#94dr

A new addition to Edinburgh’s seafood scene, White Horse Oyster & Seafood Bar, situated on the site of the oldest inn on the Royal Mile, serves the best of British seafood & shellfish sourced from boutique suppliers across the country. Expect small plates, sharing platters washed down with a carefully curated selection of hand-crafted cocktails, wine and fizz.

Oyster lovers should head to their Buck-A-Shuck oyster happy hour! Every Monday - Thursday, 4-6pm - a delicious range of oysters are only £1 each. Shucked fresh at the bar choose from Lindisfarne, Carlingford, Loch Fyne & Caledonia. 

The style seekers of Edinburgh are set to enjoy an A-list experience unlike any other, as VIP beauty and fashion experts with clients including Victoria Beckham, Madonna and Meghan Markle descend on the Capital as part of the 2018 Life & Style weekender.

Held at The Royal Society of Edinburgh on George Street, the weekender encourages visitors to enjoy the stylish things in life, with the best that Edinburgh has to offer.

Visitors will be able to enjoy a whole host of activities including a fashion show, trend talks, express beauty treatments and workshops, as well as gaining access to exclusive discounts and one-off masterclasses, sharing expert advice on fashion, health and beauty, interior design, food and drink and much more.

05 May 2018 - 06 May 2018 10am - 6pm | £10 The Royal Society of Edinburgh, 22-26 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 2PQ Booking: http://www.edinevents.com/lifestyle/

OCT 2016 in Edinburgh

As the City settles into autumn, October is the perfect month to visit the inspiring capital, from gourmet encounters and provocative exhibitions to world class performance and illuminating events there is so much to do in Edinburgh.  Here’s our eyes, ears and mouth guide of 12 good reasons to visit Edinburgh this month.

Chinese State Circus

The internationally acclaimed Chinese State Circus returns to Edinburgh with a spectacular new production for 2016 - DYNASTY. 30 world-class Chinese acrobats, aerial artistes, and jugglers interact with the super-human physical skills and dexterity of the masters of martial arts - the legendary Shaolin Warriors. There's nonstop action from start to awesome finale as thrill follows thrill, and the seemingly impossible becomes a reality.

13 - 23 Oct | Meadowbank | Website

Edinburgh Oktoberfest

This iconic beer festival is returning to Edinburgh for another year of German beer, food and music. It’s a great way to experience Bavarian culture with Lederhosen, giant beer and "Schlager" music making for a great party.   The Bavarian celebration takes place in the colourful Oktoberfest tent in West Princes Street Gardens with a great line up of live music from bands who have travelled all the way from southern Germany. On the menu there'll be great German brewed beer and tasty German Schnitzel, all served up by the Edinburgh Oktoberfest team dressed in traditional Dirndl and Lederhosen.

5 - 9 Oct | Princes St Gardens | Website Edinburgh Restaurant Festival

Edinburgh has more restaurants per head than any other city in the UK and when it comes to eating out, the Scottish capital doesn’t disappoint. From fine dining to casual eats and everything in between, the options seem endless.  It’s easy to see why Edinburgh has earned its place as a top foodie destination.

Edinburgh Restaurant Festival combines award-winning restaurants together with neighbourhood bistros and cafés to showcase the best food the city has to offer. This year’s programme will take place in the City Centre and the West End, featuring a diverse mix of tempting treats to suit all tastes and budgets. The festival aims to lift the lid on Edinburgh’s finest cooking and best local produce.

6 - 16 October | Citywide | Website

Billy Elliot

The West End hit based on the award winning film, Billy Elliot is taking up residence at Edinburgh Playhouse from 21st September to 22nd October 2016 as part of the show's first ever UK and

The show follows the story of Billy, a young boy growing up in a small northern town during the 1984/85 miners' strike. While his Dad wants to him to take up boxing, Billy stumbles into a Ballet class and discovers a passion for dance. Guided by his teacher his talent grows and he goes on to suprise himself, his family and his community.

