I just came back from Edinburgh last weekend and as usual in these weekend breaks, I went there with very little expectations. It was the perfect time of the year to visit the Scottish capital, as August is the busiest time of the year because of the summer festival – Fringe.This is a month long festival full of events including comedy, music, theatre, shows, cinema etc. with more than 2000 performers. The streets are literally buzzing with activity, and you’re only spoilt for choice on what to do. The daily event guide was more than 36 pages long.

On Saturday we went to watch a short play, Coffee, written by James Campbell. I enjoyed it and found it very funny, probably more than the average person would have. The setting of the play was very simple. Three cheap aluminum tables and a couple of chairs to represent a café. A lone woman was sipping coffee waiting for a work appointment, when a weird guy came over and asked permission to sit near her, even though all the other tables were empty. The play was an exercise in flirting and seduction. At one point the main actor recites a pickup line that his friend taught him, which was, "what winks and fucks like a tiger?" (said while winking).

The original reason for going to Edinburgh was to watch the rugby match between Scotland and Ireland. The match was ok even though the excitement level was quite low since it was only a friendly match. MurrayField is a great stadium even though it was only a third full, which translates to about 25,000 people. The lesson learned from the rugby? Scots really wear kilts. There were an astonishing number of men wearing kilts at the match. I later learned that Scots wear kilts at weddings, and some of them cost more than £500. Each clan has its own kilt colour, so if you thought that kilts are made from excess dining cloth, reconsider!

The main attraction of Edinburgh is the castle however we didn’t visit it. J had already been there and wasn’t impressed. The rain also didn’t help motivate us to do so. Instead, on Sunday we went up to Arthur’s seat which is basically a view point from a hill. You can get a very good view of Edinburgh from here, so this photo opportunity shouldn’t be missed.

The best thing about Scottish pubs – you can get fantastic single malt whisky shots for almost the same price as a normal (blended) whisky. This makes drinking whisky a must even in the middle of summer. The ales aren’t bad either – Belhaven Best was my favourite. I also managed to taste Haggis, the traditional Scottish dish. Haggis is made from minced meat, some greenish stuff, spices and lots of pepper, all boiled in an animal’s stomach. Like most other dishes it’s usually served with some sort of potatoes. Not something I’ll eat every day, but a must try on a visit to Scotland. There are also vegetarian versions of the dish which taste very similar to the original one (according to a friend who tasted it).

I think I liked Edinburgh enough to say that I wouldn’t mind living there if I have to. The fact that there was the festival and city was very active may give a somewhat distorting impression, but at least there’s a month to look forward to, in a place where the weather is never guaranteed.