Edinburgh-based grunge rockers Art of Privilege unleash four minutes of piledriving rock with new single The Crawler, a no-nonsense, no-apologies blast along the metal motorway at a million times over the speed limit.

The single has a raw and relentless feel which suits its theme of nights in sleazy bars with easy women. Drums and bass keep the engine running behind some blistering and accomplished guitar licks which rev things up nicely between choruses which kick like double JDs on the rocks.

The Crawler shows Art of Privilege are a band who’ve studied hard at the School of Rock – but manage to make things sound effortless as they speed past with a track which makes you want to hit repeat as soon as it’s over.

The Crawler is out now on iTunes

Edinburgh’s secret supper clubs and more

There is such a wide variety of supper clubs in Edinburgh now – eating in at someone’s home certainly seems to be the new ‘eating out’. We’re determined to dine at all the choices in Edinburgh (and no doubt expand our waistline in the process).

In our experience, the quality of the food served at these secret suppers is pretty impressive.  The price for a three-course meal per person is around £25 and with a BYOB policy, it’s a reasonably priced night out. Strangers across the table become friends by the end of the night and if like us, you dine at a few of them, you bump into people you’ve met at different clubs.

Dates vary, with most evenings being held at the weekend, but some are hosted on school nights. Spaces tend to go fast for all of Edinburgh’s supper clubs, so don’t delay in reserving your spot at the table you want. Some hosts ask you to book tickets in advance (leaving a small ‘donation’ to pay on the night) and some require full payment.

Charlie and Evelyn's Table (pic courtesy of C Rowley)

Here are the links to all supper clubs hosting in Edinburgh at the moment and those that are coming soon.

Charlie and Evelyn’s Table – Established in 2009, Rachel and Chris Rowley were the first to host a secret supper in Edinburgh. They’ve been on a maternity break, but are releasing new dates very soon. Get on their mailing list at chrisandrachelrowley (@) gmail.com to be first to hear of Spring 2012′s dates. The supper club are on twitter and on facebook. A suggested donation of £25 is taken on the night via an envelope. Our most recent review of Charlie and Evelyn’s table can be found here.

Kitchen Porter - Professional chef Mark Porter and his wife Mary can seat up to 20 diners at one event. Dates spread out throughout the year, but you must email kitchenports@yahoo.co.uk to be placed on their mailing list and notified of new dates. Mark and Mary are on twitter. The cost is £27 per person and payment is in advance via bank transfer. Read our review here.

My Home Supper – Run by Aoife Behan, this popular club often sells out months in advance. My home supper has been known to have different themes to their evenings, including Edinburgh Fringe entertainment and a contestant from Masterchef as a guest chef. There are dates announced throughout the year. We have dined here and can confirm that the food is good and the  hospitality warm. You can find the club on twitter and on facebook. A deposit for a ticket to be bought in advance and an additional ‘donation’ on the night takes the cost to £25.

Image courtesy of My Home Supper

Crescent Dining – We dined here last summer and loved the hospitality of the host Lesley (the mum) and the food from her son Calum. At the time of writing this article, they are about to announce their next supper date for March 2012. Tickets to be bought in advance (£15 up front and £10 suggested donation on the evening). Crescent Dining are on twitter and on facebook.

Inside out chef –  Run by Wendy Patterson, the ‘inside out chef’ has several dates planned for 2012 serving up her ‘bespoke cuisine with bite’. Wendy also offers food hampers and afternoon teas (in your home). You can find Inside out chef on on twitter and on facebook.

Table for ten – Set up and hosted by four friends, Table for Ten is based in Edinburgh’s Southside. Dates every 6-8 weeks. Join their mailing list at tableforten (@) btinternet.com. You can also find them on twitter and on facebook

Chai Lounge – Established in the Autumn of 2011, Edinburgh’s first Indian supper club is run by Meena Manchoo-Bhana, who serves up home style Indian cooking in her home.  Regular dates for 2012.  Also on twitter and on facebook. The cost is £25 and tickets are to be purchased in advance.

Queen of Tarts – Edinburgh’s first pop-up afternoon tea. Host Angela Dolan welcomes people to her ‘parlour’ in Leith for afternoon tea. Angela has 14 planned dates for 2012. You can find Queen of Tarts on twitter and on facebook. A ticket deposit of £5 is required in advance and a suggested donation of an additional £20 on the day.

