The Edinburgh Insider Blog

Anyone visiting Edinburgh with kids - or, indeed, anyone with an interest in animals and animal conservation - will enjoy visiting the Budongo Trail at Edinburgh Zoo.

The annual Edinburgh Doors Open Day (Sept 26-27) gave people the chance to see for free dozens of landmark city buildings, ranging from police stations to dance studios, monuments to geological surveys, and caves to paper-making premises. Many of the buildings are normally out of bounds to the public or would charge for entrance, so this was a rare opportunity to explore more of Edinburgh's heritage.

The Bruntsfield area of Edinburgh probably has the highest concentration of writers anywhere in the world. That is, with the possible exceptions of London's Hampstead and Manhattan's Upper West Side, which also have higher-than-average numbers of writers in their midst. Respected authors including Alexander McCall Smith, JK Rowling, Ian Rankin, Nicola Morgan and crime writer Lin Anderson all live in and around Bruntsfield and neighbouring Merchiston.

Edinburgh cyclists may have more than their fair share of hills, wind and rain to contend with. But they do enjoy the advantage of an extensive off-road cycle path network considered to be among the best in the UK.

Last month the network gained an important new section, dubbed by some as its 'missing link', when the Rodney Street Tunnel to the north of the New Town area re-opened as a cycle path and walk way. The re-opening came forty years after trains stopped using the tunnel.

Edinburgh's most iconic concert hall has at last re-opened its doors to the public. The saucer-shaped roof of the Usher Hall is no longer hidden under scaffolding; earlier this month it emerged from its dust, tarpaulin and ladders. Just in time for the Edinburgh International Festival. Inside the Grade A-listed building are wonderful new facilities. Perhaps most notably, the vast spiral staircase that connects - for the first time - all the levels. The massive refurbishment project - not yet quite complete, as the Portakabins remaining outside can testify - is turning the well-loved Victorian building into a state-of-the-art facility for the 21st century.

The Edinburgh International Festival ended last night with a fantastic firework display over the city. Over 200,000 spectators braved the Edinburgh weather to see over 100,000 fireworks explode over the iconic Edinburgh Castle.

If you missed this years festival why not book for next year or see the next  firework display on Hogmanay. Many of the properties featured on www.letinedinburgh.co.uk have panaramic views over the city so why brave the cold when you could be sitting back in a beautiful lounge ,glass of champagne in hand, and do it in style. One such apartment A Merchiston apartment still has stunning views across the city landscape

http://www.letinedinburgh.co.uk/directory/properties/view/28474-a-merchiston-apartment

Nineteenth century painter Henry Raeburn may well be the man responsible for giving the Stockbridge area of Edinburgh its bohemian charm; Raeburn lived all his life in Stockbridge's cobbled streets, just north of where Edinburgh's Georgian New Town now stands, on the other side of the Waters of Leith, that for centuries separated the village from the city centre.

The first batch of Scotsman Fringe Firsts has been awarded. These prestigious awards help visitors narrow down a handful of the best shows to visit out of the many thousands taking place each August in the Edinburgh Fringe.