In the midst of summer July is the month of the Edinburgh Jazz & Blues festival, as well as the British Open Golf Championship.

August is THE festival month in the Scottish capital. Whether you’re into comedy, classical music, theatre, dance, jazz or literature, we guarantee this month’s entertainment offers will keep you busy from breakfast time into the early hours of each morning. Edinburgh in August is an experience! For more information visit the websites of the main festivals: Edinburgh International Festival, Edinburgh International Book Festival and Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Edinburgh Military Tattoo.

As well as the main festivals there are also numerous smaller festivals like the Foodies Festival, The Fringe by the sea and the Edinburgh Mela festival.

In September we slowly see the city transform into autumn and say goodbye to the summer festival period. Autumn is the perfect time to work on your history knowledge and celebrate some typical Scottish culture. Days worth noting are the Doors Open Days on which you can visit several historic sites – for free.

There is no better place to spend Halloween, or rather “All Hollow’s Eve” (31^st October) than the Scottish capital. In the cobbled streets and little winding lanes of the Old Town the past comes to life on this most haunted night of the year. Different walking tours take you through the Old Town, to historic graveyards and even underneath the city, into its vaults…if you dare to venture down there you might even witness some paranormal activities! Ways to get in the spooky mood for this are the Scottish Storytelling festival and the Samhuinn Fire festival…

November sees the celebrations of Guy Fawke’s Night and St. Andrews Day and Scotland’s History festival and gradually we are getting in the mood for the holiday season;

December combines Edinburgh’s Christmas and its world-famous Hogmanay celebrations – traditional markets, an ice rink and countless lights invite families and Christmas shoppers alike to spend a few days of the festive season in Edinburgh. It’s a magical time full of anticipation, good food, a time to be spend with friends and family. Edinburgh is the perfect destination for a winter or New Year’s break…

…and it’s never too early to book. We already have autumn and winter rates online, use the booking calendar to find out details!

While younger visitors can get creative with hands-on activities, older audiences can enjoy talks from some of the world’s foremost scientific thinkers. Adult events include cocktail classes and a dinner at the Botanical Gardens, both from a more scientific angle than you would expect from a normal night out.

If you are not visiting events it might be worth having a look at St. Andrews square where a selection of photographs is exhibited as at random locations all over town.

The Edinburgh International Science runs from the 23^rd of March till the 7^th of April.

What better way to enjoy spring than to actually go out and see it, by for example visiting the annual Snowdrop festival. The snowdrops are showing up in parks, gardens and woodland all over the country and more than 50 venues with notable snowdrop gardens are keen to show them off. Some of these gardens are not open to the public all year round, so this is your chance to take a sneak peek behind the hedges. The festival closes on the 17^th of March.

On the 9^th of March Scotland will be playing Wales in the 6 Nations Rugby Cup on our own Murrayfield. After the wins against Italy and Ireland this promises to be a well exciting event in the capital!

On the 23^rd of March the International Science festival kicks off with interesting gatherings all over the city. It’s the 25^th edition and we are going to have a closer look at the future, for more information on events, visit their website, where you can also purchase tickets.

Tempted to come and see Edinburgh come to life in March? Check our booking calendar for our latest availability and rates!

If you are thinking of coming to Edinburgh and are still looking for a place to stay look no further. Centrally located in the New Town we are just minutes away from the many romantic restaurants this city has to offer.  And what better place to spend your romantic getaway than a historic, small and intimate guesthouse likes ours.

You can book a double room and have our special breakfast in bed at no extra charge!

Check our booking calendar for availability!

Address your haggis in the Scottish capital this year! Burns Night is celebrated annually around the time of the Scottish poet’s birthday (25^th January) with a multitude of events. Of course, more often than not these include a traditional Burns supper. This delicious meal consists of the Scottish national dish haggis, served with a side of neeps (swede) and tatties (potatoes). A serving of whisky and the recitation of Robert Burns’ poetry complete the evening. Because  Burns Supper is on a friday this year, you can expect plenty of celebrations!