New for 2012

The Seaside Social – We’re looking forward to heading to Portobello to experience this new supper club. Their first event is in March 2012. Cost is unknown at this time. Runs quarterly and they are on twitter and facebook.

Burgher Burger – A new concept in pop-dining that revolves around a burger being the main event of a three-course meal. Every month, a different professional chef  takes over a greasy spoon cafe and cooks the menu of their choice. Read our article on Burgher Burger here. The cost is £30 and tickets must be bought in advance. Burgher Burger are on facebook and you can follow the burger news on twitter. These events are hosted by Aoife Behan from My Home Supper.

Tealicious Edinburgh – An exciting new pop-up afternoon tea in Leith. Expect vintage crockery and a menu full of savoury and sweet delights. Cost unknown at the time of writing. You can find Tealicious on twitter and on facebook.

Ross Baxter Patissier – Professional patissier Ross Baxter is offering bespoke afternoon teas in your home and one to one pastry classes.  You can find Ross on facebook (and drool at the pictures) and also on twitter. Full interview with Ross coming soon.

Further Information

Edinburgh food writer Hilary Sturzaker over at Mymonkfish.com wrote a comprehensive guide to Edinburgh’s supper clubs after trying most of them out! We’ll be reviewing as many of the new supper clubs as we can in due course.

Keep an eye on our dedicated supper club and pop-up dining section.

Food at Kitchen Porter's

An evening of infectious world rhythms and blistering guitar lies in store at The Voodoo Rooms on Tue 7th Feb when Vieux Farka Touré visits town.

Often referred to as ‘the Hendrix of the Sahara’, Mali-born Vieux is renowned for his dexterity and skill with a guitar. With his charisma and positive attitude, he fuses rock, Latin and African influences to great effect in his music, which caught the attention of FIFA when they asked him to play at the opening concert for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

With his skillful guitar-playing and charismatic smile, Vieux has established himself as a world talent, and Tuesday’s gig at the Voodoo Rooms provides a rare chance to experience his talents first hand.

Samba Sene

Songs from Senegal and music from Mali combine in a gig which looks set to provide an enjoyable and uplifting evening, bringing a little bit of African heat and rhythm to a (no doubt) chilly February evening in Edinburgh.

Vieux Farka Touré and Samba Sene are at The Voodoo Rooms in West Register Street from 7pm on Tue 7th Feb. Tickets are available here.

Creation & Play gives the chance for three leading Scottish puppeteers to be paired with a trio of theatre directors: and given free reign to create whatever form of visual theatre they wished. With the emphasis very much on the ‘play’ aspect, the pieces give an opportunity for their creators to experiment in a low-risk environment, allowing them to flex their creative muscles in a sandbox environment – quite literally in the case of one of the performances.

Pac A Mac by Shona Reppe and the Lyceum’s Mark Thomson is the most avant-garde of the slices of playfulness on offer, with a surreal mood-piece featuring Reppe as a bewildered balloon modeller haunted by a disembodied voice in a cardboard box. Like a lost scene from Eraserhead, Reppe danced amidst the balloon animals, trying in vain to ignore the sense of foreboding and claustrophobia which closes in around her.

A visually interesting piece with Reppe’s performance emphasising the sense of the absurd, the theme is a little too sleight to make it anything other than a diverting performance as fragile as one of the balloon figures she pops beneath her shoes.

Easter Island: It’s A Rapanui by Ailie Cohen and Communicado Artistic Director Gerry Mulgrew is at the other extreme of the spectrum, being a humourous spoof scientific presentation about the mysteries of the giant stone heads on the tiny island. Cohen and fellow Puppet State Theatre Company collaborator Rick Conte have fun mugging their way through proceedings, aided and abetted by some effective shadow and small-figure puppetry.

It’s a likeable and light-hearted sketch: though whether it develops into something larger and more long-lasting remains to be seen.

A showing of Anna Ginsburg’s stop-motion animation video to Bombay Bicycle Club’s How Can You Swallow So Much Sleep? follows: a delightful and appropriately dream-like film with echoes of Le Petit Prince, well suited to the band’s indie folk style.

Grit by Tortoise In A Nutshell and Citizen Theatre’s Dominic Hill is the most traditional of the performances this evening, as the puppeteers bring a small, vulnerable male figure to life on a sand-strewn table.

His short journey is a rite of passage from innocent wonder to the misplaced bravado and futility of conflict, and Tortoise’s puppeteers succeed in portraying the tale with pathos and emotion, particularly in the poignant opening and closing scenes which frame the piece.

