An Edinburgh Festival Fringe Itinerary

Including more than Edinburgh!

Dear Jane,

My friend Carla produced her ever-evolving one-woman show, Petty Tyrant, at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this past August, so I flew over to Scotland to see it. Every time she has performed Petty Tyrant in New York, I’ve been traveling or too busy with work. So this only made sense.

Scotland wasn’t really on my radar until I got Carla’s email announcing her Fringe activities. My previous career was in the performing arts, and I know a few people who have produced shows in the Fringe.

This itinerary incorporates the Fringe Festival and more exploration of Scotland.

Day 1 – Arrival & Day Trip

Accommodations

Kick Ass Grassmarket. 2 West Port, Edinburgh EH1 2JA, United Kingdom

Kick Ass Grassmarket (and sister hostel Kick Ass Greyfriars) is a pretty cool, nice, and modern (but not accessible, as there are many steps and no elevator) hostel. For some reason, it was also one of the cheapest. While it offers Scotland’s standard bare bunks, it also has “superior pods,” aka capsules. And that’s what I opted for. August is the high season in Edinburgh, and if you’re lucky enough to find an open room, it will cost at least $150 per night before taxes and fees.

Kick Ass Grassmarket sits at the edge of the square that makes Grassmarket the heart of Edinburgh’s Old Town. It’s famous for being an execution spot and now hosts a crafts and food market on Saturday mornings. It sits at the foot of Edinburgh Castle and is an easy walk to most of the Fringe venues and Edinburgh attractions.

Morning: Touchdown in Edinburgh

Points of Interest

• Edinburgh Castle
• Grassmarket
• The Royal Mile

Route

Welcome to Edinburgh! After clearing customs and immigration (Edinburgh has the smallest processing area I’ve seen outside of Halifax’s security-US Border combo in the departure terminal). You’ll be scanning your passport without human interaction and making your way into the city center.

Use the tram or one of the many buses to get to the heart of Edinburgh. At the time I’m writing this, Bright Bus is the cheapest and quickest option.

Get off the bus at the Princes Street stop, and walk behind Edinburgh Castle to find Kick Ass Grassmarket. It’s about a 15-minute walk. Check in or lock up your luggage if you’re early.

Check out Grassmarket, a square historically known for executions.

Head up the steps across from Kick Ass Grassmarket to make your way up to the castle. Don’t forget to turn around to check out the view. When you’ve reached the top, you’ll find yourself at the entrance to the castle. During this time of year, you’ll have to head through the military tattoo seating structure and box office.

Head into the castle if you’re inclined. For the 2025 Military Tattoo, tickets are available for £47-£1,040 per ticket. Otherwise, walk down the Royal Mile, which you’ll find rife with souvenir shops and historic buildings. The Cannonball House is located right at the entrance to the castle.

Along the way, you’ll discover some of the Fringe street performances. These are free performances, but tipping or buying CDs (if a musician) is a great way to show your support. Most performers can take tips electronically.

The Journey-Man and Laura Silverstone are some fantastic performers I saw along the way.

Afternoon: Half-day Trip to North Berwick

Now, this was a special excursion to the former home of a friend’s family member, which you might not include in your itinerary, but we found a lovely walk that I would definitely add to my next visit to Scotland.

Points of Interest

• West Beach & West Beach Bay
• John Muir Way
• North Berwick Golf Club

Route

Make your way from The Royal Mile (actually called High Street) to Waverly Station. Find Cockburn Street or Fleshmarket Close on your map app. Closes are cool little alleyways that go through and between the buildings of Old Town.

When you find yourself at Waverly Station, buy a ticket to North Berwick through a ticket machine or the ScotRail app (note that ScotRail views their own app as a third party and can not provide in-person assistance for any issue you have with the app.) Your ticket will be about £8 round trip if you’re traveling mid-afternoon on a weekday. North Berwick is the last stop on the line, and it takes about 36 minutes to get there.

My friend and I took a leisurely and exploratory walk through North Berwick to find her aunt’s former home, and along the way we stopped at West Beach, which is flanked by the North Berwick Golf Club. Be mindful of golf balls, both for stepping on but also for being hit by.

