Edinburgh is right at the heart of Scottish culture during the annual
Edinburgh International Festival and the flurry of festivals which surround it. However, even without this, the city has a flourishing cultural scene.
The Edinburgh Festival Theater, 13-29 Nicolson Street (tel: (0131) 529 6000; fax: (0131) 662 1199; e-mail:
bookings@eft.co.uk; website:
www.eft.co.uk), specializes in opera, ballet, dance, musical
and a variety of productions on a grand scale. It has the biggest stage of any presenting theater in Britain and is the venue for Edinburgh’s most prestigious shows. The
Usher Hall, Lothian Road (tel: (0131) 228 1155; website:
www.usherhall.co.uk), is home to the
Royal Scottish National Orchestra (website:
www.rsno.org.uk). Other major venues (the
Royal Lyceum Theater,
the King’s Theater and the
Usher Hall) are all to be found in the west of the city on or around Lothian Road.
Tickets to the Edinburgh Festival, the Hogmanay party and many other cultural events are available for purchase from
The Hub, Castlehill (tel: (0131) 473 2000; website:
www.eif.co.uk/thehub/). Tickets for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival are issued by the
Edinburgh Fringe Office, 180 High Street (tel: (0131) 226 5257). All other tickets can be purchased from the venues. The Military Tattoo has its own ticket office on 32 Market Street (tel: (0131) 225 1188).
Ticketmaster (tel: (0870) 534 4444; website:
www.scotland.ticketmaster.co.uk) and
Ticketline (tel: (0870) 444 5556; website:
www.ticketline.co.uk) also provide tickets for some events and venues.
There is a wealth of information for all the Edinburgh cultural events available online, for the Edinburgh Festival (website:
www.eif.co.uk), the Edinburgh Fringe Festival (website:
www.edfringe.com), the Jazz Festival (website:
www.jazzmusic.co.uk), the Edinburgh Film Festival (website:
www.edfilmfest.org.uk), the Book Festival (website:
www.edbookfest.co.uk) and the Military Tattoo (website:
www.edintattoo.co.uk). A good general online source of information (website:
www.edinburghfestivals.co.uk) also provides information on cultural events in the city.
Music: The
Usher Hall, Lothian Road (tel: (0131) 228 1155; website:
www.usherhall.co.uk), is Edinburgh’s finest concert hall and home to the Royal Scottish National Orchestra (website:
www.rsno.org.uk).
Queen’s Hall, Clerk Street (tel: (0131) 668 2019; fax: (0131) 668 2656; e-mail:
admin@queenshalledinburgh.org; website:
www.queenshalledinburgh.co.uk), is also a popular venue for classical music performances. This former church hosts a world-class program, headed by the
Scottish Chamber Orchestra. The
Edinburgh Playhouse, 18-22 Greenside Place (tel: (0131) 524 3333) is home to large musical productions, as well as one-off pop concerts.
Theater: The
Royal Lyceum Theater Company, 30B Grindlay Street (tel: (0131) 248 4800
or 248 4848 for tickets; e-mail:
info@lyceum.org.uk; website:
www.lyceum.org.uk), is Edinburgh’s leading theater company. The
King’s Theater, 2 Leven Street (tel: (0131) 529 6000; fax: (0131) 662 1199; e-mail:
tickets@eft.co.uk; website:
www.eft.co.uk), is an elegant Edwardian venue presenting quality drama of a traditional nature, as well as the city’s annual pantomime. The
Traverse Theater, 10 Cambridge Street (tel: (0131) 228 1404; fax: (0131) 229 8443; e-mail:
boxoffice@traverse.co.uk; website:
www.traverse.co.uk), focuses on award-winning, exciting and original contemporary plays by Scottish and international writers.
Dance: The main dance center in Edinburgh is
Dance Base (tel: (0131) 225 5525; e-mail:
dance@dancebase.org.uk; website:
www.dancebase.org.uk), which has classes, workshops and events at 14-16 Grassmarket.
Film: The
Filmhouse, 88 Lothian Road (tel: (0131) 228 2688; website:
www.filmhousecinema.com), is an independent arthouse cinema showing international films and classics. It is also the headquarters for the
Edinburgh International Film Festival. Multi-screen complexes include the
Cameo Cinema, 38 Home Street (tel: (0131) 228 2800), the
Odeon Cinema, 118 Lothian Road (tel: (0871) 224 4007), the
Vue, Greenside Row (tel: (08712) 240240),
Vue, Ocean Terminal, Leith (tel: (0131) 553 0700 and the
UCI, out of the center at Kinnaird Park (tel: (08712) 244007).
Edinburgh has become an increasingly popular place to make movies and also features in many well-known films.
Trainspotting (1996),
Shallow Grave (1994),
Women Talking Dirty (1999),
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969) and
Great Expectations (1998) were all shot or set in Edinburgh. Further Hollywood acclaim is set to surround the city in 2006 when a big budget movie adaptation of the
Da Vinci Code features Rosslyn Chapel on the outskirts of Edinburgh.
