Novotel Edinburgh Centre

An AA rated 4 star New Generation Novotel in the city centre, close to Edinburgh Castle and the lively Grassmarket Area, 10 min walk from Princes Street shopping and the Royal Mile. The famous Arthurs Seat is a 15 min walk away and Edinburgh International Airport a 15 min drive. Opened in February 2004, the hotel offers 180 stylish rooms, Elements Restaurant and Bar, room service, an indoor pool, sauna, steam room, gym and whirlpool, 5 meeting rooms for up to 75 people and limited pay parking.

Novotel Edinburgh Centre Property Information:

Rooms: 180
Floors: 7

Novotel Edinburgh Centre Service

First class
Wheel chair access
Dining
Meeting room
Nonsmoking
Pets allowed
Car rental desk
Family rooms
Fitness facility
Swimming pool
Data port

Novotel Edinburgh Centre Reservation Policies:

Check-In: 1400
Check-Out: 1200

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Edinburgh Events & Entertainment

Events

January

New Year’s celebration starting New Year’s Eve for 3 days

Edinburgh Hogmanay

Hogmanay, the Scottish celebration of the New Year, is marked with concerts, street parties and a massive bonfire on Calton Hill. It features street theater; lively processions, illuminated by firebrands; and the burning of a long boat. By 1997, the crush to attend Europe's largest winter festival forced the city to limit numbers, the consequence being that access to the city center after 8pm on New Year's Eve is by ticket only. For details, call 0131/473-3800.

January 25

Burns Night

The celebration of the birthday of Scotland’s national poet on January 25 traditional supper of haggis, neeps (turnips), and tatties (potatoes), accompanied by a wee dram of whisky, while listening to recitals from the works of Scotland's Bard, Robert "Rabbie" Burns, whose birthday is being celebrated. Burns suppers are held in hotels and restaurants all over the city.

April

Edinburgh Science Fair

Lectures and events covering all branches of science and technology, held in over 40 centers city-wide.

May

Museum Week

Annual events to publicize Edinburgh museums, with a series of art workshops, guided walks and exhibitions.

Scottish International Children’s Festival

the largest festival of the performing arts in the United Kingdom for children and young people. Public performances Friday – Sunday. Telephone 0131 225 8050

Come to Britain's Biggest Performing Arts Festival for Children and enjoy:

A unique live theatre experience!

Cultural Diversity

Performances from the best theatre companies from Germany, Denmark, England and Scotland

Dance Workshops And Story Sessions

June

Royal Highland Show

Includes a huge variety of events, such as pedigree livestock judging; show jumping; and agricultural displays over a period of five days.

August

Edinburgh International Festival

The Hub, Castle Hill, Edinburgh EH1 7ND

0131/473-2000

open Monday to Friday 9:30am to 5:30pm.

The highlight of Edinburgh's year comes in the last weeks of August during the various festivals. Since its inception in 1947, I The International Festival has grown into one of the world's largest and most important arts festivals. The festival has attracted artists and companies of the highest international standard in all fields of the arts, including music, opera, dance, theater, poetry, and prose.

Edinburgh Festival Fringe

180 High St.

Edinburgh EH1 1BW

0131/226-5257

This festival began unofficially at the same time as the Edinburgh International Festival and grew in tandem to become the largest such event in the world. Over 500 amateur and professional groups present every possible kind of avant-garde performance in venues all around the city.

The Edinburgh Military Tattoo

Tickets and mail-order bookings are available from the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, Tattoo Office, 32 Market St., Edinburgh EH1 1QB 0131/225-1188

takes place on the Esplanade of Edinburgh Castle. The show is an extravaganza of daredevil displays, regimental drill, and swirling bagpipes and ends with a single piper playing a lament on the battlefields. The Tattoo features the precision marching of not only the British Army's Scottish regiments but also performers from some 30 countries, including bands, dancers, drill teams, gymnasts, and motorcyclists, even horses, camels, elephants, and police dogs. The music ranges from ethnic to pop and from military to jazz.

Edinburgh International Film Festival

88 Lothian Rd., Edinburgh EH3 9BZ

0131/228-4051.

This is the world’s longest running film festival. It features both mainstream and independent new releases, with interviews, discussions, and debate. It occurs at the same time as the Military Tattoo.

Jazz and Blues Festival Also at the same time as the Military Tattoo. This festival runs the gamut of jazz forms.

Edinburgh Book Festival

Scottish Book Centre

137 Dundee St.

Edinburgh EH11 1BG

0131/228-5444

occurs annually. The festival occupies a tented village in Charlotte Square and attracts a wide spectrum of visitors.

September

Fireworks Concert

A fantastic fireworks display against the backdrop of Edinburgh Castle, accompanied by classical music.

Open Doors Day

Cockburn Association

Trunk’s Close

55 High Street EH1 15R

0121 557 8686

Some of the finest private homes in Edinburgh are opened to the public on one day of the year, in September.

Late November

Edinburgh’s Capital Christmas

One of Europe's finest Christmas festivals with a month-long programme bringing warmth and festive cheer to Edinburgh as the city transforms itself into a magical winter wonderland with lots of activity centred around the world-renowned Princes Street Gardens.

December 31-January 1

Highland Gathering

An annual indoor music extravaganza catering for 25,000 people, this unprecedented event is designed to compliment the City's traditional Hogmanay happenings, the Winter Festival, and the existing yearly New Year's Eve celebrations.

Arts and Entertainment

Scottish Chamber Orchestra

Usher Hall, Lothian Road, Edinburgh, EH1 2EA

0131 228 1155

Usher Hall.

