Edinburghs 2nd Festival

Edinburgh festival is an annually held, globally renowned arts festival

. However, venture down Leith Walk this June and you may be surprised to find a slightly smaller, alternative festival in full swing. That's right, it can only be the world famous Leith Festival!

Held annually about a month and a half before its big brother kicks off in August, the Leith Festival is an eclectic mix of local acts and shows and in essence a scaled down version of the Edinburgh festival.

For those of you unfamiliar with Edinburgh's geography, Leith lies to the north of Edinburgh and is the port of Edinburgh. It is a short stroll down Leith Walk or Eater Road if you are in Edinburgh city centre and is often overlooked by tourists to Edinburgh who do not venture far past Princes Street or the Old Town.

The performances on offer range from theatre to stand up comedy to a taste of the local music scene. A personal favourite is the walking tours of Leith, delving into its less glamorous and downright gory past. There is also the 'Trainspotting tour' which visits some of the famous locations from Irvine Welsh's cult classic novel.

It culminates in Leith's very own Military Tattoo at the scenic Leith Shore area. This is a suiting end and a fun poke at the world famous Edinburgh Military Tattoo which runs throughout August at Edinburgh Castle.

So if you're a tourist enjoying some of the sights and sounds of Edinburgh this summer, it could be worthwhile to take a break from the Edinburgh hotels and city centre hotspots and have an eye opening wander down to Leith. It definitely has a unique community feel and the locals are definitely very proud of their town and local heritage.

Let's not forget that Leith has every reason to be proud, with a handful of Michelin starred restaurants, trendy bars and more recently its very own festival. Enjoy!

by: David Connery

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