Planning a trip to Edinburgh

The Edinburgh Fringe line up was unveiled yesterday. The Fringe line up is even bigger than last year. Approximately, twenty-five per cent of acts will be Scottish, which is appropriate in this the year of Homecoming Scotland 2009.

The Fringe runs from August 7 - August 31. A third of the Fringe line up is made up of comediennes and comedians, including Ricky Gervais and Jimmy Carr.

The Edinburgh International Film Festival takes centre stage later this month as the Festival Season in the Scottish capital kicks into gear. The Festival starts on June 17 and ends on June 28.

The Fringe programme may defy the recession, but individual finances for many of us remain tight. If you are looking for value and innovation, then step this way.

Walk Talk Tours have two audio downloadable walking tours of the Scottish capital for listeners to enjoy via their iPod, MP3 player or cell phone. Both audio guides allow listeners to explore Edinburgh at their own place. With a Walk Talk Tour there are no hidden charges (there is no such thing as a free tour) and there is no timetable to adhere to. Select your tour, purchase, download, transfer to your MP3 enabled device and away you go!

Walking is a great way to appreciate the diversity of Edinburgh's architecture and heritage. Paul Kelbie wrote in The Guardian in November 1998 that: "Edinburgh was awarded World Heritage Site status in 1995 because of the unique contrast and quality of architecture between the medieval Old Town and the Georgian New Town". To hear an audio sample from the Old and New Towns audio tour guide, which begins outside Edinburgh Castle and ends in Charlotte Square, please click here.

Pictured above is Bute House, in Charlotte Square. It is the official residence of the First Minister of Scotland, Alex Salmond. The Georgian House, a museum celebrating life in late eighteenth and early nineteenth century life, is next door at 7 Charlotte Square. The Gardens in the centre of the Square play host to the annual Edinburgh International Book Festival each August.