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.   

The Hub

Directly opposite, you will see The Witchery Restaurant and this is also where Adam Lyall (deceased) conducts his nightly tours from.  Further down this side of the road, you will see a converted church which is now known as The Hub, a cafe and restaurant  and the box office for Edinburgh’s International Festival.   

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. 

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 Holyrood House 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.   

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.

Andrew Ryan

This year will see him debut at the Fringe with fellow comedian Joe Lycett as part of The Free Fringe.

Andrew is one of the rising stars of the comedy circuit and has recently contributed to the pilot for a television show – this year’s Edinburgh appearance will therefore very likely be the last chance you get to catch him for free.

Andrew took some time out of his last-minute preparations to tell us more.

Tell us a little bit about your show – where’s it happening, what’s it about, why should people come to see it?

The show is ‘An hour of Humour’ at the White Horse at 5.15pm and it’s a double header with Joe Lycett.

We have two completely different but likeable styles and we have gigged our backsides of this year telling silly anecdotes to people so come and see THE FUNNIES!

How will you be promoting your show?

Joe & I have agreed to sell our bodies to get people in to the show.

We will flyer, stalk people, offer sweets, do radio interviews, answer eight questions in preview interviews and hope that people read what I am saying and come along.

What are you expecting from the Fringe?

It’s my first time in Edinburgh. I expect to have loads of fun.

Meet loads of people. Make people laugh. Cry when things go wrong.

And what are you hoping for?

I ‘m hoping to become a better comic.

Anything after that is a bonus.

If money was no object, what publicity stunt would you do to promote your show?

I would get the BBC to say the fringe was cancelled except for our show. ‘An hour of Humour’ IS THE FRINGE!

Who else are you planning or hoping to see?

I expect to see a counseller and psychiatrist during the festival.

What do you have planned for after the Fringe?

Ring my bank manager and offer babysitting services to pay for what I have spent in Edinburgh.

Sum up your show in three words for us:

FUNNY, FUNNY & FREE

More details on Andrew’s and Joe’s show are on the Fringe website.

The Pantry Shelf

Can porridge fall in love?

The Pantry Shelf at the Sweet Grassmarket flings opens the door on the hidden and complex goings-on inside your food cupboard.

Queenie – the Quinoa, Date and Bark Bar – is a new ingredient thrust into the pantry, where she quickly learns her branding as a healthy snack is not everything it claims to be.

Five actors in giant foam costumes portray everything from a sexy bar of dark chocolate to a bag of Scots porridge oats in this new satirical comedy from Edinburgh-based husband and wife duo Marion Shortt and Mark Prebble.

Marion and Mark – Team M&M – met in New Zealand in 2004, then relocated to Edinburgh in 2008 to further their scriptwriting and production careers – and also to fulfil their desire to put on a show at the Fringe.

After having produced last year’s independently-funded play In Transit at The GRV, Team M&M are now set to realise their dream and soon their incredible edibles will be adding a colourful touch of satirical humour and fun to Edinburgh’s mix.

You can buy tickets for The Pantry Shelf on the Fringe website.
You can check out more information about the show on the Team M&M website.

Edinburgh

We recently previewed Festival in the Sky coming to Edinburgh for this first time this August. 

The most unique, exhilarating and truly unforgettable dining experience in the world is coming to the Edinburgh Festivals. The once in a lifetime experience which will see guests dare to dine while suspended at a 22 person dinner table more than 100 feet in the air, offering spectacular views of the iconic Edinburgh skyline.
 
In a unique twist, Festival in the Sky is offering one lucky winner the chance to take centre stage and become The Twenty Third Man: a special guest who will be invited to take the spotlight and join the 22 diners on the world class attraction. 
 
To be eligible for Twenty Third Man status simply email thetwentythirdman@festivalinthesky.com and tell us why you should take centre stage at this world class attraction.  The closing date for this excellent competition is Friday 6th August at noon. 

We will be bringing you our thoughts on this unique festival experience after we’ve taken off this weekend.  In the meantime, read our preview here. 

