St Andrew's Day 'Do' a welcome distraction?

The Scottish capital will play host to an array of activities over the weekend of November 28 - 29. And then again on St Andrew's Day itself, Monday, November 30. This year has been the year of Homecoming Scotland 2009, where the country has tried to attract visitors from around the globe with a series of Scottish themed activities.

The saga of Edinburgh's new tram system rumbles on. The 18km stretch of track from Edinburgh Airport to New Haven via Leith was originally planned to open next year, but it is not now scheduled to begin operating until February 2012 and be a minimum of £33m over budget. Richard Jeffrey, the Chief Executive of Transport Initiatives Edinburgh (TIE) told the Sunday Herald "I am working to try and deliver this project for £545m. I think if we do that it will be a great success."

Unfortunately, one of the other great building projects in the Scottish capital of the last decade, the new Parliament at the foot of the Royal Mile was also embroiled in controversy; it was £40m over budget and took three years longer than planned to complete. The complex designed by the late Enric Miralles is full of interesting shapes, which capture the photographer's eye - even on a grey day. (See picture below).

Staff at the Royal Bank of Scotland - which has its Headquarters in Edinburgh - are braced for job losses after it was announced last week that nearly 320 branches will have to be sold.

Edinburgh needs revenue from tourists vacationing, or attending Festivals or sporting fixtures more than ever. There is a flexible and affordable way to get a handle on Edinburgh's rich heritage. Visitors can download two Walk Talk Tour audio walking tours of the Edinburgh to their iPhone, MP3 player, iPod or mobile phone.

Both The Royal Mile & More and the Old and New Towns audio walking tours begin outside Edinburgh Castle, the setting for a fireworks display which will bring the curtain down on the St Andrew's Day festivities. Both tours can be completed in two hours, though listeners have the freedom to stop, start and resume their tour as they wish. To hear a short audio sample from the Old and New Towns tour please click here.

Buy any Walk Talk Tour and get a second one free by entering the following promotional code in the shopping basket page: BI123.

Pictured top: a pavement artist at work on the Royal Mile this August.