Edinburgh still a 'Hotbed of creativity?'

The list of Scottish inventors, scientists and industrialists that made a mark far beyond their homeland is long and impressive. Edinburgh born John Napier, the inventor of logarithms, which greatly simplified complex division and multiplication calculations; John McAdam, who revolutionised road building; Alexander Graham Bell, best known as the inventor of the telephone and John Logie Baird, pioneer of television. Logie Baird died on June 14, 1946. One of the core themes of Scotland Homecoming 2009 is 'Great Scottish Minds & Innovations'. The Scotland Homecoming 2009 site describes the country as having been a 'hotbed of creativity'.

Talented Scots still excel internationally in a range of activities and pursuits. The number of pioneering scientists and inventors has slowed - as it has done in the rest of the UK. Remember Dolly the sheep? Dolly was the first mammal to be successfully cloned. A team at the Roslin Institute near Edinburgh was responsible for cloning her. Dolly is displayed in the Connect Gallery in the National Museum.

Even so, the Scottish capital is perhaps now better known for its festivals than its inventors, scientists or writers - though Harry Potter author J K Rowling and the author of the Rebus novels, Ian Rankin, live in the city.

Each summer Edinburgh is a 'hotbed of the creative and performing arts' as players in a range of fields 'strut their stuff' at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe - or Fringe for short -and the Edinburgh International Festival. This year's Fringe runs from August 7 to August 31, the Edinburgh International Festival begins on August 14 and ends on September 6. A number of other festivals will also be taking place this August.

Alexander Graham Bell was born in Edinburgh's elegant New Town. Visitors to Edinburgh can hear more about Bell and some of the colourful characters associated with developments in a variety of fields, including literature and philosophy with the Old and New Towns Edinburgh audio guide. To hear an audio sample from the Old and New Towns Edinburgh walking tour please click here. The audio downloadable walking tour costs just £5.95. Listeners have the flexibility to explore Edinburgh in their own time.

Pictured above is the Scott Monument in Princes Street Gardens.

For more information about the dates of the various festivals taking place in Edinburgh this summer please click here.

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