Creation & Play is an encapsulation of everything the manipulate Festival sets out to achieve: bold experimentation in an environment where freedom of expression can flourish. And whilst the pieces on show tonight are variable, they are united by those common goals, showing what creativity and playfulness can produce when given space to breathe.

Creation & Play – part of manipulate’s Snapshots – played at The Traverse Theatre on Feb 3 2012

Pic courtesy of Scottish Hampers

Win a hamper from Scottish Hampers

We love our food at Edinburgh Spotlight and are pleased to be able to offer our readers a chance to win a hamper full of food worth £45 from Scottish Hampers who pride themselves on their extensive range of modern Scottish Hampers. Each one is packed full of luxury food and drink sourced from the very best suppliers all over the Scottish Highlands and Islands.

The hamper up for grabs is the Munro hamper and contains:

1 x Thomsons Scottish Full Roast Coffee ( 250g )
1 x Luscombe Organic Sicilian Lemonade ( 750ml )
1 x Bloc Mint Creams Gift Box ( 160g )
1 x Island Bakery Organics Shortbread ( 150g )
1 x Nevis Bakery Madeira Cake ( 360g )
1 x Thomsons Scottish Vanilla Macaroon ( 150g )
1 x Claire Macdonald Strawberry Jam ( 227g )

We also love the look of the Wee Bairn and the Thistle hampers. So many different options, all of which look delicious.

Competition

To be in with a chance of winning a ‘Munro’ hamper, all you have to do is answer this easy question:

Scottish Hampers was developed from a Scottish food business in what year?

Hint – you might want to look on the website on the info/about us page on their website.

Email your answer to competitions@edinburghspotlight.com by 12noon on  Friday 17th February 2012. The winner will be picked at random and notified by email by shortly after the closing time. Facebook and twitter entries will not be accepted.

All decisions are final.

You can like Scottish Hampers on facebook and follow them on twitter @ScottishHampers

Some photos of Edinburgh city centre as the sun was setting this afternoon. We were just wandering around the shops and detoured through Princes Street Gardens to appreciate the city we live in .

Melville Monument St Andrew Square

The Balmoral Clock and the rising moon

The Mound

Edinburgh Castle in shadow

Scott Monument

Sunset through the trees

Image courtesy of Burgher Burger

Burgher Burgher – taking Edinburgh’s dining scene by storm

Pop-up dining and secret suppers are not new to the Edinburgh food scene, but Burgher Burger is certainly something different.

Organised by Aoife Behan, who also runs Edinburgh’s popular secret supper club My Home Supper has put together this exciting new dining concept with a different location and different chef each month cooking up a three-course meal.

Such were the whispers around town about chef Neil Forbes rustling up his menu in one of Edinburgh’s best greasy spoons cafes, Now Rest - the tickets for the inaugural event sold out in under 8 minutes.

Ticket demand for March’s event caused the website to crash and sold out within 4 minutes. The appeal of a burger night with chef Tony Singh at the helm at Punjab’n De Rasoi obviously proved to be popular with Edinburghers.

The three-course Burgher Burger meals will use meat from Hugh Grierson Organic and four carefully paired beers supplied by Innis and Gunn, which are included in the price of £30 per head (plus £2.70 booking fee).

The only way to get a seat at the table for a future Burgher Burger event is to be on the mailing list and have your computer at the ready when April’s tickets go on sale.

We’ve been lucky enough to bag a seat at the first event so will bring you our verdict on this new pop-up dining experience once we’ve munched our way through the first menu.

Information

Visit the Burgher Burger wesbite for more information.

You can also like Burgher Burger on facebook and follow the burger news on twitter.

Join the mailing list.

Edinburgh Castle turns pink during previous Moonwalk

Moonwalk 2012

The 7th Edinburgh Moonwalk takes place on Saturday 9th June 2012 and will be another special night where 10,00 women and men will come together to raise money that stays in Scotland.

You can enter online here or pick up an application from these Edinburgh shops.

In the last few years, the Scottish Moonwalks have raised over £10 million for breast cancer causes in Scotland.  Why not take part yourself in 2012?  If you are not able to do the full 26 mile walk, there is the 13 mile option or you can volunteer.

Edinburgh Spotlight fully supports the Edinburgh 2012 Moonwalk and will be volunteering again and supporting many of our friends who will be taking part in this excellent event.

