Fringe Fatigue?

The annual Edinburgh Fringe has started and the daddy of the Scottish capital's Festival scene, the International Festival, begins tomorrow. The two heavyweights of the city's Festival scene hog the limelight each summer - with leaflet distributors on the historic Royal Mile and elsewhere vying for bypassers attention - to the extent that it is sometimes easy to forget that there are other festivals and things to do in the city that are worth checking out.

The sixth Edinburgh Art Festival (EAF) began August 5 and runs until September 5. Fifty galleries across the Scottish capital are taking part, ranging from the National Gallery Complex on The Mound to much more intimate venues (some of which are temporary performance spaces for the duration of the Festival). Art from internationally acclaimed artists and top British talent is on display.

I particularly like the sound of Kate V Robertson, which the EAF website describes as "A collection of works installed on walls throughout the city, camouflaged against their backdrops..."

Ballast: Bringing the Stones Home at the National Museum of Scotland sounds interesting, too. John Edgar, a New Zealand sculptor, has made sculptures from stone quarried throughout Scotland, which represent the experiences of the emigrant. The exhibition highlights the strong ties between Scotland and New Zealand.

Visitors to the various festivals can enjoy hearing about the Scottish capital's rich heritage with two Walk Talk Tour Edinburgh travel guides. Listeners to the Royal Mile & More tour will hear about the origins of the name Edinburgh, sieges at the Castle, witchcraft in the Scottish capital, the city's most famous canine and much, much more.

Listeners have the freedom to explore the city at their own pace. Listeners who are feeling thirsty or hungry or stumble across something which appeals can pause their tour then resume it when they're done. No start time, no obligation to tip, no hassle. Download and away you go.

Both the Royal Mile & More and the Old and New Towns Edinburgh walking tours are narrated by Scot Graeme Mackenzie. To hear an audio sample from the Royal Mile & More Edinburgh audio guide please click here. Both tours cost just £5.95 each. Purchase the two together and receive a twenty per cent discount.

For more information check out the Edinburgh Art Festival website or, if you're in town, head to the Edinburgh Art Festival Reading Room on Cockburn Street.