After walking through the course, you’ll come across the white sand beach, which has gorgeous views of Craigleith, a massive white cliff of an island, which you can see during your train journey.

West Beach and West Beach Bay are a section of the John Muir Way, which is a 134-mile coastal walking path. Enjoy a bit of this walk! Then catch the train back to Edinburgh.

Grab some dinner (making reservations is highly recommended).

If you haven’t purchased a ticket to the military tattoo, that’s okay. Kick Ass Grassmarket is conveniently located, and you don’t need to leave your bed to listen to the performance. If you do want to add some visuals, exit Kick Ass Grassmarket and head up the stairs to your right upon exiting. Climb up, and you can sit eye level with the castle to see the changing lights, and at the end, fireworks.

Dining

Dinner at The Piper’s Rest. 3 Hunter Square, Edinburgh EH1 1QW, United Kingdom

As I mentioned earlier, reservations are very helpful. If you don’t have one, that’s ok. Pubs like The Piper’s Rest have first come, first served seating outside. (Mind the rain.)

The Piper’s Rest has a decent “Wee Bites” menu. You can cobble together a meal of appetizers for a little less than an entrée and get your sampling of haggis.

Day 2 – Fringe Shows

Morning: Arthur’s Seat & Breakfast

Today is not for the faint of heart! You’ll start early, and if you’re like me, you’ll end late.

Head out early this morning to hike to the summit of Arthur’s Seat, an extinct volcano with incredible views of Edinburgh and beyond.

Points of Interest

• West Bow and Victoria Streets
  • The Elephant Room
• Royal Mile
• Holyrood Palace
• Holyrood Park
  • Arthur’s Seat

Route

From Grassmarket, walk through the square and up to the Royal Mile. There are several staircases that get you up there quickly, but you can also walk up the ever-photogenic West Bow and Victoria Streets. In the early morning, you have free reign of the street and can take tourist-free photos of all the colorful shop fronts and the Elephant Room (alleged birthplace of a certain wizard).

Follow the Royal Mile, which will be as quiet as Victoria Street, walking away from Edinburgh Castle. At the end of the mile, (17 minutes), you’ll find Holyrood Palace, where the royal family stays when they visit Edinburgh. Behind the palace, there’s a large lawn/parade ground, and across the street from that is Holyrood Park, home to Arthur’s Seat and a few other little sights.

Use your map app to find the path to the summit. Once you see the physical signs in the park, it’s an easy path to follow from there. You will likely encounter mud and slippery rocks (especially if it has been or is raining), and there will be a very strong wind at the top. Dress appropriately. A crowd of people will start arriving at the summit around 9:00 am.

Head to brunch after your fill of stunning views.

Dining

Brunch at Loudons (New Waverly location). 2 Sibbald Walk, Edinburgh EH8 8FT, United Kingdom

Breakfast and brunch are served all day at Loudons. They’re most known for their eggs benedict, of which there are several options to choose from. I had a delicious stuffed French toast, fresh squeezed orange juice, and a chai latte.

Early Afternoon: Stand-up Comedy

Your Fringe experience will be vastly different from mine, based on the performances you  choose to attend. The Festival Fringe doesn’t reject any performers’ application to participate in the festival as long as they have a venue lined up. Every production is essentially self produced, though there are a number of larger companies that will produce a Fringe season. All of that is to say that the Fringe is unique every year.

For me, it was a stand-up comedy kind of afternoon.

Venue of Interest

• Just the Tonic at The Mash House

Performer of Interest

• Josh Makinda

Route

The Mash House is a dark sticky multidisciplinary space that hosts concerts, stand-up, and dance clubs. From Loudons, it’s a pretty quick 11-minute walk until you get lost at the front door. Refer to your map app and navigate yourself up the steps of Hastie’s Close.

Just the Tonic is the attic space, which sort of reminds you of a church. An intimate church.

Josh Makinda is the comedian who will take you out of the church and remind you you’re in a more sinful and gloryhole laden place. He performs a mix of stand-up and audience interactive improv.

Mid- to Late-Afternoon: Festival Exploration and Charity Shops

Points of Interest

• Underbelly
• Assembly George Square Gardens
• Nicolson Street

Route

Following your show, take a leisurely few hours to see more shows or explore the festival.