Walk the Walk are on facebook and twitter.

Read our previous interview with Nina here.

Edinburgh Moonwalk 2012

Fringe 2012 - it's coming!

A selection of Edinburgh Fringe 2012 tickets on sale now

We can’t believe we’re collating this list in February, but here are the details to the tickets available for purchase now:

Frankie Boyle is appearing at the Edinburgh Playhouse 31st July – 2nd August – tickets here

As ever, the Faulty Towers dining experience have put their August tickets on sale early. There are both lunch performances and dinner performances.

Various performers have early bird tickets on the Edinburgh Fringe’s official website.

The wonderful Venue 150 has a tremendous line up of comedians for 2012 and have a great selection of tickets on sale now:

Jason Byrne, 1st – 12th August tickets here

Alan Davies, 9th – 14th August tickets here

Jimmy Carr, 16th-18th and 23rd – 25th August tickets here

Rhod Gilbert, 15th – 19th and 22nd – 26th August tickets here

Jimeoin, 2nd – 20th August tickets here

Daniel Sloss, 2nd – 20th August tickets here

Udderbelly

Craig Hill, 2nd – 27th August tickets here

Tiddler and other terrific tales, 2nd – 27th August tickets here

We will add more listings to this page as they come available, so bookmark it for reference and keep visiting!

Meanwhile if you need a ‘Fringe’ fix – have a look at all of our 2011 coverage.  Dates of all Edinburgh’s 2012 festivals can be found here.

Toasted goats cheese on garlic bread

We have previously reviewed the wonderful Bon Papilion, but returned today on a cold winter’s day to experience their warm hospitality and excellent food.

Owned by Ingrid Nilsson and Stuart Allan, their specialities are divided into Nilsson’s art on the wall and Allan’s framer’s service at the rear of the premises. The couple come together at the food counter serving up home-made soup, savoury tarts and tasty salads to hungry Edinburghers.

Today we plumped for the ‘chèvre chaud’ – a delicious combination of goats cheese toasted on garlic bread accompanied by salad (£5.25) and a ‘hot-smoked’ salmon salad with a large roll (£5.95).  Both dishes were of quality equal to be found in a bistro, but then that’s only to be expected since Stuart is a former chef.

Other savoury choices included savoury tartlets (£6.25),  BLT’s (£4.50) and a bacon ciabatta at a bargainous £2.50.

The highlight of a visit to Bon Papilion for us is the freshly made cakes on offer. At a very reasonable £2.10 a slice, we managed to devour a slice of chocolate and beetroot cake and a lime and ginger topped chocolate creation. From past exerpience, you can’t go wrong with their scones either.

Tea is a very reasonable £1.60 per pot and coffees start at £1.50 for an espresso and a latte will cost you £2.

Everything on the menu is available to take away as well.

We’ve been regular visitors to Bon Papilion since it opened last summer and regularly use it as a working space. The free wi-fi is fast and reliable and there’s such a creative energy in this arty hub, it’s hard to leave. You can take a seat by the window and watch the world walk up Howe Street, or savour your coffee and admire the ever-changing art work on display.

Chocolate and beetroot cake

The word has obviously got around town that this place serves wonderful food with a smile, as it was full by the time we moved onto dessert.

Bon Papilion is well worth a visit whatever side of town you live on and we are pleased top award it out ‘highly recommended’ award after providing us with perfect food and service for the last 8 months.

Information

Bon Papillion is situated at 15 Howe Street, Edinburgh, EH3 6TE. Telephone 0131 538 2505

Open every day except Tuesday 9am – 5.30pm (10 am Sunday).

You can have a look at their website and read their blog.  You can see what the forthcoming are here.

Bon Papillion are on facebook and on twitter and also appear on our Edinburgh Cake Trail.

Suitable for disabled? There is one step up into the gallery and ample room to move around once inside.

England’s Invisible Thread give us a glimpse into a playful and at times disturbing world with Liz Walker’s Plucked…A True Fairy Tale, part of the manipulate Visual Theatre Festival at the Traverse.

Taking inspiration from myth and legend – most notably the maiden, mother, crone archetype – two almost life-size puppets interact in an abstract and expressive style, operated by three onstage puppeteers.

In the first section, male and female energies attract and intertwine, resulting in a trio of surreal births which emphasise themes of love and loss. With their spindly limbs and billowing white skirts, the puppets evoke a sense of otherworldiness and mystery: part childlike, part alien as they interact with the sparse set of wooden ladders and planks – and with each other.