Cultural Events: The highlight of the cultural year in Scotland is the
Edinburgh International Festival, which takes place for three weeks towards the end of the summer (Aug/Sep). Founded in 1947, it is now the largest arts festival in the world. The innovative
Edinburgh Festival Fringe and
International Film Festival run concurrently with the main festival. Shows range from short open-air concerts to full-scale productions by the Royal Shakespeare Company. The
Military Tattoo also takes place in the summer (Aug) on Edinburgh Castle’s Esplanade. Other major festivals that coincide with the main Festival include the
International TV Festival,
Edinburgh International Jazz Festival,
Edinburgh Book Festival and
Edinburgh International Folk Festival. Every April, the city hosts the
Edinburgh Science Festival, which attracts scientists from around the world. Edinburgh’s
Hogmanay, celebrated on 31 December, has its origins in pre-Christian times and is always one of Europe’s largest New Year celebrations. The
Edinburgh and Lothian Information Center (website:
www.edinburgh.org) provides more information on the program of events to celebrate Hogmanay.
Literary Notes: The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1961), by Muriel Spark, seemed to define the city’s traditional image in the 20th century, until Irvine Welsh’s
Trainspotting was published in 1993. Great writers to have expounded on Edinburgh in earlier periods include Robert Louis Stevenson, whose famous tale of
Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1886) was set in London but based on his experiences of Edinburgh, and Sir Walter Scott in
The Waverley Novels (1829-33). JK Rowling wrote the first book of the
Harry Potter series,
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (1997), while sitting in a café in Edinburgh and still lives in the city. Ian Rankin’s captivating detective novels, starring the hard-nosed Inspector Rebus, delve into the city’s dirty underbelly, but also often provide insights into the city informing visitors and raising wry smiles from locals. The latest,
Fleshmarket Close (2004), is widely regarded as one of his best.
Sport:Football is Scotland’s most popular game and there is a Scottish league of four divisions in which Scotland’s football teams compete. The national team has failed to make it to a European Championship or World Cup since 1998 despite the fanatical and devoted support of the vociferous Tartan Army, who have themselves won more trophies than the actual team over the last decade or so. Scottish football is dominated by the two big teams from Glasgow,
Celtic and
Rangers, but there have been recent signs of a renaissance in the east.
Heart of Midlothian (‘Hearts’), based at
Tynecastle Stadium (tel: (0131) 200 7200; website:
www.heartsfc.co.uk) have recently been taken over by a Lithuanian businessman who appointed a big name manager and strengthened the squad in an attempt to challenge the ‘Old Firm’.
Hibernian (‘Hibs’), based at
Easter Road Stadium (tel: (0131) 661 2159; website:
www.hibernianfc.co.uk), have taken a different road, choosing to bring through young players and encourage local talent, a policy which reaped benefits in the 2004-2005 season, when they made it into European competition for the first time in years as they finished third.
Rugby is also very popular and Scotland competes in the Six Nations Rugby Championship, which it has won in the past, though the national team has struggled in recent years.
Murrayfield (tel: (0131) 346 5000; website:
www.scottishrugby.org) is the center of the nation’s rugby activities. Edinburgh’s own team, the
Edinburgh Gunners, also play their Celtic League and Heineken Cup matches at Murrayfield. A short distance away,
Murrayfield Ice Rink has regular displays of ice-skating, curling and ice hockey.
Musselburgh Racecourse, just outside the city boundaries, was established in 1816 and is one of the oldest racetracks in the country.
Tickets for sporting events can be purchased direct from the clubs and from the
Murrayfield and
Meadowbank stadiums, 139 London Road (tel: (0131) 661 5351; fax: (0131) 652 0927) sports centers. Tickets are also available for purchase from
Ticketline (tel. (0870) 444 5556; website:
www.ticketline.co.uk) and
Ticketmaster (tel: (0870) 534 4444; website:
www.scotland.ticketmaster.co.uk). Ticketmaster tickets are also often available from the Edinburgh Tourist Information center on Princes Street.
Fitness Centers: Meadowbank Sports Center, 139 London Road (tel: (0131) 661 5351; fax: (0131) 652 0927), provides facilities for many different sports. The
Balmoral and
Scotsman hotels (
see Hotels) also all have fitness centers that take day guests.
Golf: Golfers are well catered for in Edinburgh. There are no fewer than six municipal courses and 28 private clubs, many of which welcome visitors.
Braid Hills Golf Course, Braid Hills Approach Road, Braid Hills Road (tel: (0131) 447 6666), is a pay-and-play 18-hole course. Green fees are £15 per round.
Kings Acre Golf Course, Lasswade (tel: (0131) 663 3456; fax: (0131) 663 7076; website:
www.kings-acregolf.com), is an 18-hole pay-and-play par-70 parkland course. Green fees are £22 per round (£30 at weekends). For more information on golfing in the Edinburgh area, visit
http://golf.visitscotland.com.
Skiing: Midlothian Ski Center, Hillend, near Edinburgh (tel: (0131) 445 4433; fax: (0131) 445 5549; e-mail:
ski@midlothian.gov.uk), is one of Europe’s longest artificial ski slopes, with a chair lift and skiing and snowboarding facilities.
Swimming: The Royal Commonwealth Pool, Dalkeith Road (tel: (0131) 667 7211; fax: (0131) 662 0265) was built for the 1970 Commonwealth Games.
Tennis: Courts are available at
Craiglockhart Tennis and Sports Center, 177 Colinton Road (tel: (0131) 443 0101; fax: (0131) 455 7321).
Watersports: The Port Edgar Marina and Sailing School, Shore Road, South Queensferry (tel: (0131) 331 3330; fax: (0131) 331 4878), is Scotland’s largest watersports center, with dinghies, catamarans, powerboats and canoes for hire. There are a variety of courses catering for everyone from first time paddlers through to those looking to tie-up advanced sailing certificates. Plans for a massive renovation program were unveiled in August 2005.
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