Plans for a summer in Edinburgh

As a postgrad student, I know what I should be planning right now is my dissertation. But life is nothing without fun, so what keeps me motivated over these last few days of completing assignments is checking out what’s worth seeing and doing in the city over the summer.

Picnics

Obviously, the recently warm, sunny days inspired this idea. After this small glimpse of summer, I can’t wait to spend my actual summer in Edinburgh. I’d been told before the city is beautiful during this season, and I wasn’t disappointed. The parks are in full bloom and the crowds gathering to them when the weather is nice make them feel even more alive and welcoming!

Going to the beach

I visited Portobello beach during the winter, and the scenery was beautiful enough to impress me even then. Although I didn’t get the chance to go back over the previous days’ delightedly warm weather, I can’t wait to see what it’s like in the summer, on those lucky days when the sun shines and the beach is full of people.

The Fringe

There’s no Edinburgh in August without the Fringe. The famous arts festival attracts audiences from around the world and features all kinds of performances, including theatre, dance and music to name the basics. Shows take place all over the city, including some University of Edinburgh venues! Fans of comedy will be particularly rewarded from what I hear – improv troupes in the city have been advertising their participation for a few months now. But the Fringe is so diverse there seems to be an event for everyone.

Here’s a link in case you want to browse this year’s programme…

https://www.edfringe.com/learn/news-and-events/fourth-batch-of-2019-shows-revealed

Edinburgh International Book Festival

Finally, for book lovers like me, Edinburgh also has its own book festival every August. And if you think this is only for fans of literature, then you’re mistaken; it also features scientists, philosophers, musicians, and generally writers from any background. Although this year’s programme isn’t out yet, you can still learn more about the institution’s activities and sign up to get updates.

https://www.edbookfest.co.uk/

So, if you still have four months to go and a dissertation to work on, don’t despair. Think about all the fun activities you can do in the city this summer!