.30am-10pm.

CC Bloom's 23 Greenside Place tel 0131/556 9331. Big dance floor, stonking rhythms and a young, friendly crowd.

Nexus Café 60 Broughton St tel 0131/478 7069. Light meals, snacks and drinks in a relaxed atmosphere at the Edinburgh Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Centre. Open 11am-11pm.

Hogmanay

Hogmanay is the name Scots give to New Year's Eve , a celebration they have made all their own with a unique mix of tradition, hedonism, sentimentality and enthusiasm. The roots of the Hogmanay are in ancient pagan festivities based around the winter solstice, which in most places gradually merged with Christmas. When hardline Scottish Protestant clerics in the sixteenth century abolished Christmas for being a Catholic mass, the Scots, not wanting to miss out on a mid-winter knees-up, instead put their energy into greeting the New Year.

Houses were cleaned from top to bottom, debts were paid and quarrels made up, and, after the bells of midnight were rung, great store was laid by welcoming good luck into your house. This still takes the form of the tradition of "first-footing" - visiting your neighbours and bearing gifts. The ideal first-foot is a tall dark-haired male carrying a bottle of whisky; women or redheads, on the other hand, bring bad luck ? though to be honest no one carrying a bottle of whisky tends to be turned away these days, whatever the colour of their hair. All this neighbourly greeting meant that a fair bit of partying went on, of course, and after a while no one was expected to go to work the next day, or, if the party was that good, the day after that either. Even today, January 1 is a public holiday in the rest of the UK, but only in Scotland does the holiday extend to the next day too. In fact, right up to the 1950s Christmas was a normal working day for many people in Scotland, and Hogmanay was widely regarded as by far the more important celebration.

Over the years, Hogmanay street parties in the middle of towns and cities became popular, often centred around a prominent clockface which would ring out "the bells" at midnight. These days, the largest New Year's Eve street party in Europe takes place in Edinburgh, with around 100,000 people on the streets of the city enjoying the culmination of a week-long series of events. On the night itself, stages are set up in different parts of the city centre, with big name rock groups and local ceilidh bands playing to the increasingly inebriated masses. The high point of the evening is, of course, midnight, when hundreds of tons of fireworks are let off into the night sky above the castle, and Edinburgh joins the rest of the world singing "Auld Lang Syne" , an old Scottish tune with lyrics by Robert Burns, Scotland's national poet.

For more details about Hogmanay in Edinburgh, and how to get hold of tickets for the street party, go to .

Live Music Pubs and Venues

Henry's Jazz Bar 8 Morrison St, off Lothian Road tel 0131/221 1288. Edinburgh's premier jazz and hip-hop venue, with live music every night and regular top performers.

The Liquid Room 9c Victoria St tel 0131/225 2528. Good-sized venue frequented by visiting indie and local R&B bands.

Sandy Bell's 25 Forrest Rd tel 0131/225 2751. A friendly bar and a good bet for folk music most nights of the week.

Whistlebinkies 4-6 South Bridge tel 0131/557 5114. One of the most reliable places to find live music every night of the week - often it's rock and pop covers, though there are some folk evenings. Daily until 3am.

The Venue 15 Calton Rd tel 0131/557 3073. Small, intimate sweaty club hosting up-and-coming indie bands.

Theatre and Comedy

Festival Theatre Nicolson Street tel 0131/529 6000. The largest stage in Britain, principally used for Scottish Opera's appearances in the capital and other major orchestral performances, but also for everything from the children's show Singing Kettle to Engelbert Humperdinck.

King's Theatre 2 Leven St tel 0131/228 5955. Stately Edwardian civic theatre that majors in pantomime, touring West End plays and the occasional major drama or opera performance.

Netherbow Arts Centre 43 High St tel 0131/556 9579. Small auditorium used heavily through the Festival but with an adventurous year-round programme concentrating on children's theatre and storytelling events.

Playhouse Theatre 18-22 Greenside Place tel 0131/557 2692. The most capacious theatre in Britain, formerly a cinema. Recently refurbished, and used largely for extended runs of popular musicals and occasional rock concerts.

Royal Lyceum Theatre 30 Grindlay St tel 0131/248 4848. Fine Victorian civic theatre with a compact auditorium. The leading year-round venue for mainstream drama.

The Stand Comedy Club 5 York Place tel 0131/558 7272. The city's top comedy spot, with a different act on every night and some of the UK's top comics headlining at the weekends. The bar is worth a visit in itself.

Theatre Workshop 34 Hamilton Place tel 0131/226 5425. Enticing programmes of international innovative theatre and performance art all year round.

Traverse Theatre, 10 Cambridge St tel 0131/228 1404. Unquestionably one of Britain's premier venues for new plays and avant-garde drama from around the world. Going from strength to strength in its new custom-built home beside the Usher Hall, with a great bar downstairs and the popular blue café-bar upstairs.

