The Pyramids, Skara Brae and Maes Hawe Sat 24 Feb. 2~4pm. £4 (£3). Quaker Meeting Home. 7 Victoria Terrace. 331 3234. Advance booking advised. Egyptian Roots discuss the similarities between ancient Egyptian and Scottish cultures and in particular the similarities between the pyramid builders and early Scots construction.

From The Bottom Up: The Original Disposable Nappy Tue 27 Feb. lprn. £3 (£1.50); children under 18 free. Royal Museum. 2 Chambers Street. 247 4219. Museum curator Jennifer Webster dichsses a time before the invention of Pampers.

Library Service Now - Are Books Redundant? Wed 28 Feb. 10.30am. £I. ()pen Door. 420 Morningside Road. 447 9757. A talk on the importance of books given by Andrew Bethune of Edinburgh Central Librarv.

Professor Rebecca Wallace Wed 28 Feb. 6.30pm. Napier I'niversity. Morningside Church. 2 Newbattle Terrace. 228 I 155. The advisor to the Human Rights Institute considers the costs involved in human rights.

The Human Genome Project Thu 1 Mar. 6.30pm. £3 or free on night. Royal Museum. 2 Chambers Street. 228 1 I55. Director of the Medical Research Council Human Genetics Unit. Professor Nicholas llastie debates the moral. medical and scientific issues related to the final sequencing of the human genome.

Sports

Scotland v Wales Sat (7 Feb. 4pm. £20~£40 (£l0—£30). Murrayfield Stadittrn. Riversdale Crescent. 0870444 4221. See phobrcaphon.

Scotland v Wales Sim 18 Feb. 2pm. £5 (£3); under 16s free. Meggetland. Boroughmuir RFC. 346 5163. Women's Six Nations Championship tame. Edinburgh Capitals v Pais ey Pirates Stilt 18 Feb. 6pm. £8 (£4). Murrayfield Ice Rink. Riversdale Crescent. 313 2977. A clash of the Scottish ice hockey titans. Hearts v Dunfermline Sat 24 Feb. 3pm. £16—£I7 (£8—-£9). 'I‘ynecastle Stadium. Gorgie Road. 200 7201. In any other year. this would have been a pretty meaningless clash at this stage of the season. However. the top six split gives Craig Levein and Jimmy Calderwood excellent cause to push their players hard.

Edinburgh Capitals v Fife Flyers Sun 25 Feb. 6pm. £8 (£4). Murrayfield Ice Rink. Riversdale Crescent. 313 2977. Edinburgh's ice hockey team continue their British National League campaign. Edinburgh Rocks Sun 25 Feb. 5pm. £7 (£5). Meadowbank Sports Centre. 139 London Road. 66l 5351. More basket action as the Rocks tip off against Birmingham.

Other Events

Managing Traffic In Central Edinburgh Until Thu I Mar. 10am—4pm. Free. City Development Department. 1 Cockburn Street. 469 3509/3785. The Central Edinburgh Traffic Management Proposals will be on display illustrating the council‘s agenda for a cleaner and safer environment for road users in Edinburgh. Old Town Guard Thu 15 & Fri 16 Feb. Thu 22 & Fri 23 Feb. 10am—4pm. £7 (£2—£5). Edinburgh Castle. 225 9846. Alba Adventure Company take you back to 1743 when rumours of a Jacobite rising were rife.

Edinburgh Midweek Group Thu 15 Feb. Tue 20—Thu 22 Feb. Tue 27—Thu 1 Mar. 9.30am. Various venues. 332 8700. Help BTCV Scotland in a series of conservation tasks. using free transport to and from the site. Each day is different. and Tue 27—Thu I Mar is a surprise spring project. Meet at Waverley Bridge.

Popular Observing Fri 16 Feb 8; Fri 23 Feb. 7.30pm. £1. Royal Observatory Visitor Centre. Blackford Hill. 668 8405. View Saturn with its rings and Jupiter and its tnoons from one of the telescopes of the Royal Observatory.

Plant Fortunes Sat 17 Feb. 10.30am—noon. £3. Royal Botanic Garden. lnverleith Row. 552 7171. A guided tour highlighting some of the plants which have made a significant profit for man.