From The Mash House walk to Assembly George Square Gardens, where you’ll find the main Fringe box office. There will be a list of sold-out shows, and the box office staff can let you know which shows have day-of half price tickets.

Along George Square (near Windmill Street), where the box office is, there will be a number of food trucks and stalls, in case you need a bite. Behind the box office, there’s a green oasis with picnic tables and lounge chairs, and more vendors. Sit and snack, or drink, while gazing up at Underbelly, the large performance tent that’s shaped like an upside down cow.

Head to Nicholson Street, about a 5-minute walk, for some shopping.

Dining

Takeaway lunch from The Piemaker. 38 South Bridge, Edinburgh EH1 1LL, United Kingdom

If you’re not grabbing a bite from the vendors at Assembly George Square Gardens, find a budget friendly meal at The Pie Maker. Enjoy a meat pie, or any pie of choice from The Piemaker’s vast selection, and don’t forget your Irn Bru.

Shopping

Nicolson St., between W. Richmond St. and E. Crosscauseway is chock full of charity shops and a great block for some efficient shopping. Enjoy the British Heart Foundation, Oxfam, Cancer Research UK, and Samaritans of Edinburgh and the Lothians charity shops and support their causes. Charity shops in Edinburgh and across Scotland are great for finding vintage wool pieces.

Evening: Puppetry & Dinner

I determined my next show and made a dinner reservation based on the projected end time.

Venue of Interest

• C Arts – C Venue

Route

Performers of Interest

• Batisfera

Route

C Arts – C Venue is located in the Quaker Meeting House just above Victoria Terrace. It’s a little black box space on the third floor.

Batisfera is a contemporary theater company based in Italy, and they performed a puppet show called The Gummy Bears’ Great War. Though we were sitting on floor pillows looking at gummy bears, I assure you this was for adults.

Dining

Dinner at MUMS Great Comfort Food. 4A Forrest Rd, Edinburgh EH1 2QN, UK

MUMS has a great selection of traditional Scottish comfort food. They offer a wide selection of bangers and Mash. Try the Traditional Herby Pork sausage, Auld Reekie – Smokey Pork sausage, and the Caramelized Leek and Bacon mash.

Night: Cabaret/Theatre & Celebration

Points of Interest

• theSpace UK @Venue45

Performers of Interest

• Carla Kissane

Route

theSpace UK @Venue 45 is about a 15-minute walk from MUMS Comfort Food. Carla’s show had a pretty late start, 11:10pm. You can really see a lot of shows in one day if you’re up to it.

Instead of walking directly to theSpace, I wandered the lively streets of Edinburgh. If you’ve planned ahead, you might have time to take a spooky tour at The Real Mary King’s Close.

I’m a bit biased, but Carla Kissane is a wonderful human and an incredible creator. I’ve had the pleasure of watching her create and evolve her character, Carlotta-B (from 1593) from the sidelines, through monthly newsletter and beach day discussions. And I finally, finally saw this character in action in Petty Tyrant. Carlotta-B is ever evolving, and I highly recommend everyone get a chance to see her in action.

Dining (but really, Drinking)

Enjoy closing night drinks (if you are so lucky to be invited) at The World’s End. 2-8 High St, Edinburgh EH1 1TB, United Kingdom.

The World’s End is a cozy pub and is carpeted like some of the others I had ducked into. The staff is really kind, and it looks like they have a wide variety of beverage options.

Day 3 – Edinburgh Exploration & Travel Day

Get to know a bit more of Edinburgh before traveling to Inverness, capital of the Highlands. Note for planning purposes that Inverness, an actual capital city, is very quiet and slow, especially on the weekends. It’s used as a hub for many people, just a place to sleep.

Morning: Princes Garden & Calton Hill

Points of Interest

• Grassmarket Market
• Edinburgh Castle
• Edinburgh Farmers’ Market
• Princes Street Gardens
• Scottish National Gallery

Route

Before hopping on an afternoon train, enjoy your morning in Edinburgh. On a Saturday morning, you’ll have the option of purchasing a fresh breakfast at the Grassmarket outside the hostel or the Edinburgh Farmers’ Market on the backside of the castle where you walked from the bus upon arrival.

