Edinburgh Fringe Still Top Dog

The Brighton Fringe began this weekend, showcasing a range of stand up comedy and carabet acts. The festival finishes on 26th May. The annual Edinburgh Fringe is still top dog in terms of numbers of paying customers, range of acts appearing and international appeal. Brighton has a lot going for it, not least the fact that it is a mere sixty miles from London.

Heading to The Edinburgh Fringe can be an extremely costly undertaking. Competition for Fringegoers attention and patronage is at its most fierce on the Royal Mile. You may well want to get away from it all, stretch your legs before heading to one of The Fringe's venues later in the day. Discovering the secrets behind some of the Old Town's most famous and lesser known landmarks need not cost the earth. The Royal Mile & More, Walk Talk Tour mp3 guided tour begins in the Castle Esplanade, where the annual Edinburgh Military Tattoo is held in August. This year's Tattoo runs from 1st August to 23rd August.

Listeners to The Royal Mile & More iPod travel guide can learn about the native of Edinburgh who was the last person to be tried under the Witchcraft Act in the UK. Walk Talk Tourists then continue down the Royal Mile, past the Tron Kirk, which is now better known as The Hub, the Home of the Edinburgh International Festival. The Edinburgh International Festival began in 1947. It showcases the performing arts - opera, classical music, dance and theatre - and runs for three weeks between late August and early September.

Thankfully, visitors to the Scottish capital or undercover tourists are free to discover the sights - at their leisure, in their own time - with a Walk Talk Tour downloadable travel guide.

The Old & New Towns city guide begins outside the Castle before heading down into the Grassmarket where listeners to the Old & New Towns podcast guided tour will learn about two infamous characters from the city's past. To hear an audio sample from The Old & New Town downloadable travel guide please click here. The Grassmarket is situated close to two of the Fringe Fesitval's most popular venues: the Underbelly, on the Cowgate and the Underbelly's Baby Belly, which is located in The Caves on Niddry Street just off the Cowgate.

The Old & New Towns travel guide passes another of the Fringe's main venues, The Assembly Rooms. Visitors can learn about the building's distinguished past and hear about some of the famous individuals who have been honoured there. The Old & New Towns mp3 guided tour ends in Charlotte Square - where the annual International Book Festival, the world's largest international book festival, is held - and where the First Minister of Scotland has his official residence.

To hear an audio sample from The Royal Mile & More podcast guided tour please click here.