What the experience will look like

Abi Titmuss, starring in Up 'n' Under at the Assembly

Abi Titmuss is keen to point out where her priorities lie.

“It’s taken me 10 years’ effort to get to this point,” she says. “I started at the grass roots level and trained in drama for three years.”

“I worked as a nurse part-time to support myself, then as a model. Now, I’m absolutely passionate about the acting.”

Up 'n' Under

Although she’s had to turn down many stereotyped parts, Abi has worked hard and received critical praise for her theatrical work to date.

She has starred in an award-winning production of an Arthur Miller play, portrayed Lady Macbeth and now is set to appear in the 25th anniversary production of John Godber’s Up ‘n’ Under at the Assembly.

“I played in this at the Hull Truck theatre last year and that was very successful,” Abi says. “John’s rewritten parts of it around the cast and made a few tweaks to it. It’s a real honour to be starring in it.”

Up ‘n’ Under tells the comic tale of a struggling third-rate rugby team who find themselves aiming to beat a rival team, despite being woefully unfit. Enter Hazel – a gym instructress – who takes the team and works with them to knock them into shape – perhaps even enough to win.

“It’s a physically demanding show,” says Abi. “This summer I spent a week at the GI Jane Boot Camp – an extreme fitness course run by commandos.”

“They’d get us up at 5am to go on a five-mile run every morning, and really worked on toughening us up. I lost 10 pounds in 7 days!”

This will stand her in good stead for her next ‘marathon’ – 25 ninety-minute performances of Godber’s knockabout play in 26 days. Does she feel prepared for it?

“I’m an extremist!” she says. “I’ve wanted to appear in the Fringe for years and it’s a massive honour to finally be doing that. And at the Assembly too – I feel so lucky and grateful.”

“I’m going to give it 150 percent!”

It’s obvious from talking to Abi that she is absolutely passionate about her acting and prepared to put in the effort to succeed. She’s also looking forward to the Fringe as an audience member as well as an actress.

“I’ll be catching as many shows as I can,” she says. “There’s so much I want to see, but I’ll definitely be seeing Territory at the Pleasance.”

“Being in Edinburgh for the Fringe just couldn’t be better!”

Acting seems to drive Abi and satisfy something within her she couldn’t get any other way.

“It gives me such respect for myself and I enjoy it so much,” she says.

“I’m always looking to improve, always learning my craft. And I’ve made a lot of sacrifices to get this far.”

“I’m still taking it a day at a time – but it now feels as though things are beginning to pay off.”

Abi will also be making a guest appearance at the Edinburgh Foodies Festival in Holyrood Park on Friday 13th August at 2pm, with Matt Powell of Hotel du Vin.

And if you’re pushed for time, there is a fabulous selection of cafes and takeaways that will help fill you up if you’re in a hurry.      

During the busy festival period in August, restaurants can be extremely busy and if you want to dine at a specific place,  it would be sensible to book ahead. Also take into account that the Military Tattoo runs nightly at 9pm (7.30pm and 10.00pm on Saturdays) and many people choose to dine before they head up to the castle.  Try dining around 6pm, or after 8.30pm to avoid the busiest times.     

The majority of the Fringe venues have their own bars and cafes supplying food and drink between shows, but we understand that someone people want to experience good food at local places whilst they’re in town and avoid being handed flyers as they eat. 

Tea Tree Tea, Bread Street

Need a drink and a quick bite to eat?    

Look no further than our recommended Tea Tree Tea in Bread Street.  Drew, Jamie and the team always warmly welcome tourists amongst their regulars.  A wide selection of drinks alongside fresh soups, salads and paninis are offered with an amazing range of cakes (gluten free choices available).  They also have fast reliable wifi to check out the latest festival news and reviews.  Open early until 9.30pm every day (8pm Sundays).   

Around the corner on Lothian Road, there is the excellent Illegal Jacks  who offers fresh tex mex food at reasonable prices.  Allow the friendly staff to help you select your ‘weapon’ and munch your way to happiness through one of their excellent burritos and quesadillas or tuck into their sizzling fajitas. Their vintage chilli has been taking Edinburgh by storm recently.    