Both markets open at 10:00am so if you’re an early riser, head to Hula for a takeaway breakfast. Walk around the backside of the castle and enter the Princes Gardens for a peaceful picnic breakfast.

Wander the Gardens (it’s a park) until you find yourself at The Mound, which is the street that will connect you back to the Royal Mile. You’ll find the National Galleries of Scotland here. It opens at 10:00am and admission is free. It doesn’t take too long to go through the entire building.

Head back to Kick Ass Grassmarket to check out if you haven’t already. It’s about a 15-minute walk over the castle hill from the National Galleries.

If you have time to spare before your train and your luggage permits, enjoy a hike up Calton Hill for some incredible views of Edinburgh and Arthur’s Seat. At the top you’ll find an art gallery and an unfinished monument.

Dining

Breakfast at Hula (Grassmarket). 103-105 W Bow, Edinburgh EH1 2JP, UK

Hula is a fruit and veggies oasis in the heart of Old Town, and it’s highly instagramable. It’s a little pricier. I had a takeaway breakfast of “Summer” porridge and a chai latte. Summer porridge had berries and orange slices as toppings. Initially, when I’d asked about what was in it, and oranges was one of the answers, I was thinking maybe they were going to be little Mandarin wedges. The rinds made part of the porridge very bitter. So, I wouldn’t go for that in the future. I also ordered a chai latte because Scottish mornings are chilly, even in August. It was tea with some milk in it, not a latte.

Shopping

On the ground floor of the National Galleries of Scotland, you’ll find your typical museum gift shop. While I was there, they were also hosting an artists’ market where individual artists were selling their work.

Afternoon: Travel to Inverness

Settle in on a scenic journey through the Scottish countryside, including through Cairngorms National Park. The entire ride takes about 3 hours and 20 minutes.

Accommodations

Black Isle Hostel. 47-49, 47 Academy St, Inverness IV1 1LP, United Kingdom

Route

Just two blocks down the road from the Inverness Train Station, and across the street from the Inverness Bus station, you’ll find Black Isle Hostel. It’s not the fanciest or most private hostel, but it works. There’s a fully stocked kitchen for those who like to do their own cooking.

Evening: Live Music & Takeaway

Points of Interest

• Hootananny

Route

From the Black Isle Hostel, head back towards the train station but take your first right turn. This will get you to Church Street where you’ll find Hootananny on the corner. Hootananny is a pub that serves food and drink – if you can make it through the crowd to the counter. There’s live music every night showcasing local bands and a lot of people enjoy it.

Enjoy the music. If you can’t get food or drink here, check out Black Isle Bar (sister establishment to the hostel) across the street.

Dining

Takeaway from Black Isle Bar. 68 Church St, Inverness IV1 1EN, UK

Black Isle Bar is a farm to table bar, most well known for their pizzas. Making a reservation is highly recommended. It took over an hour for my takeaway pizza (which wasn’t an issue for me, I went to shower).

Day 4 – Day of Ness

Okay, for me, Day 4 and Day 5 were flipped around due to an unfortunate regional power outage for ScotRail. But let’s say that won’t happen to you.

Morning: Breakfast & Inverness Exploration

Points of Interest

• High Street
• Inverness Castle

Route

Take an early morning walk through the quiet streets of Inverness. Walking past the train station will lead you to High Street, which has a pedestrian plaza, is home to the local tourism office and many shops, and is the location of your nearest Scottish Water station. (In Edinburgh, you can find one of these in Grassmarket Square and along the Royal Mile.)

Early morning is before 10:00am, so nothing will be open. Walk down High Street to the River Ness. Inverness Castle (under construction in August 2024) will be to your left. If it’s still under construction, cross the river to enjoy a full view of the castle.

Dining

Breakfast from XOKO Bakehouse and Cantina. 13 Bridge St, Inverness IV1 1HG, UK

It’s even chillier in the north than Edinburgh, so every morning, you’ll now want to find a hot drink. I grabbed a chai latte from XOKO, which is one of the earliest opening cafés in Inverness. That means it’s packed. They have seating inside and outside. Be mindful that there are local tax laws tied to seating. You can’t order takeaway and then sit outside.

XOKO is a Mexican inspired bakery and café, with some great looking breakfast options. If you’re only ordering a drink, they’ll expedite your order.

