VisitScotland has produced Edinburgh’s first ever ultimate survival guide to help festivalgoers make the most of this summer’s selection of arts events in the city.
Targeted at visitors in town for the world-famous events taking place this summer – such as the ongoing Edinburgh Fringe comedy festival, plus the Jazz and Blues Festival, Art Festival and International Book Festival – the survival guide will ensure visitors are “no longer left red-faced after incorrectly trying to pronounce Cockburn Street,” according to the tourism body.
The guide book details a selection of highlights from this summer’s events, plus insider hints and tips to make the most of the world’s festival city. The 60-page guide is available to download free online from the VisitScotland
website and reveals what to expect in Edinburgh throughout the season, from unusual show venues such as Sandy’s Boxing Gym, Adam Pottery and Morningside Library; to hidden city gems like Dunbar’s Close Gardens off the Royal Mile, Waverley Station market and the Signet Library pop-up champagne bar.
Valuable information on where to eat, what to bring, correct pronunciations and how to travel to the city are also included in the guide, as well as the history of the festivals, recommended LGBT bars and pubs, where to go if travelling further afield, and the 10 most-visited attractions.
“We welcome this initiative by VisitScotland which will help visitors to the city navigate the richness and diversity of Edinburgh during the August festivals,” chair of Festivals Edinburgh Ken Hay.
“Edinburgh’s Festivals are distinctively Scottish and yet fiercely and famously international, attracting thousands of artists, performers and audiences from across the world each year. In a remarkable year for Scotland, this guide will assist the Festivals in capitalising on their enormous global value for the benefit of Scotland.”
The Edinburgh Festivals Impact Study, released in 2011, stated that the festivals over the course of the year generated £261m of economic impact for Scotland, sustaining 5,242 full time jobs in Edinburgh.
Visitors are also being encouraged to explore nearby tourism regions including Perthshire, the Scottish Borders, Fife, Stirling and the Lothians in the ‘Exploring Further Afield’ section of the guide book.
