![\"Edinburgh](\"https:\/\/travelthruhistory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/edinburgh2.jpg\")
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by Andy Hayes<\/em><\/p>\n The fun starts in the beginning \u2013 or the end \u2013 of the year with Edinburgh\u2019s Hogmanay, a multi-faceted festival brightening up the long dark nights of winter and welcoming in the New Year. Many modern day traditions for the New Year come from Scotland, including the iconic Auld Lang Syne song, written by Scottish poet Robert Burns. The song is written in Scots, which explains why many find the lyrics to be near-undecipherable.<\/p>\n June brings us the Edinburgh International Film Festival. One of the higher profile film festivals in Europe, Edinburgh\u2019s score tends to focus more on independent and sometimes eccentric European content. From dark Danish themes to English happy-go-lucky tales, each year\u2019s lineup includes something for every theater fan. Movies are shown in the city\u2019s wonderful films venues, including the Cameo and the Filmhouse. The Cameo welcomes visitors with its bright, old-fashioned signage, and more of these traditional touches can be found inside. Nearby, the Filmhouse is a slightly more modern space but upstairs in the main theatre is a classic screening room fronted by a massive, thick red curtain that is as beautiful as it is functional. Each theatre has a cafe worth visiting on its own, with a full array of drinks and ambience that can be enjoyed either before or after a show. The Filmhouse also has a lengthy menu of fresh, healthy entrees suitable for either lunch or dinner.<\/p>\n The crowning centerpiece of the August events tends to be the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, a m\u00e9lange of bagpipes, military drums and dancing performers. It is easy to see why this particular experience is so special as the setting is straight from a fairy tale, taking place directly underneath Edinburgh Castle on the Esplanade; highlights of show include fireworks, over-the-top military processions and kilts as far as the eye can see. Tickets sell out for this event almost as soon as they go on sale, so if you have not booked a year in advance then you might be hard pressed for a seat.<\/p>\n The key to Edinburgh\u2019s charm is in its balance of big city offerings in a compact city size. It is a rural paradise but also a cosmopolitan capital. There is nothing else like it. And with a revolving calendar of amazing festivals, you\u2019ll never be shy of a reason to come for a visit.<\/p>\n Wikipedia explains Hogmany<\/a> While Edinburgh is full of sights, there is plenty of excitement outside the city center. One great choice is an afternoon in Rosslyn Chapel<\/strong> in the nearby village of Roslin. Accessible by a short 25-minute bus ride, the chapel is open every day of the week and costs only \u00a310 to explore the inside and outside of this medieval relic. It is an unusual survivor, as almost all nearby churches were destroyed in earlier times. Free talks are hosted throughout the day \u2013 these explain some of the historical facts of the church, as well as some of the various speculation that has developed with the rise in Roslin\u2019s fame due to Dan Brown\u2019s novel, The DaVinci Code<\/a> Edinburgh Tours Now Available:<\/strong><\/p>\n 3-Hour Private Edinburgh Castle Tour<\/a> About the author:<\/em> All are photos \u00a9 Andrew Hayes.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" by Andy Hayes The fun starts in the beginning \u2013 or the end \u2013 of the year with Edinburgh\u2019s Hogmanay, a multi-faceted festival brightening up the long dark nights of winter and welcoming in the New Year. Many modern day traditions for the New Year come from Scotland, including the iconic Auld Lang Syne song, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[65],"tags":[1019,333],"class_list":{"0":"post-5837","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-u-k-travel","7":"tag-edinburth-attractions","8":"tag-scotland-travel","9":"entry"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/travelthruhistory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5837","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/travelthruhistory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/travelthruhistory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/travelthruhistory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/travelthruhistory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5837"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/travelthruhistory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5837\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/travelthruhistory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5837"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/travelthruhistory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5837"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/travelthruhistory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5837"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Edinburgh](\"https:\/\/travelthruhistory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/edinburgh1.jpg\")
<\/a>The city events leading up to the huge street party held on December 31 include an authentic German Christmas market set in Princes Street Gardens; this venue offer the opportunity to ice skate or simply sip a hot mulled wine while surveying the beautiful Christmas lights adorning the already magnificent city skyline. Stalls offer freshly made food, ornaments, and other great gifts. The market is surrounded by masses of amusement park rides, filling the cold air with sounds of screams and laughter. A giant Ferris wheel, sitting next to the charming Scott Monument, completes the picture-postcard setting.<\/p>\n<\/a>Edinburgh turns into the UK\u2019s busiest city in August, when not only does the Edinburgh Fringe Festival roll into town, but also the Jazz and Blues Festival, Art Festival, Military Tattoo, International Festival, Book Festival, and Mela Festival. The streets are filled beyond capacity with tourists watching buskers show off their latest routines. Every room in the city is transformed into a performance venue \u2013 from vaults in cellars to school classrooms to caravans parked out on the street. Pubs are open until the wee hours of dawn, restaurants are packed and reservations are impossible to be had. City squares are turned into tent-filled carnivals. This is August in Edinburgh, home to the world\u2019s largest arts festival, the Edinburgh Fringe.<\/p>\n<\/a>The Scottish capital was the first city to be titled as a UNESCO City of Literature so it is only appropriate that August also make space for a book festival. Writing still features highly in Edinburgh, with resident J.K. Rowling often making the headlines with her world-famous Harry Potter series. The book festival features a number of interesting authors across all genres, but even a non-book lover could enjoy this event due to the setting: the entire festival is set within the grassy knoll at the center of charming Charlotte Square, surrounded on all sides by Georgian townhomes and black iron fences. The center of the square is normally closed to pedestrian access, so this view of the surrounding streets is only available once a year.<\/p>\nFor More Information:<\/h3>\n
\nHogmany celebrations across Scotland<\/a>
\nOfficial guide to Edinburgh<\/a>
\nCity Guide to Edinburgh, Scotland<\/a><\/p>\n
\nRosslyn Chapel and Hadrian’s Wall Small Group Day Tour from Edinburgh<\/a>
\nGuided Edinburgh Private Walking Tour<\/a>
\nRosslyn Chapel, the Scottish Borders and Glenkinchie Distillery Tour from Edinburgh<\/a>
\nWhisky-Tasting Day Trip from Edinburgh<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\nAndy Hayes is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in Edinburgh, Scotland. When not out having travel adventures (or dreaming of new ones), he is hitting the walking trails near home. To get in touch or see Andy’s other travelogues, visit his website at www.andyhayes.com.<\/p>\n