’til 22 Oct | Playhouse Theatre | Website

Sunday Classics at the Usher Hall

The Usher Hall continue to achieve a cosmopolitan air with their forthcoming new season of Sunday Classics.  Explore their spectacular new programme and enjoy the rich variety of international stars and orchestras that will perform on their stage over the coming year.  Stéphane Denève opens the new season with Brussels Philharmonic on Sunday 2 October.

Every Sunday | Usher Hall | Website

The Samhuinn Fire Festival

Hosted by Beltane Fire Society, the Samhuinn Fire Festival celebrates the Celtic New Year, marking the end of summer and welcoming the onset of winter. It takes the form of a stunning torchlit procession down the Royal Mile, with acrobatics, fireworks, beautiful costumes and breathtaking performances.

31 Oct | The Grassmarket | Website

Joseph Beuys - A Language of Drawing

The German artist, Joseph Beuys (1921-1986), is perhaps best known for his ‘actions’, installations and sculpture, but first and foremost he was an artist who was interested in ideas: ideas about how the world, both natural and social, functioned and how the latter could be improved. And the way that he expressed these ideas most readily was in his drawings. This exhibition will bring together, for the first time, the extraordinary group of over 110 drawings by Beuys.

til 31 October | Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art | Website

Pitt Street Market

A street food focused market with food traders, a beers, wines and spirits. Street food is enjoying an astronomical expansion throughout the UK’s major cities. Edinburgh has a great selection but they are spread across the city and miss out on evening trade. ‘the pitt’ is a street food venture set up by a number of Edinburgh’s street food vendors as a unique dining venue and host to some of the best street food traders and producers from across Scotland.

weekly every Saturday from 1pm | Pitt Street  | Website

Edinburgh Short Film Festival

77 short films from 25 countries,as well as Iranian Fantasy, animation from Mexico, Indonesian documentary, Canadian Thrillers, Antipodean comedies, English drama, Scottish neo-noir, American Indie, French sci-fi Academy Award nominated shorts, BAFTA winners and many other award-winning short films from across the globe!

26 Oct -6 Nov |  Summerhall, Filmhouse & Cameo | Website

Modernist Nordic Design

Discover a remarkable collection of Modernist jewellery, glassware and ceramics. This small display will showcase highlights of a private collection recently gifted to National Museums Scotland, featuring design classics by leading Nordic designers and manufacturers of the mid-20th century. Characterised by simplicity and functionality, and inspired by the nature, landscape, and climate of northern Europe, these Modernist creations continue to influence designers and manufacturers today.

all month | NMS Chamber Street | Website

Scottish Storytelling Festival

Hospitality and an intercultural welcome are at the heart of this year's Scottish International Storytelling Festival - Festival of Dreams. Across ten event-filled days and nights, the SISF will assemble expert storytellers from across Scotland, Europe, Central and Southern America, offering a abundance of dreamscapes and myths celebrating oral traditions and cultural diversity. This year’s theme, Festival of Dreams, will explore our ability to dream something different into existence, acknowledging the power of storytelling to lift you out of time and place.

21 - 31 Oct | Various locations | Website

Botanic Lights

This autumn the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is once again open after dark with a magical outdoor light event. As darkness descends, visitors are invited to follow a trail of light through the Garden. Popular features such as the Victorian Palm House, The Chinese Hillside, Inverleith House and the Pond will be transformed by extraordinary lighting effects.

Night-time visitors will be able to make their way through a one and a half kilometre route full of colour and sound and see the Botanics like they have never seen it before, turning the Garden itself into the story of a voyage around the world.

SEPT 2016 in Edinburgh

As the City calms after a frenetic August, September is the perfect month to visit the majestic capital, from vibrant markets and mind expanding art to world class theatre and fun days out there is so much to do in Edinburgh.  Here’s our eyes, ears and mouth guide of 12 good reasons to visit Edinburgh this month.