We have researched some of the most promising Burns-events scheduled for this January for you:

Ø      Enjoy a traditional Burns Night dinner at the Whiski Rooms on the Mound in Edinburgh’s city centre on Friday, 25^th January at 7.30pm. Bagpipes, songs and tasty Scottish food within walking distance of our guesthouse. Reservations are required.

Ø      Visit the Scottish Storytelling Centre’s Family Festival Day to experience Robert Burns and his art in an interactive way. Readings and music to charm all the family on Saturday, 26^th January.

Ø      The Royal Botanic Gardens host their interpretation of a “Burns Supper” from Monday-Friday all through January. The gardens are located close to The Walton and are a definite ‘must see’ during your time in Edinburgh. Learn about plants mentioned in Burns art – no booking is required.

If you’re still looking for accommodation in Edinburgh for Burns Night’s weekend, please check our booking calendar for availability. You will find our amazing January Bed & Breakfast deals online on this site!

With this post and the one following one next week, I’m attempting to bring you the highlights of 2012 for us here in Edinburgh:

In January, Robert Burns Night with its traditional foods, poetry and music is a day to mark in your calendar. The bard’s birthday (25^th January) falls on a Friday this year, so you can expect a big celebration.

February brings the Six Nations Rugby Tournament to Edinburgh. The Scottish team play againstItaly and Ireland on two weekends this month. Our guesthouse is in walking distance of Murrayfield and we cannot wait for the fun to begin!

Celebrate Scotland’s parks and gardens in February and March by exploring a green near you during the Scottish Snowdrop Festival. We’ve got the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh’s New Town, Hopetoun House in South Queensferry and Kevock Garden in Lasswade taking part.

In April, Edinburgh hosts its International Science Festival (23^th March – 7^th April). Why not visit the Scottish capital and explore the world around you from a scientific perspective? To learn more about this year’s festival events, visit the offical website. On April 30th we celebrate the Beltane Fire festival, a spectacle that is definetely worth a visit!

May brings us the Edinburgh Marathon. The good news is that there are still entries available. Find detailed event information and enter online.

June is going to be an extremely busy month in Edinburgh! On ^8th June first time walkers join those who regularly take part for Edinburgh’s 8^th Moonwalk. From the 19th till the 30th you can enjoty the Edinburgh International Film Festival. Other happenings are the Leith Festival, the Scottish Real Ale festival en Taste of Edinburgh. And don’t forget aboputg the Royal Highland Show off course!

Our Bed & Breakfast guesthouse still has some rooms available for most of these exciting times ahead. However, we do recommend you book your accommodation as early as possible to ensure we’ll be able to offer exactly what you’re looking for!

Taking part in the procession is free, and you won’t need a ticket either. However, if you’d like to buy your own torch to carry, please make sure you pre-book one on www.edinburghshogmanay.com to avoid disappointment!

On the 31^st there are many things you can do to celebrate the passing of 2012 into 2013. There’s the Candlelit Concert at St Giles’ Cathedral, the Hogmanay Street Party in the City Cnetre and the Concert in the Princess Street Gardens and off course the Keilidh in the Mound Precinct. One of our personal reccomendations is the Hogmanay party at Summerhall.

If you are looking for an active start of the New Year we can recommend taking a fresh dip in the Firth of Forth; The traditional Loony Dook in South Queensferry or the New Years Day Triathlon that will take place in the Commonwealth pool and around Arthurs’ Seat.

For more information on events don’t forget to check our events calendar!

We hope you enjoy your stay here in Edinburgh and have a sparkling Hogmanay!

Our little guesthouse in the New Town of the city centre will remain open over Christmas and we still have rooms available! Why not take advantage of our Christmas deals and book yourself into our Bed & Breakfast guesthouse for the festive period? Please enter your dates in our online booking calendar to discover the amazing rates we’re giving you this Christmas.

Christmas is a magical time in Edinburgh. While Christmas Eve is usually still a busy day with shops open for most of the day, Christmas Day on 25^th December will be wonderfully quiet and peaceful. All shops and many restaurants will be closed on this day. If you’d like to see a different, a more serene side of Edinburgh, Christmas Day is the time to visit.