Humour is present, mostly due to the surreal nature of the pair’s coupling and the subsequent offspring: from toy trains to television sets, each of which literally fly the parental nest. This gives rise to the thematic thread of the second half, where the lone female character is transformed into a terrible crow-like figure after undergoing a journey of self, seeing her reign from a mechanical tower from which she dispenses swift and terrifying vengeance on those who come to court.

Live ink painting projection and a music-box style soundtrack add to the dreamlike mood of the piece; and the sensory experience of Plucked as a whole overcomes the shortcomings in its often obtuse narrative.

Unique and challenging at times, Plucked is also perhaps a little over long – not helped by a necessary interval where the audience are asked to leave the auditorium to allow a scene change between acts.

As the images seep in and settle though, the haunting world of Plucked…A True Fairy Tale lingers in the mind like the echoes of a barely-remembered dream.

Plucked was performed as part of the manipulate Visual Theatre Festival at the Traverse Theatre on Jan 31.

One of our old photos of Ricky before the chimps moved to the Budongo Trail

We were sorry to hear the news that Ricky, Edinburgh Zoo’s oldest chimpanzee at 50 years old, passed away on Monday. Our condolences to all at the Zoo – especially Ricky’s fellow chimps at the Budongo Trail, as we know how tight-knit the chimpanzee groups are.

Inspired by two real-life Victorian spiritualist performers, The Infamous Brothers Davenport opens a box filled with magic and memory in this world premiere at the Lyceum, co-produced with Glasgow’s Vox Motus.

Written by Candice Edmunds, Jamie Harrison and Peter Arnott, and directed by Harrison and Edmunds, The Infamous Brothers Davenport is a showy and technically-complex production, but one which hides layers of emotion in its plot’s many hidden compartments.

Before the lights dim, Lady Noyes-Woodhull (Anita Vetesse) greets the ‘invited guests’ at tonight’s demonstration, inviting some onstage to examine the spiritualist apparatus for signs of trickery or subterfuge before the main event.

Ira and Willie Davenport (Scott Fletcher and Ryan Fletcher) are two young American brothers who, with the assistance of manager Mr Fay (Gavin Mitchell), turn the experiences of their past into a stage phenomenon: claiming to present the grief-stricken and the curious with evidence of life beyond the grave.

The piece opens with a humourous flourish, with Mitchell relishing the role of showman as he introduces the mysterious brothers. Stagecraft and magic techniques are used – with the help of a few willing audience members – to provide the ‘evidence’, sought no more strongly than by Lady Noyes-Woodhull herself, whose husband has been missing in Africa for years.

Soon, the magic disperses and the brothers’ ‘spirit box’ transforms into a stage within a stage, where Ira and Willie’s background is played out. Vetesse and Mitchell take on the roles of Mama and Papa, and we learn that the brothers’ most precious secrets are not the ones they use to create the effects in their act.

The Infamous Brothers Davenport is visibly the sum of its parts, and at times not all of them connect. The stage show reenactment is technically well-done and played in pastiche style, though this at times this jars with the human tragedy played out behind the box’s doors. In the second half, things come together with a little more cohesion, as the piece’s themes of truth and deception reach a satisfying climax.

Performances are excellent throughout, particularly from Scott Fletcher, who plays Willie with an innocent and otherworldly demeanour. Mitchell has the most fun, alternating between the exuberant showmanship of Mr Fay and the Bill The Butcher-style domineering of Papa Davenport.

Mention must also go to Harrison’s design and David Graham’s technical management: this is a production which relies heavily on more-than-usual amounts of stage magic to suspend the audience’s disbelief, and does so with flair.

Touring after this premiere, The Infamous Brothers Davenport is an ambitious production which mostly hits the magical mark it sets itself. And with its tale of hidden doors and hidden secrets, it shows that voices from beyond the grave echo into our lives whether you believe in spiritualism or not.

The Infamous Brothers Davenport runs at the Lyceum until 11 Feb. More details are on the Lyceum website.

Hamletmachine

The first of Edinburgh’s arts & culture festivals of 2012, manipulate will see The Traverse Theatre filled with the best in cutting-edge puppetry, animation and visual theatre for 6 days from 30 January.