Caledonian Brewery Raceday

Musselburgh Racecourse hosts an exciting day of racing this September at the Caledonian Brewery Raceday. Enjoy a spectacular day of flat racing, along with the chance to sample a range of beers straight from the nearby Caledonian Brewery in Edinburgh. The day begins with traditional harness racing at 2.45pm, before the main flat racing action begins at 4.15pm. There will be seven flat races in total, including the big St Leger from Doncaster race and The £20,000 Caledonian Cup.

10 Sept | Musselburgh Racecourse | Website

The Jungle Book at Edinburgh Zoo

Join Edinburgh Zoo this September bank holiday for a weekend full of film magic. What better place to watch a world of animals on the silver screen, than surrounded by a world of animals at the Zoo? Two of the top three highest grossing films of 2016 are all about animals – Zootropolis and The Jungle Book. Head along to see a film at the Budongo Trail, where you will be able to hang out with the chimpanzees.

17 September | Edinburgh Zoo | Website

Harvest Festival

The annual Harvest Festival is a celebration of the vegetable growing year. Join RBGE for fun activities, gardening advice, information about harvesting, cooking and storing crops, tasters and more. Be inspired to get growing with our community garden produce show and discover the delights of growing your own vegetables with the Edible Gardening Project team.

17-18 Sept  | Royal Botanic Gardens | Website

Swan Lake

One of the most famous ballets of all time, Swan Lake, with Irina Kolesnikova as the enchanting Odette, is in the City for a limited 3 night run at Edinburgh Playhouse. Undoubtedly the most famous and beautiful of all classical ballets, Swan Lake is the time-honoured tale of love, fate and tragedy that has been enjoyed by audiences around the world for hundreds of years.

1 -3 Sept | Edinburgh Playhouse | Website

Doors Open Day 2015

The Edinburgh Doors Open Day 2016gives you the chance to discover some of Edinburgh’s most unique and interesting buildings which are normally closed to the public. Across the weekend you can visit these fantastic sites across the city, completely free of charge  The theme for this year is food and drink, and this is reflected in the programme of buildings that are throwing their doors open to the public over the course of the weekend. Over 100 properties will open their doors during the course of the weekend.

24 - 25 Sept | City Wide | Website

Bridget Riley | Paintings, 1963-2015

This focused display brings together a group of major paintings by Bridget Riley (b.1931) spanning over fifty years of the artist’s career to explore the dialogue between monochrome and colour in Riley's practice. Throughout her career, Riley has created paintings that not only engage the eye, but which elicit physical sensations of flux, rhythm and energy.

Thru September |  National Gallery of Modern Art | Website

Riding of the Marches

Get caught up in the excitement of the Edinburgh Riding of the Marches on Sunday 13th September and enjoy an age old tradition that dates back to 1579. The Riding of the Marches commemorates the tradition of inspecting the city’s boundaries. After the Union of Parliaments in 1707 the annual inspection. It returned in 2009, and since then has become a popular event in Edinburgh, attracting hundreds of riders each year.

11 Sept | Royal Mile | Website

Edinburgh Markets

Edinburgh’s rich seam of history undoubtedly suggests an abundance of vintage and quirky goods being rediscovered and brought to market. Similarly, the global reputation of the food, drink and fresh produce means an abundance of artisan and homemade ingredients on offer at any given farmers market. Check out the best markets in Edinburgh for food, clothes, antiques, and those indescribable one-off gems you could only find in the Scottish capital.

Thru September | City Wide | Website

Professor Brian Cox Live

The hotly anticipated tour by the acclaimed Professor Brian Cox, OBE. The show will take audiences on a dazzling journey through space and time, delving into ‘high science’ and freewheeling on the edges of the known cosmos. Whether an avid science reader or a total novice, Professor Brian Cox Live will test the limits of our knowledge and make highly complex ideas accessible to all.

22 Sept | Usher Hall | Website

Billy Elliot

Celebrating 10 extraordinary years in London’s West End, Billy Elliot the Musical, one of the most beloved shows on stage today, is embarking on its first ever UK and Ireland tour. Set in a northern mining town, against the background of the 1984/’85 miners’ strike, Billy Elliot is the inspirational story of a young boy’s struggle against the odds to make his dream come true.