At the West End of town, try Wannaburger for breakfast and burger lunches and dinners.  The food is good and service quick and efficient.     

Looking for a curry in a hurry?   Look no further than the excellent Kebab Mehal in Nicolson Street.  You may have to a share a table as you eat their halal dishes, but it’s a foody experience not to be missed in town.  The best Malaysian in Edinburgh has to be the neighbouring Kampong Ah Lee, which also offers an informal dining experience.     

Prefer a more relaxing meal?    

In the town centre, we recommend Urban Angel who have branches at Hanover Street and Forth Street. They only use local, organic, free-range and fairly traded produce.     

Our current favourite Indian restaurant in town is the Spice Pavilion in the New Town.  Serving excellent food with a genuine smile in sumptuous Indian surroundings, you will not be disappointed.        

Indian delights at Spice Pavilion

If you want to try Middle Eastern food, then Hanam’s at Castle Terrace is the one for you.  If juicy steaks are more to your liking, then you must try McKirdy’s Steakhouse.  Looking for authentic Thai food?  Passorn at Tollcross offers incredible Thai food and hospitable service.     

Avoca in Stockbridge has consistently good food and a warm local feel, as does their sister restaurant near the Botanical Gardens, The Orchard.   Another Stockbridge gem is The Saint in St Stephen Street who offer top notch food at very reasonable prices.     

A short walk from Haymarket sees some of Edinburgh’s favourite restaurants.  Italian food galore at La Partenope and across the road, First Coast always delivers.     

A slight longer walk or bus ride from town, but well worth the journey are a couple of Leith favourites.  Tony Crolla will warmly welcome you to La Favorita for any meal occasion and in true Italian style, families are well catered for.  Their log-fired pizza is the best in Edinburgh.  The Roseleaf in Sandport Place is a bar, but their food is tremendous. They also offer ‘pot tails’ which is alcholic drinks served in tea pots!     

Put simply, Edinburgh provides a feast of food and drink for locals and visitors alike.     

Bon apetit!

Pete Johansson

This year, he returns with is laid-back and ironic style in Pete’s On Earth, a show recounting Pete’s travels across the globe as he tries to convince everyone else on the planet that they are wrong and he is right.

Pete has been courted by HBO and Warner Brothers and has played sell-out shows across the world. Now a regular at London’s renowned Comedy Store, he has performed alongside Stewart Lee and Simon Anstel, and has recently completed a UK tour with fellow comedian Carl Donnelly.

No stranger to television either, Pete has starred opposite Ed Byrne in BBC4’s Sex Bombs and is shortlisted to appear on Michael McIntyre’s Roadshow.

Here, he tells us a bit more about his forthcoming Fringe show and his Edinburgh experiences.

Tell us a little bit about your show – where’s it happening, what’s it about, why should people come to see it?

My show is at 9:30 in the Assembly rooms… and from what I can tell from the previews it’s very funny:) It’s an account of my frustrations in life, frustrations we all can relate to, as well as some solutions we might not be ready for.

What do you think the best things about the Edinburgh Fringe are?

I enjoy the chance to see such a vast array of talent, it’s inspiring.

What changes have you seen – good or bad – over the years?

It’s my second year. My only criticism is the financial burden on the artists is ridiculously unfair.

Where are your favourite places in the city?

There’s an arty cinema called the Cameo on Home road, which I just love. It changes films constantly and it shows matinees which is soo handy when you have shows at night.

What’s the strangest or funniest thing that’s happened to you at the Fringe?

I had a reviewer walk out of my show halfway through, then still review my show like he saw it all. It wasn’t bad, it was just dishonest….

Describe, if you can, your ‘average’ Edinburgh Fringe day…

Wake up, make love. Read the paper, herb tea.

Make love.

Walk to sandwich shop, eat. Nap.

Make love.

Off to show, then second show, head home.

Watch some TV, make love and bed

If money was no object, what publicity stunt would you do to promote your show?

