Book a short break in Edinburgh hotels to enjoy the August festivals

Friday, 15 July 2011 9:39 AM

If you're looking for a cultural short break where you can take in the arts, why not consider booking into Edinburgh hotels during August?

The Scottish capital has plenty to offer holidaymakers all year round, but August is an especially good time to visit as numerous festivals are held during the month.

If you've been browsing accommodation for the perfect place to stay, look no further than the Holiday Inn Waterfront hotel, located next to the historical harbour of Leith.

The hotel boasts facilitates such as public internet, Sky TV and a laundry service and isn't far from Edinburgh's centre, while the rooms are modern and comfortable.

Once you've settled in, you might like to make your way to the location of some of the festivals. The first event to take place in August is the Edinburgh Arts Festival, which begins on the 4th.

Lasting for a whole month, the occasion sees art galleries, museums and visual arts spaces come together to put on special displays of contemporary works, photography exhibits and pieces by grand masters. There's lots to get involved in and plenty to see across the city during these busy four weeks.

A day after the event has begun; the Edinburgh Fringe Festival gets underway. This is the largest arts occasion in the world and combines comedy acts with live theatre across hundreds of venues and throughout the city's streets.

More than 40,000 performances are given during the event, which anyone can take part in, before it comes to an end on August 29th.

Also launching on August 5th is the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, an event lasting around 22 days and combining music, entertainment, ceremony and theatre in front of the imposing castle.

Later in the month is the Edinburgh International Festival, which runs from August 12th until September 4th. This event sees opera stars, dancers and classical musicians perform for the crowds.

Meanwhile, the last occasion to take place in August is the Edinburgh International Book Festival, which incorporates more than 800 individual events and brings together hundreds of world-renowned writers.

Whether you're a fan of reading, the theatre or comedy performance, you'll be sure to find something to suit your tastes at the many August festivals in the Scottish capital.

Edinburgh is great for short cycling breaks

Go cycling on a short break in Edinburgh

Edinburgh is a fantastic city for a short break thanks to its majestic castle, bustling bars, top restaurants and array of tourist attractions. However, Scotland's capital also boasts some wonderful great outdoors that are perfect for cycling.

Edinburgh Castle, Scotland

Edinburgh – On the Clock

How much can you really get done on a weekend city break? Plenty, if our guide to Edinburgh On the Clock is anything to go by…

Cork, Ireland

Highlights of a tour of Cork city

When time is of the essence and you only have a couple of days to explore a new destination, a city tour is an ideal way to pack in as many sights as possible. Cork is a destination that is perfect to explore by foot, with lots of top tourist attractions here.

Easter procession in Spain

Top places for an Easter city break

Easter is a big deal in southern Europe and one of the most important times for family get-togethers, here is less about Easter bunnies (although you’ll still find plenty of chocolate and Easter cakes) and more about the religious origins of the festival. Make sure you book travel and accommodation well in advance as Easter is a very busy time across most of Europe. Here are our top places to celebrate.

The View from The Shard

View from The Shard opens and full attraction is revealed

The new visitor’s experience, The View from the Shard at London’s newest landmark has today been revealed for the first time, ahead of the attraction’s official opening to the public on February 1 2013.

Giant whisky bottle

World’s largest bottle of single malt scotch on display in Edinburgh

The giant bottle of booze stands at 4ft 9in tall - roughly the same height as Danny DeVito - and contains 105.3 litres of Tomintoul 14-year-old single malt scotch.

Edinburgh castle

Edinburgh Castle named 'top heritage attraction in the UK'

The historic site was honoured at the British Travel Awards last night, beating St Paul’s Cathedral in London and Cornwall’s Minack Theatre, which took silver and bronze respectively.

Spanish Tapas

Hay Festival to host pop-up tapas bar by José Pizarro

At this summer’s Hay Festival from May 23 to June 2, visitors will be able to not only discover new books and meet authors, but also try some tasty tapas created by celebrity Spanish chef, José Pizarro.

Coffee with a local in Amsterdam

Amsterdam

This week IdealShortBreaks.co.uk is in Amsterdam drinking strong black coffee with local Machteld Ligtvoet, who gives us tips on some of his favourite local haunts – including where you can go to find one of the best views of the city.

Editor's Blog: Learning to play polo

Esme Fox learning how to play polo

To mark the launch of this summer’s MINT Polo in the Park, Esme Fox decided to try her hand at the sport and see what it’s all about.