From 20 Sept | Edinburgh Playhouse | Website

Celts

The idea of a shared Celtic heritage across ancient Europe retains a powerful hold over the popular imagination. But many common ideas about the people known as ‘Celts’ are in fact more recent re-imaginings, revived and reinvented over the centuries.This major exhibition, unravels the complex story of the different groups who have used or been given the name ‘Celts’ through the extraordinary art objects they made and used.  

throughout Sept | National Museum, Chamber Street | Website

Surreal Encounters | Collecting the Marvellous

Surreal Encounters: Collecting the Marvellous brings together some of the finest Surrealist works of art from four legendary collections, those of Roland Penrose, Edward James, Gabrielle Keiller and Ulla and Heiner Pietzsch.  The ways that Surrealist art has been collected display many of the idiosyncratic passions of Surrealism itself. This exhibition will examine the different impulses behind these four extraordinary collections presenting a fuller and richer picture of the Surrealist movement as a whole.

JULY 2016 in Edinburgh

July really brings the festival city alive, from tasty food and mind expanding art to world class music and fashion there is so much to do in Edinburgh this month. Here’s our eyes, ears and mouth guide of 12 good reasons to visit Edinburgh this July.

1 Pop Up Cities Expo

Don't miss the Festival of Architecture's headline event Pop-Up Cities Expo on the Mound from 20th June to 17th July. The event will be showcased as part of the celebration of Scotland's Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design and aims to bring together pop-up architecture designs from cities all around the world.  The Pop-Up Cities village on The Mound is home to 5 fantastic pavillions from Bergen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Rotterdam and Vilnius. Visitors to the site can move around and inside the structures to get up close and admire these unusual designs.

’til 17  July | The Mound | Website

2 Magicfest

MagicFest pulls another rabbit out of the hat with a programme of close-up conundrums, mindboggling illusions, comic cabaret and other feats of the impossible. The festival features workshops as well as shows and ends with the illustrious Closing Gala, a fast paced performance of illusion, sleight of hand, circus and mind reading.

4 - 9 July | Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art | Website

3 Surreal Encounters | Collecting the Marvellous

Surreal Encounters: Collecting the Marvellous brings together some of the finest Surrealist works of art from four legendary collections, those of Roland Penrose, Edward James, Gabrielle Keiller and Ulla and Heiner Pietzsch.  The ways that Surrealist art has been collected display many of the idiosyncratic passions of Surrealism itself. This exhibition will examine the different impulses behind these four extraordinary collections presenting a fuller and richer picture of the Surrealist movement as a whole.

throughout July | Gallery of Modern Art | Website

4 Simply Red at Edinburgh Castle

Simply Red return to perform at Edinburgh Castle this summer, six years after their last sell-out concert at the historic venue. See this iconic band play some of their biggest hits including Something Got Me Started, Stars and Fairground in front of the breathtaking backdrop of Edinburgh Castle.

14 July | Castle Esplanade | Website

5 Jazz and Blues Festival

The biggest of its kind in Britain, the Jazz & Blues Festival gets the festival season off to a swinging start in July, making sure everyone's in the mood before its larger festival cousins hit town. And expect that Glenn Miller classic along the way somewhere, as everything from big band favourites to skiffle, ragtime and freeform jazz is on the menu at over 100 shows in a festival that just keeps growing.  Regular highlights of the festival programme include Mardi Gras in the Grassmarket, where many of Edinburgh oldest and best pubs can be found, as a host of acts show off their stuff for free in the sun.

15- 24 July  | Citywidel | Website

6 Edinburgh International Fashion Festival

Heading into its fifth year, The Edinburgh International Fashion Festival showcases a range of runway shows, exhibitions, gala parties, interactive workshops and talks in some of Edinburgh's unqiue venues such as the National Museum of Scotland, Dovecot Studios and the Hill Street Design House. Some of the industry's greatest creative minds will congregate in the city for a packed week-long schedule of events, including exhibitions and presentations from some of the biggest and brightest names in fashion.

