It’s nearly time for the various Edinburgh festivals to take over the theatres, gyms, hotels, streets and pubs of Scotland’s Capital.
Taking place on a variety of dates from August 2-26, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe programme alone contains over 3,500 shows - then there’s the Edinburgh International Festival, the Edinburgh International Book Festival, the Edinburgh International Film Festival, and several more.
Of course the majority of shows, events and attractions require you to shell out cash for tickets and, as with most things, recent years have seen prices creep up.
But there’s no need to spend a fortune to enjoy Edinburgh in August.
Here are 11 things to enjoy for free.
1. A taste of the Tattoo
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo runs from August 2-24 and is one of the hottest tickets of the summer. It can be expensive though. For a free taster, head to the Royal Mile, just down from the Castle when the show is due to finish at around 11pm. Not only will you get a great view of the fireworks on the esplanade, you'll also have the chance to see some of the cast march away from the venue. | TSPL
2. Enjoy the write stuff
Running from August 10–25, the Edinburgh International Book festival has hundreds of events featuring novelists, politicians, musicians and journalists. The majority of the events are ticketed, but many of them are streamed live to the big screens of the leafy courtyard in the festival's new home of the at the Edinburgh Futures Institute. Enjoy listening to literary discussions over a drink from the cafe or bar - or bring your own picnic. There's no charge for entry to the courtyard - or the bookshop where author signings will take place. | Edinburgh Festivals
3. Have an art attack
The Edinburgh Art Festival takes place in galleries and other spaces across Edinburgh (and occasionally beyond) from August 9-25. Many of the exhibitions, such as 'Geoff Uglow: Beyond the Clouds'- a series of oils portraying everything from cityscapes of Edinburgh to Italian landscapes - at The Scottish Gallery are completely free. Pick up a programme and map from any of the participating venues and follow an art trail around the city. | Edinburgh Art Festival
4. Tackle the chaos of the Royal Mile
Throughout the Edinburgh Festival Fringe you can enjoy a walk down the Royal Mile where you can catch snippets from many of the shows, alongside plenty of street performers, jugglers, magicians and the dreaded human statues. Just make sure you aren't in a hurry and don't mind having promotional fliers thrust at you by over-enthusiastic performers. The main thing is it's all free - and one of the first stops for families with children. | Getty Images