Top entertainment for free
Catch Unbound, every night from 14-30 August, at the Edinburgh International Book Festival's Spiegeltent – a great mélange of stories, music and literary entertainment hand-picked by the hottest names in the circuit, including Canongate Publishers and McSweeneys. Most exhibitions at the Edinburgh Art Festival are free to enter, and of course the Free Fringe continues to grow (there are precisely 558 shows going gratis this year). For late-night grandness get yourself a good viewing point of the castle and stare in awe at the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo's firework display. And tap into some park-side benefits by catching Naturally Inspired at the wonderfully peaceful Botanic Gardens: a whole afternoon of dance, music and storytelling inspired by nature on 8 August.
Unbound: edbookfest.co.uk
Galleries: edinburghartfestival.com
Free fringe: edfringe.com
Naturally Inspired: edinburghfestivals.co.uk/events/naturally-inspired
Eat for under a fiver
You can't go wrong with two of the cheapest eateries in town. For under-a-fiver-grub in the Old Town try The Mosque Kitchen's cheap and cheerful outdoor canteen, run by a bunch of affable men with a generous take on what a curry and rice portion should look like (Edinburgh Central Mosque, 50 Potterrow). Kampong Ah Lee Malaysian Delight is equally inexpensive – and you know you've hit a good spot the minute you walk in, as the Malaysian-sounding patter of regular diners bounces off the kitsch sparkly decor (28 Clerk Street). Those with a sweet tooth will be glad to turn up at the Italian-styled Caffe Lucano after 4pm, when all cakes go for half-price. With window seats facing one of the busiest thoroughfares in Edinburgh this is a prime location to do a bit of festival-fashion people watching (37-39 George IV Bridge).
Suburban savers
Venture a couple of miles out of the city centre and you'll find plenty of B&Bs to chose from – Edinburgh's network of night buses is excellent and covers most of these routes (try Glenlivet House, near the zoo on 8 St. Johns Road). The halls of residence for Edinburgh, Napier and Queen Margaret Universities are another great bet. Some of them will offer you the cheapest self-catering flats in the area (just over £500 a week for a three-bedroom flat). Private halls of residence are also worth a try – Unite is offering en-suite rooms from just £25 per night during festival season.
B&B: glenlivethouseedinburgh.co.uk
Edinburgh University festival accommodation: flats.accom.ed.ac.uk
Napier University summer accommodation: napier.ac.uk
Queen Margaret summer accommodation: qmu.ac.uk
Unite: unite-students.com
Half-price shows
The Fringe Half-Price Hut is a great port of call to catch some of the best entertainment in Edinburgh. Head there on the day to see which tickets you can grab with the 50% discount. There's always a generous range of options, from the most lavish productions to yet-to-be-discovered shows.
The Mound: right by the National Gallery of Scotland.
Join the IN crowd
For those in their 20s and 30s, £20 will get you membership into IN, the Edinburgh International Festival scheme that offers invites to preview performances, exclusive discounts, access to VIP parties and behind-the-scenes events. That's a lot of theatre, opera and orchestra music for a very smart fee.
Join IN: eif.co.uk/insider
Kids go free at the fair
Drop by the wonderfully relaxed Mela festival, set on Leith Links, one of Edinburgh's beautiful parks. Children under 12 go free and an adult day pass costs £2.50. Enjoy puppetry shows, Indian music and Bollywood dancing workshops, samba drumming and hip hop performances. Did we mention the amazing food stalls?
Mela festival: edinburgh-mela.co.uk 6-8 August
Footloose and fancy free
The one great thing about the Edinburgh Festivals is that once you're there, you are definitely there. The city is a joy to navigate on foot, with architectural delights for your eyes to feast on at every corner. Walking around is half the experience and the best way to bump into an event you'll be tempted into or swap tips with total strangers.
Soak up the buzz in the gardens
Sometimes you just want to stretch your legs and take it all in without going into a venue. Whether you're solo or with the kids, Charlotte Square Gardens (home to the Book Festival) is a pretty heavenly place to be, with free entry and great ice-cream. Otherwise head to the Meadows, the expansive park by Edinburgh University's George Square.
The nice-price boozers
There are plenty of places to pick up a pint surrounded by faithful clientele and prices to match. Two of the best ones have to be Cloisters, a former church near The Meadows (26, Brougham St) and the candle-lit Black Bo's (57-61 Blackfriars Street). Grab the pew by the widow if you can.
A refreshing dip
If you're doing Edinburgh like the pros – weeks of back-to-back events – you will find yourself wanting to re-energise your batteries with some exercise. Forget the gym and visit the newly-restored glorious Victorian Glenogle Baths for an invigorating swim (£3.90, £2 concessions, Glenogle Road in the Stockbridge area).
Glenogle Swim Centre: edinburghleisure.co.uk
• Edinburgh has a packed calendar of festivals and events throughout the year. For reviews, tickets and to plan your visit go to edinburghfestivals.co.uk