Presented by Puppet Animation Scotland, manipulate enters its fifth year in 2012, with performers from France, Austria, Russia, Germany and more taking part in the celebration of visual innovation and avant-garde theatre.

The festival opens with Compagnie Sans Soucis’ performance of Heiner Muller’s Hamletmachine, combining video and puppetry to condense Shakespeare’s tale into a nine-page script exploring political and social themes.

Sound, mime, improvisation and film are mashed up in Polaris, from Czech Republic’s Wariot Ideal, which tells the tale of two stranded Antarctic explorers. Snapshots present Creation & Play, which pairs Scottish puppeteers with theatre directors, resulting in three 10-minute pieces of visual theatre.

Akhe Engineering Theatre from St Petersburg live up to their name by using lasers, handmade contraptions and shadow theatre to conjure up a series of comic images in Gobo. Digital Glossary.

And the festival is brought to a close with the satirical puppetry of Pangolin’s Teatime, who present a topical and up-to-the-minute sketch show The Return of the Great Puppet Horn.

As well as the performances, two other threads run through manipulate in the form of an animated film programme curated by Susie Wilson; and a puppetry and movement masterclass from Germany’s Figurentheater Tübingen, which runs for the duration of the festival.

Proving that innovation in theatre is alive and well – and that puppets aren’t just for children – manipulate promises to be a visual treat at the Traverse.

Toddler Play Group

From the people behind Edinburgh’s excellent Knot Stressed comes a brand new Toddler Play Group from 10th January 2012.

All parents with children from toddling age (around 1.5 years) to 3 years old are welcome.

This new and exciting group will take place every Tuesday from 11.15am-12.15pm at the Calton Centre, 121 Montgomery Street, Edinburgh EH7 5EP.

The group is primarily a social group for parents and toddlers. However, each week we will include activities such as toddler yoga, action singalong, musical instruments story time and soft football.

There will also be a selection of small toys out for free play time, including a pop up tent, musical steps, a floor puzzle and a crawl-through tunnel.

The groups will be small and friendly (group size between 5-15 parents and children).

Plenty of tea, coffee and biscuits are provided for the grown ups and the little ones are welcome to bring a snack/packed lunch with them.

The cost to drop in is £3, which helps to cover the cost of the room and snack.

The group will be facilitated by either Onie (with the help of her nearly 3 year old, Mairin) or Frances each week.  Occasionally, there will be extra help from willing, friendly parents!

Where possible, there will also be fun guest activities and speakers.

The Toddler Play Group will run every Tuesday until 18th December 2012. For further information, contact Knot Stressed.

While most of the capital’s fine dining restaurants take a holiday this January, the most stylish of the all, Restaurant Mark Greenaway is attracting new customers will a bold new pricing policy.

For one month only, the award winning restaurant at No.12 Picardy Place will allow diners to decide themselves what they would like to pay for their meal.

Customers will be asked to pay any desired amount for their dining experience.

Delicious lamb

We have reviewed both the A la Carte Menu and the lunch Market Menu and highly recommend the food.

The restaurant menu’s ‘suggested price’ will remain and the customer can also select an amount higher than the standard price but ultimately they will decide exactly what price they would like to pay for their food.

No.12 Picardy Place has already established itself as an award-winning venue with Restaurant Mark Greenway achieving ‘Scotland’s Most Stylish Restaurant’ at the 2011 Scottish Style Awards and nominated as a finalist in the 2012 ‘Restaurant of the Year Awards’ which are held in February.

The offer applies to Restaurant Mark Greenaway from 9th-31st January 2012 (excluding January 25th 2012) and is valid Tuesday-Saturdays on both the Market Menu and A la Carte Menu. Market Menu is a listed set price menu of £18 for two courses and £24 for three courses.

Cullen skink

Bookings must be made in advance quoting: PWYW. Maximum 4 persons per booking. For reservations please call the team on 0131 557 0952 or visit our website www.no12picardyplace.com

Restaurant Mark Greenaway is open Tuesday-Saturday 12pm-3pm (Lunch) and 5.30pm-10.30pm (Evening)

Amazing desserts

Edinburgh Spotlight loves living in ‘Festival City’ and already has all these dates in its calendar – here’s the rundown of 2012′s festivals.

Mary King’s Ghost Fest TBC for 2012

Paranormal investigations, celebrity ghost hunts and other spooky goings on at The Real Mary King’s Close.

Ceilidh Culture 16 March – 25 April

Edinburgh’s traditional arts festival, featuring music, dance, storytelling and more.