Concert Halls

Queen's Hall 89 Clerk St tel 0131/668 2019. Converted Georgian church with a capacity of around eight hundred, though many seats have little or no view of the platform. Home base of both the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Scottish Ensemble, and much favoured by jazz, blues and folk groups. Also hosts established comedians.

Usher Hall Corner of Lothian Road and Grindlay Street tel 0131/228 1155. Edinburgh's main civic concert hall, seating over 2500. Excellent for choral and symphony concerts, but less suitable for solo vocalists. The upper circle seats are cheapest and have the best acoustics; avoid the back of the grand tier and the stalls, where the sound is muffled by the overhanging balconies.

Cinemas

Cameo 38 Home St, Tollcross tel 0131/228 2800; bookings tel 0131/228 4141. A treasure of an arthouse cinema; screens more challenging mainstream releases and cult late-nighters. Tarantino's been here and thinks it's great.

Filmhouse 88 Lothian Rd tel 0131/228 2688. Three screens showing an eclectic programme of independent, arthouse and classic films. Their café is a hangout for the city's dedicated film-buffs.

Odeon 7 Clerk St tel 0131/667 0971; information and bookings tel 0870/505 0007. Five-screen cinema showing the latest releases.

UGC Fountainpark, Dundee St, Fountainbridge tel 0870/902 0417. Big, reasonably central multiplex. Buses #1, #28, #34 & #35.

The Edinburgh Festival

The world's largest celebration of the arts, the Edinburgh Festival is a massive explosion of cultural and artistic expression, with every available performance space in August - from the grandest concert halls to pub courtyards - helping play host to a packed programme of drama, comedy, performance, music and film. All over the city the streets fill with buskers, craft stalls, tourists, celebrities, performers, media types and festival-goers; posters plaster every vertical space and the centre of town takes on a slightly surreal, vital atmosphere. The Edinburgh Festival is actually an umbrella term which encompasses different festivals taking place at around the same time. The principal events are the International Festival and the much larger Festival Fringe , but there the are also film, book , and jazz and blues festivals, the Military Tattoo and the Edinburgh Mela.

August is when most things happen. The jazz and blues festival occupies the first week of August; the Fringe and the Tattoo run for the next three weeks, culminating on the last weekend of the month; the International Festival runs over the last two weeks of August and the first week of September; the film and book festivals occupy the last two weeks of August; and the Mela is held on the first weekend in September.

The sheer volume of the Festival's output can be bewildering: it can be a struggle to find accommodation, get hold of the tickets, book a table in a restaurant or simply get from one side of town to another; you can end up seeing something truly dire, or something mind-blowing, and most people inevitably try to do too much. The unpredictable nature of the event is one of its greatest charms, so be prepared for - and enjoy - the unexpected. For year-round up-to-the-minute information, check out.

In addition to each festival's own programme, various publications give full information about what's on day by day. Every day the Fringe Office publishes The Guide , giving a chronological listing of virtually every Fringe show scheduled for that day. It's available free from the Office and hundreds of other spots around Edinburgh. Of the local newspapers, the best coverage is in The Scotsman , which issues an excellent daily Festival supplement; their reviews and star-rating system carry a lot of weight. The List , a locally produced arts and entertainment guide, comes out weekly during the Festival and manages to combine comprehensive coverage with a reliably on-the-pulse sense of what's hot and what's not.

Edinburgh's Other Festivals

Quite apart from August's main Edinburgh Festival, the city is now promoting itself as a year-round festival venue, with number of different events well established. The climax of various Christmas events is Edinburgh's Hogmanay , one of the world's largest New Year street parties, involving torchlight processions, folk and rock concerts and fireworks galore. The Science Festival in April incorporates hands-on children's events as well as numerous lectures on a vast array of subjects. There is a Puppet and Animation Festival in March, and a Children's Festival in late May, with readings, magicians and specialist children's drama. The Caledonian Brewery, 42 Slateford Rd, runs its own German-style beer festival in early June. Check out for links to the official sites of all Edinburgh's main festivals.

- - - Information - - -

Edinburgh's main tourist office is on top of Princes Mall near the northern entrance to the station (July & Aug Mon-Sat 9am-8pm, Sun 10am-8pm; May, June & Sept 9am-7pm, Sun 10am-7pm; April & Oct Mon-Sat 9am-6pm, Sun 10am-6pm; Nov-March Mon-Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 10am-4pm; tel 0131/473 3800, ). The much smaller airport branch is in the main concourse, directly opposite Gate 5 (daily: April-Oct 6.30am-10.30pm; Nov-March 7.30am-9.30pm). For backpacker-related information head to the Haggis Office at 60 High St (daily 9am-6pm; tel 0131/557 9393, ). Although their main function is to run minibus tours of Scotland, they're a good source of general information about the backpacker scene around Scotland and you can book hostels and intercity coaches from here, as well as change money. For up-to-date maps of the city head for one of the major book stores: Waterstone's, 13-14 Princes St, is the nearest to Waverley Station.