21 - 24 July  | Citywide | Website

7 Edinburgh Food Festival

The Edinburgh Food Festival back for its second year in George Square Gardens serving up a tasty variety of Scottish food producers and street food vendors.  The five day event will also host a great line up of chef talks and enterainment in the Spiegeltent Palais Du Variete, providing the perfect event to whet your appetitie for Edinburgh's Summer Festival Season. Fill your belly and tickle your taste buds at the stalls and food trucks around the festival site.

27 - 31 July | George Square | Website

8 Stereophonics at Edinburgh Castle

Stereophonics come to the Edinburgh Castle Esplanade this summer to perform two concerts at this iconic venue. The band is expected to thrill the crowds with some of their greatest hits, including Dakota, Have a Nice Day and Handbags and Gladrags, as well as the anthems from their latest album, Keep the Village Alive -

15 &16 July | Castle Esplanade | Website

9 Celts

The idea of a shared Celtic heritage across ancient Europe retains a powerful hold over the popular imagination. But many common ideas about the people known as ‘Celts’ are in fact more recent re-imaginings, revived and reinvented over the centuries.This major exhibition, unravels the complex story of the different groups who have used or been given the name ‘Celts’ through the extraordinary art objects they made and used.  

throughout July | National Museum, Chamber Street | Website

10  Artist Rooms Joseph Beuys

The exhibition brings together, for the first time, the extraordinary group of over 110 drawings by German artist, Joseph Beuys (1921-1986).  Perhaps best known for his ‘actions’, installations and sculpture, but first and foremost he was an artist who was interested in ideas: ideas about how the world, both natural and social, functioned and how the latter could be improved.

from 30 July | Gallery of Modern Art | Website

11 Retina

Headlining this year's festival is portrait photographer Jason Bell who has shot for some of the world’s foremost publications including Vanity Fair and Vogue US / UK. Home-grown talent will also be featured with Edinburgh’s Janeanne Gilchrist and creative portrait photographer Alma Haser headline the spaces at Customs House, alongside Emerging Talent, UK Picture Editor’s Guild 2015 Award Winners Exhibition and a special celebration of Scottish Press Photographers’ work documenting our world and colouring the headlines.

thoughout July | Citywide | Website

12  BHF Glasgow to Edinburgh Trek

Why not take on this epic Scottish walking challenge. 30 hours and 100k from Glasgow to Edinburgh non-stop.  Walk day and night and experience stunning views, dark pathways, moonlit canals and shadowy tunnels in this unforgettable adventure.  You'll pass numerous landmarks and sites along the route, including Kelvingrove Museum and Park, locks on the Forth and Clyde canal, the Falkirk Wheel, Linlithgow Palace before arriving in Scotland's capital.

JUNE 2016 in Edinburgh

Blazing June brings the festival city alive, from Gin celebrations, to world class art and show stopping theatre there is so much to do in Edinburgh this month. Here’s our eyes, ears and mouth guide of 12 good reasons to visit Edinburgh this June.

1 Royal Highland Show

The Royal Highland Show allows you to touch, taste, see and hear the very best Scotland has to offer by way of entertainment, children’s' activities, outdoor living & countryside, shopping & fashion, food & drink and the finest farmyard animals.

The Show is a must for foodies, farmers and families to connect the city with the country. In addition to beef and dairy cattle and sheep on show, there are also exhibits from machinery displays to food stalls, competitions and music.

23 - 26 June | Ingliston | Website

2 Edinburgh International Film Festival

Intimate in its scale, ambitious in its scope, and fuelled by pure passion for cinema in all its manifestations, Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) seeks to spotlight the most exciting, innovative new film talent and promote the very best in international cinema.

In 2016 the festival celebrates its landmark 70th Edition with 161 features from 46 countries, including 22 World Premiers, 5 International Premiers, 17 European Premiers and 85 UK Premiers.