High Blood Pressure Awareness Day Sat 17 Feb. I lam—4.30pm. Assembly Rooms. 54 George Street. 220 4349. Learn all about the effects of high blood pressure and how to prevent it at this special awareness day.

Aveva Natural Remedies Clinic Mon 19 Feb. Aveva —- The Natural Health Centre. 9 Gillespie Place. 228 3234. Learn tnore about the benefits of natural remedies from naturopath and herbalist practitioners. The clinic offers a free service to students. ()APs and low income earners.

Enamel Jewellery Workshops Mon l9-Fri 23 Feb. I0.30am—I2.30pm. £5 (£2.50). Royal Mtiseum. 2 Chambers Street. 247 4219. Advance booking required. For adults and children over 8. Ann Little leads this series ofjewellery workshops.

Guid Crack Club Fri 23 Feb. 7.30pm. The Waverley. St Mary‘s Street. 556 9579. Edinburgh's regular storytelling club. Astronomical Journey of Discovery Fri 23 Feb. 7.30pm. £1. Royal Observatory Visitor Centre. Blackford Hill. 668 8405. View the observable universe through the centre’s six-inch telescope. exploring the moon. planets and stars. The evening is complemented by a presentation on a different topic each week. Tonight Russell Eberst gives a talk on ‘The Night Sky In March'. Northern Lights: Inspiration From Scandinavia Sat 24 Feb. 10.30am—430pm. £25—£32.50 (£17.50). Royal Botanic Garden. lnverleith Row. 552 7171. Karl-Dietrich Buhler. Stefan Mattson. Ulf Nordfjell and Julie Toll are the guest speakers at this Scottish Group Seminar Day 2001 organised by the Society of Garden Designers.

Fair Maids Of February Sun 25 Feb. 2—4pm. Free. Camtno Lodge Visitor Centre. C ammo Estate. C ammo Road. 447 7145. The winter flowers are blooming at Cammo‘s stunning display. Prints Wed 28 Feb. I(lam—noon. Free. Huntly House. 142 Canongate. 529 4143. Deputy Keeper of Fine Art. David Patterson leads a study workshop looking at Edinburgh‘s past.

Life Under Siege Thu I Mar. 10am—4pm. Free. Edinburgh Castle. 225 9846. Alba Adventure Company present a re-enactment of Jacobite rebellion in the historic setting of Edinburgh Castle.

PERMANENT ATTRACTIONS

Caledonian Brewery

42 Slateford Road. 623 8066. £5. Tours are Mon—Fri I 1am. 12.30pm & 2.30pm. The award-winning Caledonian Brewery. still going strong after I(X) years. will let you into the secrets behind the crafting of their fine ales. The tour takes you through the brewing process. from crushing the malt to brewing in the open coppers. culminating in a free beer of your choice in the sample cellar. Private evening and weekend tours available. call for details.

Carberry Candle Cottage Musselburgh. 665 5656. Mon—Sat 9am“5pm; Sun noon—5pm. Free. If you've a passion for candles. then take a drive out to this treasure trove of all things wax. Their factory shop is full of perfumed. aromatherapy and feng shui candles. plus a bargain clearance comer. Professionals are on hand to demonstrate the art of candle making. or you can have

a go at carving your own.

Dynamic Earth

Holyrood Road. 550 7800. Wed—Sun 10am—5pm. £6.95 (£3.95—4.95); family ticket £18.50. With volcanoes erupting beneath your feet. a tropical rainstorm pouring down. earthquakes and tidal waves at every tum. the history of the

earth has never been more interesting. Edinburgh's latest visitor attraction uses stunning new developments in interactive technology to piece together the history of the planet. creating a thoroughly modem way to step back in time.

listings EDINBURGH LIFE

Victorian mould. Portobello Swim Centre has recently benefited from a complete

refit. courtesy of council and lottery

money. It now houses up-to-the-minute sports facilities as well as a pool and authentic Turkish Bath facilities.

Edinburgh Castle

Castlehill. 225 9846. Daily 9.30am~5pm. £7 (£2—£5). Although much of the castle‘s medieval character was lost when it was converted into barracks in the 19th century. continuing excavations aim to redress this. Other attractions include James IV's famous cannon. Mons Meg. the One O'Clock Gun with its own exhibition. lots of military silverware and. of course. The Stone Of Destiny. Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour

Meet at The Beehive Inn. 18—20 Grassrnarket. 226 6665. Fri 7.30pm. £7 (£5). Pre-booking required for parties of ten or more. An excellent way to imbibe culture by visiting the favourite watering holes of Scotland's literary heroes. including Sir Walter Scott. Robert Burns and Irvine Welsh.

