Edinburgh guide from broadcaster Gemma Cairney

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Sitting outside LeftField restaurant eating seafood with a friend a few years ago, I knew I was destined to have a chapter of my life living in Edinburgh. I moved here in 2021, but the city has held a place in my heart since I was a teenager, when I started coming to the Fringe festival. I love that Edinburgh feels very international but not too big or overwhelming; which is by the sea, and you can escape to the desert in less than an hour.

On my third day living here, I broke my leg climbing Arthur’s Seat, the extinct volcano in Holyrood Park. So I got off to a slow start getting to know the city, wandering the local streets on my crutches, but that meant I really looked at things, like all the roses in the Marchmont front gardens, an area that has a fairytale feel to it. he. It’s very nice and classic, with lots of big apartment buildings, but at the same time there are no conceited rules.

Left Garden It’s still one of my favorite Marchmont spots; It’s a nice little family run seafood restaurant overlooking The Meadows, the park where I walk my Australian Cattle Dog, Billie. I’ll order oysters and a glass of one of the delicious natural wines. The nearby Argyle pub is also great; It’s a cozy, old-school venue, perfect for weathering the storm of a long Scottish winter. You will find all kinds of people there; that, for me, is the basis of a good tavern. There is also a cellar bar downstairs where an amazing monthly night called La Beat takes place, hosted by some dedicated DJs and music lovers playing Motown, Northern soul, old soul classics all on vinyl. It is a true pilgrimage for dance.

Edinburgh is a great city for walking. You can go from one side of the city to the other in 40 minutes. My advice to visitors is not to overplan; leave time for wandering and wandering, as there are many alleys and small passages that lead to unexpected spaces. And if you see a charity shop, go inside; You’ll thank me later because the Edinburgh Antique Set is strong, especially for blankets and tableware. For vintage fashion, I love it W Armstrong and sonwhich has several locations throughout the city.

I spend a lot of time in mf coffee – the cafeteria run by my boyfriend Cameron – which is in the middle of an artistic town called summer lounge. The building used to be a veterinary school; it now houses artist studios, galleries, and event spaces. It’s a fun place, pretty crazy; you may pass a ceilidh in one room, an experimental performance in another.

lighthouse books, our radical bookstore, also hosts events in its backyard. Last summer, I watched Travis Alabanza, a brilliant and erudite artist, author, and playwright, talk about his book. None of the above. I feel that this kind of multifaceted approach to creativity is well accepted in Edinburgh, which is why I am so happy to be involved in the Edinburgh Arts Festival in August. It is a smaller festival than the Stripe; she is agile, open and socially engaged, and represents acting and poetry as much as visual art.

We’ve really tried to mix up the show and make it accessible; a large proportion of events are free. So there are exhibitions – of the scottish gallery to contemporary space fruit market – but also lounges and internal conversations. In it National Galleries of ScotlandFor example, two art collectives, Beirut-based Haven For Artists and Belfast-based Array Collective, will talk about making art in conflict (August 12). And on the opening evening (August 11), a free performance of an experimental opera-film called history of the present by Maria Fusco and Margaret Salmon takes place in The Queen’s Hall.

The city is a booming and bubbly place in August, with festivals underway. But it is also a good time to explore the coast. We will go to Portobello Beach, a few miles from the city, or a little further down towards North Berwick. In the Dunbar area, there are beautiful places to swim in the sea that take my breath away. I also go to the indoor pool at Marchmont: Warrender Swim Center. It is a grand old Victorian building, originally opened in 1887 and recently renovated.

Another special place to swim is in Jupiter Artland [the board of which I am on] – the private family home of Robert and Nicky Wilson, which they opened as a sculpture garden in 2009. It’s a half-hour’s drive from the city and worth the trip just for the Gateway Pool, a work of art by Joana Vasconcelos , made up of colorful swirled Portuguese tiles. And you can book swimming sessions. It’s like diving into a portal.

As for where to stay, The Artist’s House at Jupiter Artland is amazing. But finding accommodation in the city itself can be tricky; an independent, artistic and inspiring place to stay doesn’t seem to exist. I should open one… In the meantime, I’m making plans for my own space at 22 Argyll Place in Marchmont. What’s going to happen there hasn’t been revealed yet (think pop-ups, conversations, books), but I’ve got the keys and I’m seething with excitement.

The Edinburgh Arts Festival takes place from August 11 to 27. edinburghartfestival.com