Running from 15th to 26th June, the festival will once again showcase some of the very best in British, American, European and World cinema as well as providing a platform for up and coming film-makers from around world

15 - 26 June | Cinemas Citywide | Website

3 Imaginate

Imaginate Festival is Scotland’s international festival of performing arts for children and young people, running from Saturday 28th May to Sunday 5th June 2016 at venues across Edinburgh. A variety of lively performances and companies will be showcased throughout the week which will spark the imaginations of young and old.

1 - 5 June | Citywide | Website

4 Hidden Door Festival

This year's event will be returning to the disused street lighting depot behind King’s Stables Road, transforming it into their secret courtyard for one final time.  The Hidden Door Festival aims to showcase the best new creative work in Scotland in a unique setting and create an experience for the people of Edinburgh which is thrilling, innovative and high-impact.

The theme of this year's festival ‘Hidden Door Electric City,’ in homage to the site’s recent history as a street lighting depot, and will feature a fantastic programme across the arts, including live music, theatre, cinema and inspiring visual art installations.

’til 27 Sep | King’s Stable Road | Website

5 Film in the City

Film Fest in the City returns to St Andrew Square Garden for its fifth year from 10th to 12th June for a weekend free film screenings that will delight movie fans.

In the build up to the 70th Edition of the Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF), St Andrew Square Garden will once again be transformed into a outdoor movie theatre with 15 movies showing across the weekend - from cult classics to family favourites and epic blockbusters.

26 June - 4 July | Summerhall | Website

6 Gardening Scotland

An explosion of colour and a treasure trove of new trends, The Gardening Scotland Show is bursting with inspirational ideas, exquisite displays and expert advice. This year's show is back at the Royal Highland Centre in Ingliston from the 3rd - 5th June. Gardening Scotland has something to offer all levels of gardener, from tips and tricks on how to get started, to expert insight on how to get the very best out of your garden.

3 - 5 June | Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston | Website

7 Scottish Juniper Fest

The Scottish Juniper Festival is returning to celebrate World Gin Day 2016 with an exciting array of the most glorious gins both made in Scotland and further afield. Honouring this classic British spirit, the three day event hosts a large collection of delightful gin brands, appealing to visitors with an appetite to discover, sample and enjoy.  Combining tastings, talks and mixology sessions, the festival will also feature an outdoor G&T bar and the chance to take a tour of Pickering’s distillery.

10 - 12 June | Summerhall | Website

8 Edinburgh Cycling Fest

Edinburgh is getting ready for Scotland’s greatest celebration of bicycle culture.  The Festival is a real showcase of all aspects of bicycle culture. The 10-day programme features bike rides and races, talks, films, drama, art and photography exhibitions, family events, and workshops.  This years Festival of Cycling includes the Edinburgh Night Ride, a supported ride which has been described as a “magical mystery tour” from Edinburgh to East Lothian and back through the night.

9 - 19 June | Across the City | Website

9 Celts

The idea of a shared Celtic heritage across ancient Europe retains a powerful hold over the popular imagination. But many common ideas about the people known as ‘Celts’ are in fact more recent re-imaginings, revived and reinvented over the centuries.

This major exhibition, organised in partnership with the British Museum, unravels the complex story of the different groups who have used or been given the name ‘Celts’ through the extraordinary art objects they made and used.   Featuring more than 300 treasured objects from across the UK and Europe, assembled together in Scotland for the first time, this is a unique opportunity to explore the idea of ‘Celts’ as one of the fundamental building blocks of European history.

throughout June | National Museum, Chamber Street | Website

10 Chicago

Get ready to be razzled dazzled as the hit musical Chicago rolls into the Edinburgh Playhouse. Chorus girl Roxie Hart tried to pin the murder of her lover on her unwitting husband, but the jig is up and Roxie has landed herself in Cook County Jail. Jazz star and accused murderer Velma Kelly is less than pleased to see Roxie on her cell block, since Roxie’s sensational crime and feigned innocence capture the attention of Velma’s hotshot lawyer Billy Flynn.