Afternoon: Loch Ness & Urquhart Castle

Points of Interest

• Urquhart Castle
• Loch Ness

Route

Take StageCoach Bus #919 to Urquhart Castle from the Inverness Bus Station. This bus route goes from Inverness to Fort William. Urquhart Castle is about 40-60 minutes from Inverness, depending on traffic. Tickets can be purchased on StageCoach’s website or in person at the Inverness Bus Station.

The bus will drop you at a small stop in the castle’s car park. Follow the signs down a path to the ticket booth. After purchasing your ticket, you’ll be directed inside a building and down some stairs where you’ll encounter the visitor center, which has a massive gift shop and café, and a small exhibit of artifacts found at the castle ruins or on loan from the National Gallery.

There’s a short video in a viewing room that introduces the history of the castle and has subtitles in multiple languages. You can skip this and go straight to the castle, which is down the hill from the visitor center.

The castle is really fun, because you’re allowed to explore it with minimal restriction. While there are some off limit spots, you can really poke around and touch if it’s not super crowded. Tours are given at specific time intervals by costumed guides. Allot yourself at least an hour to explore.

When you’re finished at the castle, head back to where the bus dropped you off. If the bus isn’t scheduled to arrive for a while, walk up the road a bit towards the Drumnadrochit village. There’s a nice viewpoint of the village and the loch. The neighbors have a flock of sheep, and you might get to see them up close and personal if they’re playing on the road.

The bus, Bus #917 arrived a few minutes late and wasn’t crowded, but the ticket agent in Inverness had advised purchasing the return ticket in advance to guarantee boarding access.

Dining

Grab a late lunch at the café in the Urquhart Castle visitor center. For just £4 you can get a (small) salad featuring cucumbers, tomatoes, and red onions. A rare sighting of vegetables! The café also sells your regular Scottish fare and, perhaps more importantly, ice cream from local farms.

Shopping

The gift shop at the visitor center had a wide variety of items, which included typical Scotland souvenirs, but also had a wide selection of local products and higher end golf stuff. There was also a children’s section with toys and books, and one of the authors was there to sign books.

Evening: River Ness Islands

Points of Interest

• River Ness Islands
  • Loch Ness Monster
  • Ness Islands Railway
  • The General’s Well
  • Whin Park
• Bught Park (Horne’s Pleasure Fair)
• Hydropower plant
• Caledonian Canal

Route

Upon returning to Inverness, take a break at your accommodations, or head for a walk along River Ness. Start your walk at the riverbank in front of Inverness Castle. Walk along the river, with the river to your right.

This beautiful walk along the river will take you past gorgeous Victorian homes and gardens, before leaving town behind. You’ll walk through the ethereal River Ness Islands, accessible by iron footbridges. Explore the mysteries on each island.

After leaving the islands behind, you’ll find The General’s Well, Bught and Whin Parks, and will end your walk at the Hydro Ness station at the Caledonian Canal. Walk back to Inverness for dinner along the Caledonian Canal. While I was visiting, Bught Park was hosting Horne’s Pleasure Fair, a traveling amusement park with an American theme.

Dining

Dinner at Aye Eat. 16 High St, Inverness IV1 1JQ, UK

Definitely make a reservation here, but really, anywhere in Inverness. Everything except restaurants and pubs close early, so you need a reservation when eating is the only thing to do.

Aye Eat had a pretty large menu featuring some Scottish comfort food. The restaurant itself is kind of kitsch and geared towards tourists in its decor. Try the beef and venison stovie, which comes from a hundreds-year old recipe that will finish out your historic themed day.

Shopping

There are plenty of souvenir shops near Inverness Castle, but one to highly consider supporting is Judith Glue. This shop sells Scottish made goods, including knitwear made with wool from the sheep in the Orkney Islands. They also sell second hand wool goods.

Day 5 – Day Trip to Nairn

Morning: Travel & Hike

Today you will visit a romantic Victorian-era seaside town on the Moray Coast: Nairn.

Points of Interest

• Nairn River
• Nairn Harbor
• East Beach

Route

After enjoying a warm breakfast, make your way to the train station to catch a train to Nairn, a beach town getaway from the Victorian-era that is still popular for beach going and hiking. It’s a quick 20-minute ride to Nairn.