I’d give it all to charity and hope that the idea that somebody that needed the money got it would make me feel so good i wouldn’t care if my show was empty.

Who else are you planning or hoping to see?

Arj Barker, Des Bishop, Carl Donnelly and Jim Jefferies are the shows I’m gonna see. Unfortunately there are more I want to see but they are on at the same time as me.

What do you have planned after the Fringe?

I am immediately off to Copenhagen for their comedy festival, then to Beruit and Oman for shows.

Sum up your show in three words for us:

Jiggly Giggly fun

Complete this joke for us: “A man walks into a Fringe show…”

And calculates that his ticket price is not enough to cover the costs of the artist and feels bad for him….

You can buy ticket’s for Pete’s show at the Assembly website

Alexis Dubus

This year, he’s set to lift a lot more with A Surprisingly Tasteful Show About Nudity at The Tron.

The award-winning comic tries to inject his shows with more than just stand-up gags, using information, anecdotes, historical facts as well as jokes to both inform and entertain the audience.

A regular on the UK and world comedy circuit, this is Alexis’ second solo show at Edinburgh, and he took a little time out to tell us more.

Tell us a little bit about your show – where’s it happening, what’s it about, why should people come to see it?

My show’s called “A Surprisingly Tasteful Show About Nudity,” it’s on at The Tron, and it’s a follow-up to last year’s show about the history of swearing.

You should come and see it to learn a bit, enjoy The Tron’s air-conditioning system, and appreciate the economic use of nob gags.

What do you think the best things about the Edinburgh Fringe are?

The bizarre stuff that you wouldn’t see anywhere else, and the camaraderie between acts, knowing we’ll all be a bit broken by the end of it, whether the shows are going well or not.

What changes have you seen – good or bad – over the years?

Well I’m starting to recede a bit, and my mouth sometimes let out an unexpected noise when I bend to pick something up.

Where are your favourite places in the city?

I do like to do a bit of an Arthur’s Seat climb once a Fringe, and Princes Street Gardens are a great place to grab a nap when a sunny day rears its head.

I think I’ve had some good times at the Penny Black around 6am, but I’m not really able to go into any detail there I’m afraid.

Nope, still nothing.

What’s the strangest or funniest thing that’s happened to you at the Fringe?

I was booked to do a set as part of a show by some avant-garde Long Island comedy group. The two acts before me were a midget in a nappy riding a hobby-horse, and a ‘vomiting Pope’ act.

You just can’t follow that with observational comedy.

Describe, if you can, your ‘average’ Edinburgh Fringe day…

Get up, have late lunch, do promotional gig, go to see show and realise it’s their day off, do promotional gig, pie, do own show, go to see show and realise the run’s finished, do promotional gig, get caught in almighty rainstorm and realise I left umbrella at first gig, try to meet mate at random location, fail to find it, go to see show, pie, do second show, do late-night show, do later-night show, pie.

Throw in some alcohol in between all of the above.

If money was no object, what publicity stunt would you do to promote your show?

A machine that projects my show title onto rainbows, so that every time it rains and is then vaguely sunny, it would show up in the sky. I reckon I’d get a lot of usage out of it.

Who else are you planning or hoping to see?

Daniel Kitson, Emo Phillips, Jeremy Lion, Stewart Lee, anything the Invisible Dot are involved with…

What do you have planned after the Fringe?

I’m heading out to the Nevada Desert. True story.

Sum up your show in three words for us?

Laughy, learny, lovely

Complete this joke for us: “A man walks into a Fringe show…”

…and says ‘well this isn’t my preconceived idea of comedy. I’m going to sit here with my arms crossed frowning for an hour. I’m only here because Stewart Lee was sold out.’

You can buy tickets for Alexis’ show on the Fringe website.

Bainbridge Presents The Best of The Mine

At last, The Liquid Rooms – the city’s best medium-sized gig venue – is ready to open its doors again, after being out of action since 2008’s fire in its Victoria Street home.

Local music promoters Bainbridge Presents are amongst the first to welcome the venue back on the scene on 1st August, with a cracking line-up of bands.