- - - Best Of - - -

Museum of Scotland
The ivory Lewis chessmen are part of this superb collection of artefacts.

Edinburgh Castle
Perched on an imposing volcanic crag, the castle still dominates Scotland's capital.

The Old Town
The evocative heart of the historic city, with its tenements, courtyards, ghosts and catacombs.

Holyrood Park
Wild moors, rocky crags and the 800-ft Arthur's Seat all slap in the middle of the city.

Café Royal Circle Bar
There are few finer pubs in which to sample a pint of local "80 shilling" beer.

Edinburgh Festival
The world's biggest arts festival - bewildering, inspiring, exhausting and endlessly entertaining.

Leith
Take your pick from the fine seafood bistros on the cobbled waterfront of Edinburgh's historic port.

- - - Travel Details - - -

Trains

Edinburgh Waverley to: Aberdeen (hourly; 2hr 40min); Birmingham (6 daily; 5hr 30min); Dunbar (hourly; 30 min); Dundee (hourly; 1hr 45min); Falkirk (every 30min; 25min); Fort William (change at Glasgow; 3 daily; 4hr 55min); Glasgow (2-4 hourly; 50min); Inverness (4 daily; 3hr 50min); London (20 daily; 4hr 30min); Manchester (direct: 4 daily; 4hr; change at Preston: 7 daily; 4hr); Newcastle-upon-Tyne (27 daily; 1hr 30min); North Berwick (hourly; 30 min); Oban (change at Glasgow; 3 daily; 4hr 10min); Perth (6 daily; 1hr 15min); Stirling (every 30min; 45min); York (24 daily; 2hr 30min).

Buses

Edinburgh (St Andrew Square) to: Aberdeen (22 daily; express 3hr, standard 3hr 50min); Birmingham (2 daily; 6hr 50min); Dundee (22 daily; express 1hr 25min-2hr); Fort William (4 daily; 4hr); Glasgow (every 30min; 1hr 10min); Inverness (13 daily; 3-4hr); London (6 daily; 7hr 50min); Newcastle-upon-Tyne (3 daily; 3hr 15min); Oban (3 daily; 5hr); Perth (21 daily; 1hr 20min); York (1 daily; 5hr).

Flights

Edinburgh to: Dublin (Mon-Fri 5 daily, Sat & Sun 4 daily; 1hr); Kirkwall (Mon-Sat 1 daily; 1hr 20min); Lerwick (1 daily; 1hr 30min); London City (Mon-Fri 16 daily, 1 on Sat, 6 on Sun; 1hr 15min); London Gatwick (Mon-Fri 6 daily, Sat & Sun 4 daily; 1hr 15min); London Heathrow (Mon-Fri 20 daily, Sat & Sun 15 daily; 1hr); London Luton (Mon-Fri 6 daily, Sat & Sun 4 daily; 1hr 20min); London Stansted (Mon-Fri 8 daily, Sat & Sun 4-6 daily; 1hr 10min); Stornoway (Mon-Fri 1 daily; 1hr 10min).

- - - Shopping - - -

Despite the relentless advance of the big chains, it's still possible to track down some characterful and unusual shops in central Edinburgh. Princes Street , one of Britain's most famous shopping streets, is all but dominated by standard chain outlets, though no serious shopper should miss out on a visit to Edinburgh's venerable department store, Jenners, at no. 48 opposite the Scott Monument. More fashionable upmarket shops and boutiques are to be found on parallel George Street , while for more original outlets, head for Cockburn Street , a hub for trendy clothes and record shops. On Victoria Street and in and around the Grassmarket you'll find an eclectic range of antique and arts and crafts shops plus some antiquarian booksellers.

Books Long-standing Edinburgh bookseller James Thin has large shops at 53-59 South Bridge and 57 George St. Waterstone's is, at present, the only major chain in Edinburgh, with branches at 128 Princes St, 13-14 Princes St and 83 George St. There's a good selection of antiquarian and second-hand bookshops: Peter Bell, 68 West Port; Castle Books, 20 Rankeillor St; West Port Books, 147 West Port; and McNaughtan's Bookshop 3a-4a Haddington Place, Leith Walk.

Haggis Charles MacSween & Son, Dryden Road, Bilston Glen, Loanhead (tel 0131/440 2555), has an international reputation, and also makes a tasty vegetarian version; buy it from the factory or various outlets around Edinburgh, such as the Food Hall in Jenners, 48 Princes St, or Peckhams, 155-159 Bruntsfield Place.

