City Guides and Edinburgh

Edinburgh: Roller Derby

We meet the Auld Reekie Roller Girls

10 Sep 2009

‘This is not a roller disco!’ yells the coach, as a blur of fishnets and emerald green flies past. I’m here to meet Edinburgh’s roller derby squad, the Auld Reekie Roller Girls, if I can catch one … If you haven’t yet heard of roller derby, your days…

Edinburgh: International Storytelling Festival

With the literature celebration coming up, we explore why everyone loves a good story

10 Sep 2009

There are few people who can turn down an intimate offer of: ‘Can I tell you a story?’ They can be fanciful, creepy, true-to-life or utterly ridiculous tales – but, then, it’s not so much the content we thrive on, it’s the physical and emotional act of…

Edinburgh: The Bowery

Our guide on the capital's innovative new art bar

10 Sep 2009

Buzzing away in the basement of an old church, at the heart of the old Roxy Art House, the eager city explorer might find discovering The Bowery an adventure in itself. Whilst, like at the end of every treasure hunt, there awaits an irresistible reward…

Edinburgh: Riding of the Marches

History on horseback

10 Sep 2009

There are many areas of the city that you can easily walk by without really realising their historical importance. But if a great big shiny-maned horse was to suddenly step into view and offer to teach you something about Edinburgh’s history, you’d…

Edinburgh: The Illuminated Car Parade

Pimping that ride

10 Sep 2009

We all get car envy every now and again: cars that are extra shiny, ones with futuristic looking lights or those extra special ones that are two-tone and seem to shimmer like diamonds. But the ones on show at Edinburgh’s first Illuminated Art Car Parade…

Edinburgh: Food From Home

Where to get your country's culinary treats

10 Sep 2009

If you’re feeling homesick, there’s nothing like one of your favourite foods from home to perk you up. Anna Docherty tells you where to find them in Edinburgh. A&W Root Beer, Mike and Ike, Cola Cao, Biltong

Days Out: Beaches in Edinburgh

1 Jun 2009

Long summer days mean that there is plenty time to escape the city and head for sandy beaches and salty shores. Oh, we do like to be beside the seaside… Here’s our guide to Edinburgh’s best beaches.

Beer Gardens in Edinburgh

1 Jun 2009

Gardens and beer, two words we like for themselves - but we like them even more when they are put together. So, in honour of summer, here’s our guide to Edinburgh’s top beer gardens.

Ghost Hunter

1 Mar 2009

As travellers to our fair shores may already be aware, Scotland is considered a hotbed of supernatural activity. In fact, it is positively - to use a Scots word - ‘hoachin’ with ghosts, ghouls, spectres, spooks and spirits. This is especially true of…

Ceilidh Culture

1 Mar 2009

Ceilidhs are cool. There, I’ve said it; now it’s a fact. Seriously though, ceilidhs do seem to be slowly creeping into popular culture and are no longer regarded as something twee and refined to the Highlands and rickety old village halls, with triangle…

Travel around Edinburgh

1 Mar 2009

Buses Edinburgh offers an extensive bus service and every stop has a full timetable and schedule. The number 22 is a favourite for its quick, direct route down to the bar and cafe-lined shores of Leith. Also, the numbers 12, 26 and 31 will take you…

Sweet treats

1 Mar 2009

It nearly caused the untimely end of Augustus Gloop ‘the greedy great big nincompoop’ in Roald Dahl’s book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and it’s the downfall of many a good-intentioned diet. We are of course talking about chocolate. There’s…

Cheap dates

1 Mar 2009

Whisper sweet nothings No matter how hardened the heart, there are few that won’t be melted by some tender Scottish poetry. At the Scottish Poetry Library, you can while away a few hours, reading to one another. Perhaps some Carol Ann Duffy could set…

