FESTIVAL AROUND TOWN | Previews
5 WAYS TO GO ON A . . . WALKING TOUR
1 Explore every close and cobble Get to know Edinburgh through a blend of history and storytelling on Saints & Sinners’ Tale of Two Towns tour, offering a look under the skirts of both the medieval Old Town and the Georgian New Town (edinburghsaintsandsinners.co.uk). Or let the local Festival Guides familiarise you with Edinburgh’s most famous street on their Free History Walking Tour of the Royal Mile, which has been covering every stone since 1947 (edinburghfestivalguides.org). 2 Get a breath of fresh air Artist Stuart McAdam – prone to a nomadic life – leads you along the railway tracks in his Lines Lost tour, a slow-travel-as-art project (edinburghartfestival.com). Meanwhile, the horticulturally inclined can escape the stuffy theatres on one of Greenyonder’s garden tours, including a peek into a private green space or two. Choose your own poison (ivy): New Town or Royal Mile (greenyondertours.com). 3 Meet some spooky new pals Brave souls can meet Edinburgh’s many spectral citizens on the Haunted Graveyard Tour (cityofthedeadtours.com), a wend through Greyfriars Graveyard and the Covenanters’ Prison that finishes in the homey-sounding Black Mausoleum – lair of the Mackenzie Poltergeist. On gloomy nights, head down into the Real Mary King’s Close, a buried 16th- century neighbourhood, to hear ‘sinister tales of plague and pestilence’ on their late night Dark Truth Tours (realmarykingsclose.com). 4 Feed your inner bookworm Actor and historian Colin Brown leads Rebus Tours' Hidden Edinburgh tour of the sites featured in Ian Rankin’s Rebus books (rebustours.com). Expect readings from the novels, including an exclusive from the next instalment (out in November). It’s not just for fans, mind: there’s a bagful of local surprises too. 5 Remap the city Think you know Edinburgh inside out? Think again: for their Tourists-in-Residence excursions as part of the Art Festival (edinburghartfestival.com), artists Tom Nolan and Catherine Payton have devised three walks intended to transform the city through the re-imagination of its spaces. ‘We’ll be walking straight past most of the regular calling points,’ they say, and ‘if there’s one thing it’s unlikely to be, [it’s] factually reliable.’(Jaclyn Arndt) ■ Tours start from various locations and at various times throughout the festival; contact organisers for details.
102 THE LIST FESTIVAL 1–8 Aug 2013
WISH YOU WERE THERE . . . Try out golf, surfing, local food and small-scale farming at this mini holiday in the middle of the city
If the only part of Scotland you’ve ever seen is Edinburgh during August, then you may have a skewed sense of what Caledonia has to offer. It’s not all full of sleep-deprived, face-paint-encrusted students doing song-and-dance routines, honest.
In an attempt to give festival-goers a taste of Scotland’s many other delights, the good folks from East Lothian Council are bringing Wish You Were There . . . to the midst of the Fringe, setting up a mini version of their county as a special tourism installation in St Andrew Square.
Passers-by can drop in to sample the sun, sea and sand of a part of Scotland just to the east of
Edinburgh, rich in its own history and culture. Elements of East Lothian heritage available to try include golf, a petting farm, interactive workshops with the Brunton Theatre and Dunbar Science Festival, a range of fresh produce and even a spot of surf coaching on the New Town’s famous foaming waves (possibly brought in just for the occasion). The aim of importing a bit of East Lothian into Edinburgh is, according to East Lothian Council
Economics Development Manager Susan Smith, to ‘provide a microcosm of East Lothian: what you can do on a day out, where you can stay, the food and drink . . . and just to showcase another part of the country in the city centre.’ And locals can try something new, too. ‘It’s not just for Fringe-goers,’ says Smith. ‘It’s for residents
of Edinburgh who might not realise what’s actually on their doorstep. And it’s an opportunity to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city to somewhere quieter and more peaceful.’ (Charlotte Runcie) ■ St Andrew Square, until 11 Aug, 10am–7pm, free, visiteastlothian.org
MOMENTS OF CALM Rounding up the best festival chill-out spots
Aching feet? Tired muscles? The festival is great, sure, but after a day of experimental theatre and satirical comedy in leaky pubs, all you really want is a moment to yourself away from the madness. Luckily there are some hidden havens you can escape to. For complete peace and quiet, you might like to try
some meditating at the Edinburgh Buddhist Centre. Even if you don’t quite reach spiritual enlightenment, there’s tea and biccies afterwards. Over at Greenside, Mardy Arts have a whole range
of weird and wonderful happenings in store. In the words of the venue’s director, Darren Neale, it’s ‘a temporary space in which to pause, breathe, share a cup of tea laced with a love of festival chatter and gossip.’ OK, so their Charity Shop Rummaging Disco doesn’t scream ‘relaxing’ but might be worth checking out for curiosity’s sake. And if it’s just a bit of pampering you’re after, you could always drop by Neal’s Yard Remedies. Their yearly Festival Chill-Out Zone aims to provide a calm environment with a range of 15–60 minute treatments and complimentary herbal tea. Who doesn’t need a bit of acupuncture during the festival? (Nina Glencross) ■ Buddhist Meditation, Edinburgh Buddhist Centre, 662 6699, 2–6 & 14–25 Aug (not 19, 20), 11am, £9 (£6); Beside the Greenside, Greenside, 557 2124, 2–24 Aug (not 5, 6, 11, 12, 18, 19), 1pm–6pm, free. non-ticketed; Festival Chill-Out Zone, Neal’s Yard Remedies, 226 3223, until 27 Aug, 9am–8pm, free.