The Edinburgh Insider Blog

Worried about how you'll entertain the kids over the summer holidays? Edinburgh's Lauriston Castle has a family-friendly programme of events, suitable for most ages, running over the next few months.

The events are one-offs, so suitable for anyone visiting Edinburgh for a short break. Kids might enjoy an event running at the castle next Monday (5 July) where they can learn to make their own outfit. A local artist will be on hand to teach little ones how to make accessories including crowns, tiaras, pirate hats and dragon masks.

The Edinburgh Fringe programme for 2010 has arrived. It lists more than 2,000 shows taking place in August, ranging from kids' puppetry, classical music and Shakespeare to cabaret, stand-up and street theatre. It even features an eco show set in a tree house.

Forget the football World Cup. Few events in Edinburgh's Stockbridge are more eagerly awaited than the annual duck race. It's an epic tournament of sporting prowess that knocks South Africa into the shade.

Continuing the Travel to Edinburgh series on Edinburgh’s green spaces, this week we look at Princes Street Gardens. Running along the south side of Princes Street, the city’s main shopping street, the 37 acres have a special place in the hearts of many visitors and locals.

Central Edinburgh is packed with historic buildings, ranging from mediaeval through Georgian to modern. But the city has more green space than you might expect in a place so full of architecture.

One of the best places for running or kicking a ball around is the Meadows. A huge park, it stretches across the city's Southside, from Tollcross on one side to Causewayside on the other. 

Just off George IV Bridge and tucked away behind the High Street is the time warp of Victoria Street. One of the most atmospheric streets in Edinburgh (not a city short of such things), the place feels like it belongs in a Harry Potter movie. 

So no coincidence, then, that JK Rowling penned the first Potter novel just around the corner, in the now famous Elephant House cafe. Victoria Street's cobbles, its steep hill and mediaeval tenements create an aura of magic.

Last year's renovation of Edinburgh's largest concert hall threatened to eclipse the city's smaller musical venues. But cultural life persists outside the city centre's Usher Hall. With the prosaic advantage of better parking.

It is located in the heart of Edinburgh's New Town, just down the hill from the grandeur of Heriot Row. But Room in the Town is less formal than its Georgian surroundings. This is where local families come to eat and let their hair down.

Thousands of wine corks fill the windows. A giant mural runs the length of one wall. Its bright colours depict diners drinking and, yes, there is no other word for it, carousing.