Music Check out Avalanche, 17 West Nicolson St, 28 Lady Lawson St and 63 Cockburn St for indie music; Coda, 12 Bank St, for contemporary Scottish folk and roots music; and Vinyl Villains, 5 Elm Row, for second-hand records, tapes and ephemera.

Tartan Kinloch Anderson, on the corner of Commercial and Dock streets, Leith, has a large showroom; Geoffrey Tailor, 57-59 High St, is one of the largest and most respected retailers on the Royal Mile - they also have a shop in the Edinburgh Old Town Weaving Co by the Castle Esplanade, where "live" weaving takes place.

Whisky Royal Mile Whiskies, 379-381 High St; William Cadenhead, 172 Canongate.

Woollen goods Bill Baber Knitwear, 66 Grassmarket, has garments designed and made on the premises; Ragamuffin, 2a St Mary's St, features Skye knitwear.

- - - Listings - - -

Banks
Bank of Scotland, The Mound (head office), 38 St Andrew Sq;
Barclays, 1 St Andrew Sq;
Clydesdale, 20 Hanover St;
HSBC, 76 Hanover St;
Lloyds TSB, 120 George St;
NatWest, 80 George St;
Royal Bank of Scotland, 42 St Andrew Sq.

Bike rental
Biketrax, 11 Lochrin Place tel 0131/228 6633;
Edinburgh Cycle Hire, 29 Blackfriars St tel 0131/556 5560.

Car rental
Arnold Clark, Lochrin Place tel 0131/229 8911;
Avis, 100 Dalry Rd tel 0131/337 6363;
Budget, 394 Ferry Rd tel 0800/181181;
Easy Rent-a-Car tel 0906/586 0586;
Europcar, 24 E London St tel 0131/557 3456;
Hertz, Waverley Station tel 0131/557 5272;
Mitchells, 32 Torphichen St tel 0131/229 5384;
Thrifty Car Rental, 42 Haymarket Terrace tel 0131/337 1319.

Consulates
Australia, 69 George St tel 0131/624 3333;
Canada, 30 Lothian Rd tel 0131/220 4333;
Germany, 16 Eglington Crescent tel 0131/337 2323;
Netherlands, 53 George St tel 0131/220 3226;
USA, 3 Regent Terrace tel 0131/556 8315.

Dentist The National Health Service Line (tel 0800/224488) will tell you where the nearest surgery is. For emergencies go to Edinburgh Dental Institute, Lauriston Place (tel 0131/536 4920).

Exchange Post offices will exchange currency commission-free. There are currency exchange bureaus in the main tourist office (Mon-Wed 9am-5pm, Thurs-Sat 9am-6pm, Sun 10am-5pm) and beside platform 1 at Waverley Station (July & Aug Mon-Sat 7am-10pm, Sun 8am-10pm; rest of year Mon-Sat 7.30am-9pm, Sun 8.30am-9pm).

Hospital Royal Infirmary, 1 Lauriston Place (tel 0131/536 1000), has a 24hr A&E department, although note that it is moving in stages to a new location to the southeast of the centre. Also at the Western Infirmary, Crewe Road North.

Internet access
The Cottage, 136 Nicolson St (daily 24hr; tel 0131/531 1881);
easyEverything, 58 Rose St (daily 24hr; tel 0131/220 3580);
Web 13, 13 Bread St (Mon-Fri 9am-5.30pm, Thurs until 7pm, Sat 9am-6pm, Sun 11am-5pm; tel 0131/229 8883).

Laundry
Capital Launderette, 208 Dalkeith Rd, Newington tel 0131/667 0825;
Sundial Launderette, 7-9 East London St, Broughton tel 0131/556 2743;
Tarvit Launderette, 7-9 Tarvit St, Tollcross tel 0131/229 6382.

Left luggage Lockers at Waverley Station and St Andrew Square bus station.

Libraries Central Library, George IV Bridge. The National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge, is for research purposes only.

Lost property
Edinburgh Airport tel 0131/333 1000;
Edinburgh Police HQ tel 0131/311 3141;
Lothian Regional Transport tel 0131/554 4494;
Scotrail tel 0141/335 3276.

Pharmacy Boots, 48 Shandwick Place (Mon-Fri 8am-9pm, Sat 8am-7pm, Sun 10am-5pm; tel 0131/225 6757).

Police In an emergency call 999. Otherwise contact Lothian and Borders Police HQ, Fettes Avenue tel 0131/311 3131.

Post office 8-10 St James Centre (Mon 9am-5.30pm, Tues-Fri 8.30am-5.30pm, Sat 8.30am-6pm; tel 0845/722 3344).

Rape crisis centre tel 0131/556 9437.

Taxis Airport Taxis tel 0131/344 3344; Central Radio Taxis tel 0131/229 2468; City Cabs tel 0131/228 1211.

The above information are taken from Rough Guides

Explore Edinburgh

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