Polish Cultural Festival

1 Mar 2009

We all like to think we’re a bit cultured and sometimes wistfully view life as an exercise in collecting wisdom. But being able to say ‘hello’ in more than three languages and knowing your way around a subtitled film isn’t quite going to win you any…

Ceilidh Culture - A Beginner's Guide

1 Mar 2009

‘The steps always come flooding back’, my angel-voiced instructor ensures me. Well, if this is the case, then I am seriously questioning the meaning of the word ‘always’. For where within the nuances of this word, does it allow for my complete cranial…

One day itinerary: A One Day Stand

1 Dec 2008

It's one of Britain's most expensive cities and to hard-up new arrivals, Edinburgh could seem impossible to enjoy without a six-figure bank balance. But we say, why buy a cow when you can get the milk for free? Scotland’s capital positively heaves with…

Celebrity Stalker

1 Dec 2008

The Queen The Sovereign Head of State has a plush pad smack in the middle of Edinburgh: Holyrood Palace. It’s morbidly fascinating to observe the hooplah that surrounds Her Majesty’s visitations. Light relief comes in the form of hubby Prince Philip.

Shops: £20 outfit

1 Dec 2008

Edinburgh is a hot bed of little boutiques selling one-off items. They are also often referred to as charity shops and on the £20 outfit challenge they become my best friend, as we bond over woollen knits and dainty brooches. ‘We’ve just had a delivery…

Food: Something Smells Fishy

1 Dec 2008

There’s a distinct muskiness in the air. It’s the kind of smell that old men often get blamed for. Or for which dogs receive pitying stares. Sweaty, smoky and sharp, the smell of Arbroath smokie envelops the farmers’ market. Iain Spink, the stall owner…

Food: Hitlist

1 Dec 2008

Susie’s Diner It’s got a bit of a ‘school dinner’ canteen appearance, but don’t despair: the grub here will be familiar only if you went to the sort of school that served up home-made vegetarian delights with a hearty selection of hot dishes and fresh…

Things to do

1 Dec 2008

Santa Stroll Definitely not one for Christmas Scrooges, the Santa Stroll involves dressing up in a Santa costume and walking through Princes Street Gardens, taking part in a gathering that looks like some kind of mad Santa appreciation society. But…

Things to do: Get A New Leith Of Life

1 Dec 2008

A little known fact is that Leith Links, Leith's park, is in fact the original home of international golf. Legend has it that in 1681 the Duke of York, later to become King James VII of Scotland, challenged two English noblemen to a golfing match after…

Going Out: Funny Ha Ha?

1 Dec 2008

It's difficult to understand what drives comedians up to the stage. Look at the Stand's logo – an image of a cowboy shooting himself – and you might just get a glimpse of how people feel as they prepare to do stand up for the first time. But still…

Free Wi-Fi in Edinburgh

1 Dec 2008

Baroque • 39–41 Broughton Street, 0131 557 0627, www.baroqueedinburgh.com, open daily 10am–10pm. Beanscene (3 locations) • 78 Commercial Street, Leith, 0131 555 7033, Mon-Sat 8am–6pm, Sun 10am–6pm. 2 Grosvener Street, 0131 346 8043, Mon–Sat…

Shopping Hitlist

1 Dec 2008

Herman Brown The Grassmarket has a fair few vintage shops, but Herman Brown’s is the cream of the crop. There’s no dodgy fancy-dress attire here, only cherry picked gems, meaning there’s less chance of leaving with some ridiculous item that looks like…

Books: Lost in Fiction

1 Dec 2008

Every self respecting traveller needs a book in their backpack and being seen flicking through a battered copy of Jane Ayre will make you way cooler than if you were reading a pristine edition of the latest Harry Potter novel. Don't worry if you…

Books: Bookshops

1 Dec 2008

The Old Town Bookshop This is one of the more quaint little second hand bookshops, specialising in old Scottish history books and philosophical reads. No trashy romance novels in sight. 8 Victoria Street, Edinburgh, 0131 225 9237…