13 - 18 June | Playhouse | Website

11 Retina

Headlining this year's festival is portrait photographer Jason Bell who has shot for some of the world’s foremost publications including Vanity Fair and Vogue US / UK. Home-grown talent will also be featured with Edinburgh’s Janeanne Gilchrist and creative portrait photographer Alma Haser headline the spaces at Customs House, alongside Emerging Talent, UK Picture Editor’s Guild 2015 Award Winners Exhibition and a special celebration of Scottish Press Photographers’ work documenting our world and colouring the headlines.

24 June - 30 July | Various Venues | Website

12 Glow

Edinburgh College’s dazzling creative students light up the city with a celebration of their luminous skills at this year’s Glow festival. The Glow festival gives Edinburgh the chance to enjoy performances and exhibitions from students covering everything from music, theatre and dance to photography, sculpture and illustration.

Grabbing the best Edinburger!

There are a loads burger joints springing up in Edinburgh and, because it's a favourite of Paul's, we've eaten at most lot of them... enough that we could honestly put together a guide to the best burger spot.   Well... here's our top five, but things always are a changing so if your coming to stay always ask and we'll keep you right on your burger quest.

Burgers and Beers Centrally located on the Royal Mile, the eponymously named  Burgers and Beers let you ‘build your own’ giving you the chance to completely personalise the experience, so you’ll never grow bored, and with dedication you could build your definitive best burger. Get the beer battered gherkins while you wait for the main event to appear.   192a High Street

Holyrood 9A A short dog (Molli is welcome) walk for us from 94DR Holyrood 9A is modern, trad bar in the Old Town where good burgers and beer dominate. The extensive burger list runs wide, so as well as beef, chicken and veggie patties – there are haggis and venison options.  Opt for the signature Holyrood burger, with its beer mustard, sharp Hereford Hop cheese and sticky caramelised onion. 9a Holyrood Road The Cambridge Bar Hidden away from tourist-central between George and Queen Streets you’ll find The Cambridge Bar and its beautiful burgers. Always busy so we’d advise booking a table in advance for a proper pub meal with an exceptional burger. Try the buffalo burger instead of the usual beef, topped of with camembert cheese! 20 Young Street

Bell’s Diner When you find a restaurant where generations of families return regularly you know you've found a gem. Bell's has been serving up epic burgers since 1972. Located in Stockbridge, it has a wonderfully cosy and welcoming interior with simple wooden tables and ruby red walls. The main event is the burgers, with a variety of sizes from the 4oz for kids right up to a belly-busting 8oz for the ravenous. 7 St Stephen Street

May 2016 in Edinburgh

From Whisky, festivals and sport to world class museums and show stopping theatre there is so much to do in Edinburgh this month. Here’s our eyes, ears and mouth guide of 12 good reasons to visit Edinburgh this May.

Whisky Month / Whisky Stramash

For Whisky fans, the month of May means one thing and one thing only - Whisky Month! From tasting whisky in the name of scientific research to a ghost tour and walks followed by whisky tastings. There are plenty of options for all the whisky connoisseurs!  

The standout Whisky Stramash returns to Surgeons' Hall on Nicolson Street. The event will give you an opportunity to encounter many elements and experiences of Scotland's National Drink. http://www.thewhiskystramash.com/

All Month | Across the City | Website

Festival of Museums

Some of Edinburgh's top museums and galleries are coming together to host an exciting programme of shows and events for Festival of Museums 2016. Many of the events are free of charge and are located at various venues around the city. So, whether you're into gory history, fascinating art or curious anatomy, you're bound to find something on offer that will delight and intrigue all the family.

13 -15 May | Citywide | Website

Annie

Set in 1930s New York during The Great Depression, the musical tells the story of brave little girl Annie who lives a life of misery in Miss Hannigan’s orphanage. Determined to find her real parents, her luck changes when she is chosen to spend Christmas at the residence of famous billionaire, Oliver Warbucks. However, the devious Miss Hannigan has other ideas and hatches a plan to put a stop to Annie’s search…

16 - 21 May | Edinburgh Playhouse | Website

Tradfest 2016

Bringing the Old Town to life with song, dance, craft and storytelling, Tradfest celebrates Scotland’s past and present while showcasing the best folk artists the country has to offer – providing a thrilling programme of cultural events for all ages.  Celebrate all things Celtic, Pictish, Anglo-Saxon and more, from gossipy Gaelic waulking songs to bawdy Lowland tales.