Walk from the train through Nairn’s historic Fishertown to the harbor or the beach. While walking, you’ll see some shops with a multi-colored flower-like logo. These places will have paper maps for Nairn’s walking trails.

I came to Nairn to walk the East Beach to Kingsteps trail. Walk along the river through town to the harbor and beginning of East Beach. Ultimately, I was distracted by the beautiful beach and walked parallel to the path for a bit before trying to find it and turning back to town. Explore the harbor and the beaches.

Dining

Breakfast from The Original Milk Bar. 3 Ness Walk, Inverness IV3 5NE, United Kingdom

Grab a chai latte and pastry from The Original Milk Bar. The other Milk Bar is in the Victorian Market.

Snack at Strathnairn Beach Cafe. Marine Rd, Nairn IV12 4EA, United Kingdom

I wanted to try Cullen Skink, which is a smoked Haddock, potato, and onion soup that you can find all over Scotland, but was invented in this general area. Unfortunately for me, Cullen Skink was sold-out at this snack shop. Though it was windy and cold, I ordered some soft serve ice cream. “The Blue Stuff” flavored.

Shopping

Nairn, like many beach towns, has some pretty adorable gift shops. I stopped in Crafty Wee Birdie and Vitamin Sea Nairn, on High St. Crafty Wee Birdie had more art and local artisan made products, while Vitamin Sea Nairn had more typical souvenirs, including postcards. Nairn is also home to a number of charity shops, for those who like to shop for vintage.

Afternoon:

Return to Inverness to eat, check out, and return back to Edinburgh by train.

Points of Interest

• Victorian Market

Route

Head back to Inverness on the train. Depending on your energy levels, you might choose to pop into the Victorian Market. If you’ve visited Inverness on the weekend, you probably found that most of the shops were closed. On a weekday, everything is open. These are mostly souvenir shops, with some cafes and chocolate shops, and a food court in the back.

Dining

Second Snack at The Redshank. The Victorian Market Academy Street, Inverness, IV1 1JN

The Red Shank is a Scottish seafood restaurant, and they will not be sold out of Cullen Skink. Have a warm cup of soup, and grab something else to-go if you’ve booked your train back to Edinburgh this evening like I did. (Head to Tesco, across the river from Inverness Castle if you want a more budget friendly to-go option that includes more fruit or vegetables.)

Evening: Return to Edinburgh

Day 6 – Departure

Depending on the time of your departure flight, you catch up on something you missed in Edinburgh before heading to the airport. I felt satisfied with what I saw and spent my morning laying in bed before grabbing breakfast and heading to the airport.

Route

From wherever you happen to find yourself, make your way to Waverly Station. Your Bright Bus back to the airport will be waiting for you at the Waverly Bridge Stop, which is located between the Waverly Mall and the Princes Street Gardens. You’ll see the Scot National Monument nearby.

Dining

Takeaway Breakfast from Snax Café. Guildford Arms, 15-17 W Register St, Edinburgh EH2 2AA, United Kingdom

Snax is a great budget friendly option that serves a range of breakfasts from pastries and drinks to full meals. There are two locations, and this one is convenient to Waverly Station and the Waverly Station bridge bus stop that the airport buses stop at.

Plan Your Own Trip

Here are some helpful resources for planning your own trip to Edinburgh Fringe and beyond:

• The Chaotic Scot
• Edinburgh Festival Fringe
• Lonely Planet’s Edinburgh*
• Lonely Planet’s Scotland’s Highlands and Islands*
• Lonely Planet’s Scotland*

Fun fact: Kay Gillespie, the chaotic Scot behind The Chaotic Scot, is one of Lonely Planet’s lead writers in Scotland. Her blog, though, focuses on (mostly) solo travel in Scotland. She relies only on public transportation to get around. Her blog provides a much wider variety of destinations than the guides she writes for Lonely Planet.

*These are affiliate links.

Conclusion

Whether you’re headed to Edinburgh or greater Scotland to see an amazing friend perform in the Festival Fringe, or not, both the Fringe and Scotland have something for everyone. There’s so much to explore, and it’s very easy to travel by public transportation and hike.

<3 Katherine