Edinburgh

Edinburgh

Edinburgh’s Old Town

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Sign for the Royal Mile. Taken by Dave Warley via Flickr.

Thoughts of the Scottish capital of Edinburgh invoke images of stone castles, medieval architecture, winding cobblestone streets and, naturally, a few bagpipes.

While the New Town and coastal areas are thriving sections of the city, my personal favorite part is the original, medieval Edinburgh’s Old Town. Kings and queens, invading armies, the condemned and the celebrated have walked through these streets for hundreds of years and in 1995 the Old Town has been an official UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995.

The Start Of Edinburgh’s Old Town Begins With The Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh Castle. Taken by Hector Garcia via Flickr.
Edinburgh Castle. Taken by Hector Garcia via Flickr.

The layout of Edinburgh’s Old Town runs similar to many of the old quarters of northern European cities. It begins with the fortification, in this case the picturesque Edinburgh Castle perched on top of a rocky crag (rocky or steep cliff) that has developed from a long extinct volcano.

This crag, known as Castle Rock, was the earliest section of the city to be developed. It is unknown when the earliest fortification was built there, some evidence suggests early settlements to the late Bronze Age, but it is widely accepted that some sort of castle was first erected in the 11th century.

The Royal Mile

Sign for the Royal Mile. Taken by Dave Warley via Flickr.
Sign for the Royal Mile. Taken by Dave Warley via Flickr.

From the Edinburgh Castle, the layout of the Edinburgh’s Old Town slopes down towards the east on the tail of land from Castle Rock. During the 12th century, Holyrood Abbey was built at the foot of the hill, which created the spine in which medieval Edinburgh grew. This connection between the two is commonly referred to as the Royal Mile. Today there are only ruins of the Holyrood Abbey, but it is a spot not to be missed. Along the Royal Mile, small alleys and streets come from each side, forming a fishbone shape and each offering a cool new place to explore.

The Royal Mile. Taken by Caitlin via Flickr.
The Royal Mile. Taken by Caitlin Bonnar via Flickr.

During the development of the residential area of the Royal Mile, it was very advantageous to live inside the defensive walls. Since the street area itself is so narrow, the homes had to be built in a multi-story fashion and are considered some of the first “high rise” residential buildings.

On the Royal Mile, you will find the heartbeat of Edinburgh’s Old Town. Not only is it one of the main sections of the world famous Edinburgh Festival Fringe, but it is also full of the oldest visitor attractions and tons of shops, bars, restaurants and nightclubs.

St Giles’ Cathedral

St. Giles' Cathedral. Taken by Gary Ullah via Flickr.
St. Giles’ Cathedral. Taken by Gary Ullah via Flickr.

Also known as the High Kirk of Edinburgh, the Cathedral has been the focal point of the Church of Scotland and the principle place of worship for nearly 900 years. The present church dates to the 14th century, with a famous crown spire and stands in the center of the Royal Mile between Edinburgh Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

[Edinburgh Guide], [Time Out]

Get Your Big Break at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe

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Tron Pub Sign at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. By Brian McNeil (Own work) [CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Tron Pub Sign, Ediburgh
Tron Pub Sign at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. By Brian McNeil (Own work), via Wikimedia Commons

On a visit to Edinburgh, Scotland last summer I woke up to a headless suit in my bunkmates bed…

A bit startled and confused, I took a closer look and realized it was a costume that many street performers wear to create an illusion for their audience that they are in fact, a headless man in a suit.

Still a bit puzzled, but trying not to think not much else of it, I continued getting ready for the day, taking some time to make small talk with the others in my hostel room. Two other guys were from Australia, but had come to Edinburgh to showcase their acrobatics act this coming weekend. Hm, okay, that’s something you don’t hear everyday.

Long story short, I soon learned that the collection of performers that had all come to Edinburgh for this coming weekend were actually there to participate in the largest arts festival worldwide, better known as the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

What is the Edinburgh Festival Fringe?

Since 1947, for three weeks each August, artists have been coming to Edinburgh to perform all kinds of acts. In 2014 alone there were over 3,193 shows from 51 countries in 299 venues. We just happened to visit the three days before the festival began, but luckily there were plenty of warm-up acts throughout the streets to give us just a small sample of what the festival would actually be like.

Street Performer - By Festival Fringe Society (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 ], via Wikimedia Commons
Street Performer – By Festival Fringe Society (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 ], via Wikimedia Commons
A unique aspect of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe is there is no selection committee, opening up the doors for all types of performers to participate. This also allows for more experimental displays that may not be typically invited to more conservative art festivals. Within varying degrees of moderate to out-of-this-world, the typical categories of performance art include Cabaret, Children’s Shows, Comedy, Dance, Physical Theatre and Circus, Events, Exhibitions, Music, Musicals, Opera, Spoken Word and Theatre.

In addition to the official Programme of Events, there is also a wide range of street events and acts (probably including my headless former bunkmate), that are typically found on the Royal Mile, a main street in Edinburgh, and Mount Precinct. This is the largest street fair of its kind worldwide and in 2014, 933 groups participated.

For performers and audiences alike, the Fringe offers a variety of opportunities and experiences that are extremely unique. Performers have the ability to showcase their talents in front of big industry names, a feat that would be very difficult in other locations, such as Hollywood. They can watch other performers and gain an insight into the current happenings in their field and draw inspiration for their own act. Many famous comedians, for example Bill Bailey and Graham Norton got their big break at the Fringe.

For the audience, they have the chance to experience an overwhelming amount of creativity and entertainment. No matter what type of performing arts you are interested in, there is a show for you. Some events are free to enter while others you are required to book a ticket ahead of time. The tickets however, are relatively cheap, (a quick search came up with the tickets for £5 each), which lets you go to many different shows during your visit. The difficult part, however, is finding accommodation in the city, so if you think the Fringe could be a cool idea for you next month, I would recommend to look right away for a place to stay!

Here is a sneak peak of what you can expect to find at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe courtesy of the Fringe Society:

[the Fringe Society], [Wikipedia]

Featured image from Brian McNeil (Own work) [CC BY 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

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