International Science Festival 31 March- 13 April 2012
The International Science Festival features a host of fun and educational events, lectures and attractions celebrating all things scientific.

Beltane Fire Festival 30 April 2012
Beltane is an ancient Celtic festival and Edinburgh plays host to some colourful and exciting celebrations to mark the date.

Imaginate Festival 7 – 14 May 2012
The Imaginate Festival is Edinburgh’s children’s festival and has loads of plays, activities and fun things to do for youngsters of all ages.

Leith Festival 8 -17 June 2012
Come and celebrate all things Leith at this festival, featuring music, dance, art and other exciting events.

Edinburgh International Film Festival 20 June – 1 July
The Edinburgh Film Festival is an internationally-renowned event on the movie festival circuit and attracts premieres and stars from all over the world.

Edinburgh International Magic Festival 29 June – 6 July 2012

2012 will see Edinburgh host the third International Magic Festival with a range of performers show-casing their magical talents.

Edinburgh Art Festival August 2 – September 2
Edinburgh Art Festival celebrates the visual arts in all its diversity, from world-class exhibitions to strikingly original installations.

Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival 28 July – 6 August 2012
Get your gladrags on and party to the sounds of the Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival, a popular event which attracts international talent.

Edinburgh Fringe Festival 3 - 27 August 2012
Getting bigger, better and – some may say – weirder every year, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival is the highlight of many a festival-goer’s calendar.

Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo 3 – 25 August 2012
Selling out months in advance, the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo is a spectacular event taking place on the Castle Esplanade.

The Edge Music Festival TBC 2012
Adding alternative music to the August festival mix, The Edge Music Festival attracts A-list bands as part of its programme.

Festival of Spirituality and Peace TBC 2012

The Festival of Spirituality and Peace features music, dance, talks and other events highlighting humanitarian issues and causes.

Edinburgh International Festival 10 August – 2 September 2012
The one that started it all, the Edinburgh International Festival is a feast of world-class music, dance and theatrical performances.

Edinburgh International Book Festival 11 - 27 August 2012
This literary event attracts major names in the writing, publishing and political fields to the serene Charlotte Square Gardens setting.

Edinburgh Mela Festival 31 August  - 2nd September 2012

Celebrating the cultural diversity of the city, the Mela Festival brings colour and exotic flair to Edinburgh in August.

Scottish Story Telling Festival 19-28 October
Celebrating the great Scottish oral tradition, the Story Telling Festival showcases the talents of national bards, poets and tale-spinners.

Edinburgh’s Christmas TBC – late November – End Dec 2011
Edinburgh sparkles at Christmas and features events, attractions and shows for all the family to enjoy during the festival season.

Edinburgh’s Hogmanay 30 December 2012 – 2 January 2013
End the year with the biggest street party in the world!

The Royal Mile runs through the heart of the Old Town and is a must for any visitors to the city.  As a resident, I have walked up and down the street hundreds of times over the years, but there is always some small detail that I notice every time I explore the area.   The Royal Mile  runs from Edinburgh Castle down to Holyrood Palace and consists of six different sections.

Edinburgh Castle

Starting from the top, there is Edinburgh Castle where you will find the Scottish Crown, Sword and Sceptre, and the legendary Stone of Destiny.  Free guided tours are included with the admission price, or you can take it at your own pace with an audio tour.  At peak tourist times, it makes sense to buy your tickets in advance as the ticket queues can take up valuable sightseeing time.  If your budget doesn’t allow full entry to the Castle, make sure you still walk through the grand entrance so you can say you have been within the Castle walls.  This is now possible due to the relocation of the box office inside the grounds, leaving the esplanade clear for taking excellent photos.

There are panoramic views of Edinburgh to be had from the castle esplanade.  Look out for the magnificent George Heriot’s School built in 1628 which looks like another castle, straight out of a fairytale.

As you head down the Castlehill section of the Royal Mile, you will see the Scotch Whisky Experience which also houses Amber Restaurant.  On your left, you will see Camera Obscura which is a 150 year old observatory and a fun place for children and adults alike.

Views down the Royal Mile from Camera Obscura

Moving down the Royal Mile, you will start to see many tourist shops which basically sell all the same souvenirs, but at a variety of prices, so it pays to shop around.