If you’re staying in the Scottish capital this Christmas & are still looking for things to do on 25^th December, here are a couple of suggestions:

Why not climb Arthurs’ Seat or Calton Hill for a beautiful over view of the city? And to work on an appetite for your Christmas dinner!

Still looking for a place to eat? For Christmas lunch and dinner dinner we recommend , The Spice Pavillion, an Indian restaurant a five-minute walk away from the guesthouse. Alternatively, if you feel like enjoying a more traditional Christmas Day Menu you might like to reserve a table at The Granary in Leith. Also open on Christmas day is The Grain Store on Victoria street in the beautiful Old Town.

We wish you Merry Christmas & a lovely festive stay in Edinburgh!

Here in Edinburgh, ‘Hogmanay’ is a colourful festival. We celebrate with the street party our capital is internationally renowned for – and the city is truly buzzing with life on those last days of the year: You can listen to live music in Princes Street Gardens, or take part in a ceilidh and a festive torch procession (which will take you through the most beautiful parts of the city centre).

The party lasts all of three days, from 30^th December 2011 – 1^st January 2012. If you’re looking for Bed & Breakfast accommodation within walking distance of the New Year’s festivities, look no further: The Walton is the perfect base for Hogmanay in Edinburgh! We are close enough to walk to the heart of the city centre. Still, at the same time the guesthouse is tucked away in a popular residential area of the New Town, which is so much quieter than Princes Street. Our special events’ rates are reasonable, and our breakfast on New Year’s Day morning 2013 will be well worth getting up for – promised!

Our best rates and last minute offers can be found on this site! Check our booking calendar for availability and rates!

On the 1^st and the 2^nd of December we kick off with the Christmas Foodies festival. You can watch Michelin chefs in action, taste wine and food in the Edinburgh International Conference Centre to get the inspiration you need for your Christmas dinner.

Christmas markets have been a tradition since medieval times. Edinburgh hosts 4 different Christmas Markets, so you can eat your heart out!

From the 29^th of November till the 4^th of January you can enjoy the Highland Village Christmas Market in the East Princess Street Gardens. From Scottish treats to woolly hats and Scottish teddy bears, this market is eclectic, vibrant and fun. Scottish produce, such as a delicious venison burger, is on sale from a range of food producers and retailers are selling a range of candles, gifts, jewellery and quirky clothes. Beneath the Edinburgh Wheel and above the ice rink, the lovely location of this market makes Christmas shopping a real pleasure.

From Thursday the 29^th of November till Monday the 24^th of December you can visit the German Christmas Markets in the Mound Precinct. The popular market is back as always, selling a mix of classic and contemporary gifts as well as a range of German food and drink ideal for warming up the chilly bits. Tasty delights include hearty sausages, fried potato cakes, crepes and German beer and Glühwein.

And then there’s our regular Stockbridge market that has a special Christmas edition from the 21^st of December till the 23^rd of December and the Edinburgh Markets that have a special Christmas theme every Saturday and Sunday in December.

And straight after Christmas we are moving on to the next festival: it’s time for our Edinburgh Hogmanay Carnival that kicks off on the 27^th on Market street.

During the 3 days of Hogmanay the city also has many celebrations starting with the Torchlight Procession on the 30^th. The tour, which starts at 18.30 and goes from Chambers street to Calton Hill marks the beginning of the Hogmanay festivities.

And on the final day of the year you can enjoy the Concert in the West Princess street Gardens, The Keilidh in the Mound Precinct, The Candlelit Concert in St. Giles’ Cathedral and the Street Party in the City Centre.

And if that isn’t enough on the 1^st day of the year we kick off with the Loony Dook, the New Years Day Triathlon and Edinburgh’s Dogmanay in Holyrood park to start the New Year in a celebratory way!

Keep an eye on our blog, website and calendar for more specific info on events. Our staff is off course happy to help you plan your stay in Edinburgh!