27 April - 8 May | Old Town | Website

Pearl Izumi Tour Series 2016

Edinburgh will host round three of the 2016 Pearl Izumi Tour Series. The Edinburgh race will take place on a new, 1.6-kilometre circuit, including Victoria Street before turning left to take in the Lawnmarket and Johnston Terrace below Edinburgh Castle, before returning to the Grassmarket via West Port.

19 May | Old Town  | Website

Summerhall's Beer FestiVALE

On 20th and 21st May some of the best Scottish craft beer and spirit producers will descending on Edinburgh's creative hub for the arts with multiple cars inside and out. Look out for the likes of Barney’s, Williams Brothers, Fallen Brewing Co, six°north, The Bar of Unearthly Delights, Pickering’s Gin, The Rum Surgery, Cocktails & Drams and Thistly Cross Cider.

The three sessions across the weekend will give you the chance to meet the brewers and take part in distillery and brewery tours. There will also be live music, DJ’s, beer tokens and merchandise from the Beer Bank, plus a late night bar.

20 -21 May | Summerhall | Website

Hidden Door Festival

One of Edinburgh's most intriguing festivals, Hidden Door, returns to the city for 2016. This year's event will be returning to the disused street lighting depot behind King’s Stables Road, transforming it into their secret courtyard for one final time.

The Hidden Door Festival aims to showcase the best new creative work in Scotland in a unique setting and create an experience for the people of Edinburgh which is thrilling, innovative and high-impact.

The theme of this year's festival ‘Hidden Door Electric City,’ in homage to the site’s recent history as a street lighting depot, and will feature a fantastic programme across the arts, including live music, theatre, cinema and inspiring visual art installations.

27 May - 4 June l King’s Stable Road | Website

Guinness Pro12 Final

For the first time ever the Guinness PRO12 Final is coming to Edinburgh. The annual rugby union competition involves twelve professional sides from Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. There will be fan zones set up across the city and you can expect the magnificent BT Murrayfield to rise to the occasion in delivering an outstanding festival of rugby. The capital city will be full of rugby supporters wearing their own team’s colours hoping to see their side lifting the trophy!

28 May | Murrayfield | Website

British Art Show 8

British Art Show 8 explores artists’ engagement with the material world at a time of increasing convergence between the real and virtual spheres. Through works by 42 artists whose practices merge research, studio-based and other production processes, the exhibition investigates new thinking around materiality and reflects on the meaning and manifestations of objects in the seemingly dematerialised reality that marks our times. Echoing recent philosophical developments, objects are considered here as active agents, generative entities, mutating forms and networked realities, rather than being simply defined by their properties or their effects.

until 8 May  | City Wide | Website

Mary Poppins

The magical story of the world’s favourite Nanny arriving on Cherry Tree Lane has been triumphantly and spectacularly brought to the stage with dazzling choreography, incredible effects and unforgettable songs. The stage version of Mary Poppins is brilliantly adapted from the wonderful stories by PL Travers and the beloved Walt Disney film.

27 April - 21 May | Festival Theatre | Website

The Imaginate Festival 2016

Imaginate Festival is Scotland’s international festival of performing arts for children and young people, running from Saturday 28th May to Sunday 5th June 2016 at venues across Edinburgh. A variety of lively performances and companies will be showcased throughout the week which will spark the imaginations of young and old.  Every year, the Festival presents the finest selection of shows from Scotland and this year, the Festival welcomes companies from all over Europe, such as Denmark, the Netherlands and Switzerland.

28 May - 5 June  | Various venues | Website

Edinburgh Marathon Festival

The Edinburgh Marathon Festival is the second largest of its kind in the UK. Over the course of the weekend, the streets of Edinburgh and East Lothian will become filled with runners of all abilites, from professional athletes, to amateurs trying to beat their personal best, or those wanting to do their bit and raise money for charity.