The Writer’s Museum is set in a charming courtyard which you can access through Lady Stair’s Close.  This is the place to learn about the three great Scots writers, Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson, through manuscripts, portraits and their personal possessions.  (free)

Moving down the Royal Mile, you will come to the High Kirk of St Giles (St Giles Cathedral) which has been an Edinburgh landmark since 1160.  Make sure you see the rib-vaulted ceiling of the Thistle Chapel.  The cathedral looks good at any time of the day or night and in all weather conditions (admission is free, but a donation is welcomed; there is also a small charge requested if you wish to take photos inside).   Opposite the cathedral, there is the spooky Mary King’s Close to explore which is a perfect all-weather activity for those aged 5 and up.  We have also visited the Close with a psychic medium.

High Kirk of St Giles

Further down the Royal Mile, you will cross North Bridge, and to the left, the road leads down to Princes Street.  Stay on the Royal Mile though, and on your left hand side you will come to the Scottish Storytelling Centre which is a theatre with a wide range of entertainment.  Those in the know enquire about the local storytellers who can often be found here.  This is also the place from which to access John Knox’s House, home to the fiery religious reformer in 1599.  The house is a beautiful building to admire from the outside as well.  Across the road is the Museum of Childhood, another council-run museum (free admission) which allows older generations re-live toys from their childhood. Young children also like this museum as they try to comprehend what amused the oldies in times gone by!

Why not stop at Clarinda’s Tearoom in the Canongate for tea and cake?   Make sure you adhere to the rules in this cute eatery.

Further down is Dunbar’s Close Garden, not often found by tourists.  This is a perfect little green area to enjoy a break from the main street. You will often find locals having their lunch here in the warmer months.

Right at the bottom of the Royal Mile you will find the Scottish Parliament.  It was designed by Spanish architect Enric Mirrales and despite being a controversial design, he won the contract.

Directly opposite is the Palace of Holyroodhouse which is the royal residence best known for tales of romance and intrigue during the time of Mary Queen of Scots.  The state rooms are still used by the present-day Queen, who stays here when she is in town.  There is an admission charge, but you can still take a good picture of the palace through the gates to the left.

Although, not strictly on the Royal Mile, you will see Arthur’s Seat which is a fabulous place to get sensational views across the city.  It forms part of Holyrood Park and it is worthwhile walking one of the several circular routes around the extinct volcano.  You will look down on the Palace and see the spires of the places at the top of the Royal Mile and a fantastic view of the Castle. We reviewed this walk when the area was covered in snow.

The Castle from Arthur's Seat

Bear in mind that it’s still light in the evening till around 10pm in the summer, so this free activity can be enjoyed when other tourist attractions are closed.

This guide is by no means a definitive list of what there is to do on the Royal Mile, but gives you a selection to choose from.  The whole area buzzes with charm and surprises and despite having trod the pavement for thirty five years, I still enjoy exploring the hub of activity that is The Royal Mile.

Many of these attractions are available on the Edinburgh Pass that we reviewed.

Of Ash & Water - Emissary

Close your eyes whilst listening to Emissary‘s debut EP and their music evokes the airbrushed landscapes of 70s fantasy artist Roger Dean. And, with their complex and accomplished songs which conjure up the spirits of Rush and Wolfmother, the band’s sweeping and epic sound is well-placed to inhabit them.

A four-piece post-metal band formed from the ashes of Visperas, Aos Si and other groups on the Edinburgh rock scene, Emissary emerge newly-forged with guitars slung over their shoulders like weapons, chiselled jaws jutting towards the horizon and their eyes fixed on the setting twin moons of Asengard (or something).

Standing Stone opens things in suitably gargantuan fashion, with explosive guitar riffs which shake the earth from its orbit. ‘You struck the fear of god into me,” sings vocalist Luke, as the music crashes and swirls around him like a vortex.

Indeed, Emissary understand the power of an almighty riff, and all four tracks on offer here bristle with hooks and refrains like they’re preparing for some full-on guitar-based assault.

It Was Always You is perhaps the best example of the Emissary sound. The first half is a delicate, baroque composition; which then lets its hair down and hurtles towards a tumultuous and fiery conclusion. The song has a metal-melting ferocity of the kind that the Gods of Rock intended when they first bestowed electric guitars upon the world.

If you’re a fan of sweeping and epic rock but are struggling to find anyone on the local scene to satisfy your urges, Emissary have arrived after an epic journey at the gates of Edinburgh with an impressively writ-large missive of hope.

And the Gods of Rock are pleased.