Playhouse Theatre

0131/557-2590

18-22 Greenside Place Bus: 7, 14

Edinburgh's largest theater, the 3,100-seat Playhouse Theatre, was built in 1929.

Queen's Hall

0131/668-2019

The Queen's Hall, Clerk Street (0131/668-2019; Bus: 3, 33, 31), is home to the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and a major venue for the Edinburgh Festival.

King's Theatre

2 Leven Street, Edinburgh, EH3 9LQ

Tel: 0131 529 6000

Bus: 10, 11

presents a wide repertoire of classical entertainment.

Edinburgh Folk Club

077-8896-0732

In addition to pubs that sometimes feature folk music, the Edinburgh Folk Club offers Wednesday performances at changing venues from September to June.

Festival Theatre

13-29 Nicolson St.

0131/662-1112 for administration

Opened in 1994 on the eastern edge of Edinburgh, near the old campus of the university,

Motherwell Theatre

Civic Centre

Windmillhill Street, Motherwell, ML1 1TW

Tel: 01698 267515

Fax: 01698 268806

Royal Lyceum Theatre

Grindlay Street, Edinburgh, EH3 9AX

Grindlay Street Bus: 11, 15

Tel: 0131 248 4848

A highly respected resident company.

Edinburgh Destination Overview

Built on extinct volcanoes atop an inlet from the North Sea (the Firth of Forth) and enveloped by rolling hills, lakes (lochs), and forests, Edinburgh invites exploration. This is a city of elegant streets, cobbled alleys, and incomparable sunsets. Edinburgh (pronounced Edin-burra) is also a busy, noisy place with a spectacular landscape of hills and crags. The buildings of this vibrant capital city , from the historic houses of the Royal Mile to the elegant Georgian terraces and crescents of the New Town, offer the perfect complement to the natural setting. The city's layout is linear, in a pattern set by Castle Rock and Castle Ridge, down which the Royal Mile descends to the palace of Holyroodhouse.

North of this lies a shallow valley holding the lovely Princes Street Gardens, with Waverley Station, the city's main railroad station at the eastern end. Above the gardens, and to the north is Edinburgh's main street, Princes Street. This is an ideal vantage point from which to view the castle and Old Edinburgh. Edinburgh's famous castle is especially beautiful. Upon entering the city, it commands immediate attention.

The eye of the visitor is drawn to the impressive structure rising high above everything else on its sheer granite cliffs. There are incredible panoramic views from the upper stories of the castle, including a clear view of the distant sea. The castle sits high on the huge rock formation that juts out as if in defiance of any who would seek to invade Edinburgh. Castle Rock, as it is known, is inaccessible on three sides, and has a long, descending ridge on the fourth side. Studded with volcanic hills, Edinburgh has an incomparable location on the southern edge of the enormous Firth (River) of Forth.

From the west end, beyond craggy Arthur's Seat and over the waters of the Firth of Forth, can be seen the Old and New Towns. Most of the city's sights are contained within these two districts: The Old Town is crowded with multistoried tenements dating from the 15th century and has ancient winding streets dotted with closes (entrances) and wynds (alleyways) on either side. The New Town, on the other hand, presents an orderly arrangement of Georgian buildings and a symmetrical grid of streets. The effect of sightseeing in these two areas is that of stepping back in time, while still being in the present. At the same moment, you are in a totally intact medieval city, with all the original buildings, yet the people around you are from the modern day, and stores as we know them are functioning within the ancient structures.

The contrast is incredible. To the north of the city center is Leith, Edinburgh's main port, which has shed its rough, waterfront image to become a fashionable area of pubs and restaurants. Leith Links is a favorite with golfers. The Links claim to be one of the earliest sites of the great game, in fact, dating from 1593 when the first set of the official rules was formulated there. Portobello to the east is where Edinburgh's citizens and summer visitors spend time on the beach.

To the west, medieval South Queensferry sits in the shadow of two large bridges that span the Firth of Forth. To the south, near Holyrood Park, is picturesque Duddingston. The attractive streets of Duddingston run down to a loch which is part of a bird sanctuary. It is always thronged with geese and other interesting waterfowl. Edinburgh is a fine destination for a family vacation.

Small children will delight in just running up and down the Royal Mile. A ride on the double decker bus is also a treat. Older children will rise to the challenge of climbing the steps to Arthur's Seat, and exploring what remains of the castle. The important things to keep in mind are to vary the activities of the day and to move at a leisurely pace. As long as children have ample opportunities to exercise and play, and have meals at regular intervals, they can tolerate and even enjoy many of the museums and exhibits that are of interest to adults.

Plan the day and then cross off about half of that ambitious schedule, and add time to "run in the park" or "watch the geese on the pond", and you have the basic ingredients for a day of smiles and good humor. Edinburgh is filled with historic and literary association: John Knox, Mary Queen of Scots, Robert Louis Stevenson, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (creator of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson), Alexander Graham Bell, Sir Walter Scott, and Bonnie Prince Charlie are all part of its past. Many visitors entering into the ongoing debate over which is the best tasting malt whisky served in Edinburgh. The contenders are many: Highland malts, Lowland malts, Campeltown malts, Islay malts, to name a few.

Many other nations have tried to replicate Scotch whisky, but none has succeeded. There is no way to authentically reproduce the Scottish combination of damp climate and soft water flowing through the peat at just the right temperature to produce the malt that forms the basis of the beverage. Edinburgh's close proximity to England, and its multicultural, sophisticated population set it apart.