The Midgie Ghost Walk

1 Oct 2008

Perhaps it’s the winding closes and shadowy alleyways that furrow through the Old Town, or maybe it’s the penetrating coastal mists that can descend at a moment’s notice. Whatever it is, there’s no denying that in certain lights Edinburgh can seem…

Live in Edinburgh

1 Oct 2008

Henry's Cellar Bar My first stop is Henry’s, a tiny cellar bar with a jam-packed musical schedule. As I amble down the spiralling stone staircase, I can hear a hearty racket coming from inside. In typical Henry’s style, the band onstage are…

Edinburgh Travel

1 Oct 2008

Navigating your way around a strange city can be difficult enough, but Edinburgh in particular seems to find it amusing to convert from Old Town to New Town, or quiet side alley to bustling city street, in the blink of an eye. The following information…

Tracy Emin: 20 Years

1 Oct 2008

In the first major retrospective of her lifetime’s work, Tracey Emin is showing her most famous pieces at the Scottish National Gallery or Modern Art until 7 November. Emin has been a controversial figure in the British art scene for over a decade. Even…

Edinburgh Clubbing Hitlist

1 Oct 2008

The Bongo Club One of the coolest and most eclectic clubs in town, covering everything from drum & bass (Xplicit) to deep dub (Messenger) and all points inbetween. A favourite no attitude club destination. Moray House (G4), 37 Holyrood Road, 0131…

Edinburgh Eating Hitlist

1 Oct 2008

Where to eat in the capital.

Monster Mash

1 Oct 2008

On the doorstep is a perfectly round, speckled potato, wet with autumn rain. This unnoticed spillage is a reminder that Monster Mash make all their mash from scratch; there is no powdered potato allowed anywhere near this kitchen. I gently tap on the…

Edinburgh Bars and Pubs Hitlist

1 Oct 2008

Auld Reekie's best drinking spots

Armstrong's Vintage

1 Oct 2008

It is the attic you always wished your Gran had. The place 70s swimwear, red tailcoats and pillbox hats go to be saved, nurtured and re-sold. This is Armstrongs; Edinburgh’s oldest and finest vintage emporium. Nestling at the bottom of Victoria Street…

Edinburgh Attraction Hitlist

1 Oct 2008

The Castle Museum Edinburgh Castle stands proud as one of the city’s most iconic landmarks and has more than a few historical tales to tell. Castlehill (E4), 0131 225 9846, www.edinburghcastle.gov.uk, open daily 9.30am-5pm, £12 (£9.50), child £6…

Make me a drink!

1 Oct 2008

The Midgie demands service! We want something nice, but we’re fickle, so make us a drink and we’ll tell you if we like it. This issue Andrea Krudde stumbles into Walkabout, Edinburgh.

Cabaret Voltaire

1 Oct 2008

The Cabaret Voltaire has been a beacon for the Edinburgh club scene since it opened in 2005. A gig venue during the day, it transforms into an underground club space as darkness falls - attracting names like Justice, DJ Sneak, John Digweed, Fabio, Dave…

Edinburgh Tours Hitlist

1 Oct 2008

Trainspotting: The Tour This tour steers clear of steam powered transport and instead takes you round the places featured in the iconic film, which naturally includes a fair few drinking establishments. Departs Port o’ Leith, Constitution Street…

See you in the pub

1 Oct 2008

If you’re on a budget, and most likely you are, then there are ways to save or even make money on a night out as Edinburgh pubs will let you gamble, quiz and sing your way to fame and riches - or at least a couple of shandies.

Edinburgh Shopping Hitlist

1 Oct 2008

The Fudge Kitchen Outside this sweetly twee little shop there is usually a big sign inviting you in for free fudge tasting - you probably won’t need asking twice. 30 High Street (F4), 0131 558 1517, www.fudgekitchen.co.uk "> www.fudgekitchen.co.uk…