The Best of The Mine features six (count ‘em) bands, each of which have used Bainbridge’s base – Great Junction Street Music Studios – as a place to practice and hone their sound.

The night kicks off with the riff-based storytelling ‘crook rock’ of Tam’s Railways, a Leith-based band who are creating a stir on the live scene with their genre-hopping sound and electric live presence.

Then, two of Edinburgh Spotlight’s favourite bands step up on stage – A Fight You Can’t Win bring their incendiary punk onslaught and attitude to the party, before handing on the baton to Hagana, a pop-punk / grunge trio whose driving tunes will be speeding round the stage like a joyrider in a bumper car.

Hagana

A rare Edinburgh appearance from London-based Marner Brown is next out the blocks. These guys are hotly-tipped, having supported Ocean Colour Scene and had their guitar-driven classic Open Road featured on a UK-wide advert for Grolsch lager. Their appearance at The Best of The Mine is a great opportunity to catch them before they go massive.

The 10:04s

As if that wasn’t enough, the night goes on until 3am with a DJ set by ‘the voice of new music in Scotland’, Jim Gellatly, making The Best of The Mine a cracking-value night-out that’ll be testing the strength of the Liquid Room’s refurbished rafters until the small hours of Monday morning.

Bainbridge Presents are in it for the music, and this line-up demonstrates their passion for the local live scene – The Best Of The Mine is therefore a fitting choice for one of the first nights in the reopened venue.

It promises to be a great-value night out with some red-hot music from start to finish.

We just hope The Liquid Rooms can stand the heat…

More details are available on the gig’s website

Lady Garden

With their parody, observational sketches and precision timing, Hannah Dodd, Beattie Edmonson, Rose Johnson, Jessica Knappett, Eleanor Thom and Camille Ucan gel together to produce some genuine laugh-out-loud material and look set to continue their rise to fame, having recently secured a 12-month development deal with the BBC.

Award-winning director Phillip Breen cultivates the ladies this year, in a show which promises to be one of the stand-out sketch-based shows of the Fringe.

We spent a little time at the bottom of their garden to find out more about the show. Which, given that it is TOP SECRET, was no easy task…

Tell us a little bit about your show – where’s it happening, what’s it about, why should people come to see it?

We can’t tell you what it’s about because it’s top secret but what can we tell you? We can tell you that it is an hour of nonsense – funny nonsense.

It’s maybe a bit more off-beat than last year’s show and there are some beautiful surprises in there.

We can’t tell you much more – sorry about that – you really do need to see it though because everyone will say, ‘have you seen Lady Garden?‘ and if you say ‘no‘ they might look at you with a disappointed face like you’re a bit of a failure.

All we can say is that our TOP SECRET GIG is on at the PLEASANCE BESIDE AT 6:20PM. Come along if you like accessible buildings.

How will you be promoting your show?

We’ve got badges, and funny sketches that people will hopefully tell other people about. We’re relying on the latter quite heavily, to be honest.

What are you most looking forward to about coming back to Edinburgh?

Once again being free to roam the streets dressed as a dragon without a single eyebrow being raised. It’s always a treat to be able to drink every day and not be judged, not so good for the old liver though.

Looking forward to all living together again. It’s a great feeling to wake up in the morning knowing that you’re going to see some of your fave comedians later either performing or propping up the bar. It’s comedy geek heaven for a month and we love it.

And what are you hoping for?

We just want to be better. Is that so much to ask?

If money was no object, what publicity stunt would you do to promote your show?

We’d buy Edinburgh and paint our faces on every rooftop so that anyone parachuting in for the festival would know what show to see.

We’d also pay the human statues to f*** off but that’s nothing to do with our show, they’re just quite annoying. Standing still is not a job.

Who else are you planning or hoping to see?

Two Episodes of MASH, Toby, Ginger and Black, and Tom Allen.

What do you have planned for after the Fringe?

Rehab.

Sum up your show in three words for us:

TOP SECRET. Sorry.

You can buy tickets for Lady Garden’s Top Secret Gig on the Pleasance website
Check out their official website here.