Edinburgh Zoo Corstorphine Road. 334 9171. Daily

9am—4.30pm. £7 (£4—£5); family ticket £20—£24.50. Widely accepted as one of

the finest zoos in Britain. there's plenty

l

here to while away an aftemoon. or even a whole day if you take your time. The penguin parade at 2.15pm is a must and the newly-built African plains afford a fantastic view of the city.

Medieval Torture Exhibition

45—47 Niddry Street. 557 4700. Daily 10am—10pm. £1. lfthumbscrews and jawbreakers are your thing then drop into this Edinburgh attraction. featuring the latest and greatest in medieval torture devices and instruments of humiliation. including the enigmatically-named ‘Scavenger's Daughter‘. Aftemoon tours £5. evening tours £6.

Museum Of Scotland

Chambers Street. 247 4219. Mon—Sat 10am—5pm; Sun noon—5pm; Tue 10am—8pm. £3 (£1.50); children under 18 free. Devoted solely to the history and heritage of Scotland. the building contains five thematically-arranged exhibitions. moving from pre-history. through the Industrial Revolution. to the present day.

Portobello Swim Centre

57 Promenade. 669 6888. Mon—Fri 7am—9pm; Sat & Sun 9am—4pm. A swimming pool in the traditional

Rosslyn Chapel Roslin. 440 2159. Mon—Sat 10am—5pm; Sun 11.45am—4.45pm. £4 (£3.50). What

i you get out of a trip to Rosslyn Chapel

may depend on your familiarity with

books of the conspiracy theorist genre: a

stronghold for the Knights Templar‘.’; proof of pre-Columbian trans-Atlantic travel‘.’; even the final resting place of the Holy Grail'?!‘.’ What is certain though is that the chapel contains enough historically fascinating carvings and symbols to hold the attention of even the most determined philistine. Royal Botanic Garden lnverleith Row. 552 7171. Daily

9.30am—5pm. Free. A sea of tranquillity

in the hubbub of the city. the Botanic Garden is home to a wealth of flora from all over the world. The glasshouses give you the opportunity to check out tropical plants as well. The site also hosts art exhibitions. horticultural courses and various countryside events. including daily guided walks in the

Water Of Leith Visitor Centre

24 Lanark Road. 455 7367. Wed—Sun 10am—4pm. Discover everything there is to know about the 24 mile joumey the Water Of Leith takes from the Pentland Hills to Leith. through interactive displays and video panels. The visitor centre is the ideal starting point for a stroll along the Walkway where you can spot a wide diversity of plants and wildlife.

OUTSIDE THE CITIES

Doug Scott - Moments Of Being Thu 22 Feb. 7.30pm. £7.50 (£6). Adam Smith Theatre. Bennochy Road. Kirkcaldy. 01592 412929. Doug Scott became one of the first British climbers to reach the summit of Everest in 1975. On his return from an expedition to Tibet. Scott talks about his climbing experiences.

Body 8: Soul Health Fair Sat 24 Feb.

1 1am—6pm. £2 (£1.50); accompanied under 16s free. Caird Hall. City Square. Dundee. 01382 434940. Health and healing therapies on offer include massage. reiki. crystals. tarot. music and lots more.

Lloyd TSB Six Nations Championship

Rugby. That'll be the game with funny shaped balls. Yes, but it also happens to be a sport that Scotland don't completely stink at.

$0 how's their form been so far? Well, they suffered defeat at the hands of the French, but that should be a mere glitch on an otherwise spotless championship

campaign. We hope.

0k, count me in. Sorry, tickets for the match against Wales are the sporting equivalent of gold dust, but there are still tickets available for forthcoming home games against Italy (Sat 17 Mar) and Ireland (Sat 7 Apr).

I Scot/and v Wa/es, Sat 17 Feb, 4pm. £20—[40 (15 70—80). Murray/field Stadium, Riversdale Crescent, 0870 444 4221, www.5ru.org.uk

IS Feb—I Mar 2001 TIELIIT I7

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