Go walk about at the Edinburgh Fringe

The annual Edinburgh Festival Fringe, or simply the Fringe for short, begins today. The Edinburgh Fringe runs until August 25. More than 240 venues across the Scottish capital will be trying to attract punters with a acts ranging from the sublime to the seemingly ridiculous.

The director of the Fringe, Jon Morgan, was quoted by the Financial Times on Friday, August 1, as saying that: “The credit crunch is affecting everyone in the country at the moment but the Fringe still represents fantastic value for people. Many of the shows cost less than £10 and hundreds of shows are free.”

Edinburgh in August is a Mecca for festival goers. There is the Edinburgh International Festival which showcases opera, music, theatre and dance in the Scottish capital. The International Festival starts on August 8 and ends on August 31. There's also the Edinburgh International Book Festival, which celebrates its twenty-fifth birthday this year. There's even now a Festival of Spirituality and Peace. And of course there's the Edinburgh Military Tattoo!

Moreover, a trip to Edinburgh represents a great opportunity to explore a World Heritage Site. There are two Walk Talk Tour audio walking tours of Edinburgh, which customers can listen to via their iPod, MP3 player, MP3 compatible mobile phone, Blackberry or 3G Phone. The Royal Mile & More Edinburgh walking tour and the Old & New Towns mp3 guided tour represent excellent value at just £5.95 each. Customers purchasing both tours simultaneously will receive a twenty per cent discount, meaning that you only pay £9.52 for both tours.

With a Walk Talk Tour there are no hidden charges. With a Walk Talk Tour you're in charge. No need to feel too much like a sightseer with a guidebook in your hands - or struggle to follow let alone hear the guide dragging you round the sights. And then have to root around in your pockets for some loose change to give your guide.

Each Walk Talk Tour is made up of commentary points. Listeners will hear about the personalities and history behind a particular landmark. Walk Talk Tourists are then given instructions informing them how to get to their next commentary point. Listeners are then asked to press pause. Once you reach your next commentary point, simply press play. Each Walk Talk Tour podcast guided tour comes complete with a downloadable map - for you to print off - so you won't miss a thing!

Both the Royal Mile & More mp3 guided tour and the Old & New Towns Edinburgh city guide can be completed in two hours, though you're free to take as little or as long as you want to explore the sights.

What's more with the Walk Talk Tour you can stop and start when you see fit - or when the weather dictates. Why not make the most of your Walk Talk Tour of Edinburgh by checking out our Where & When pages, which provide information about the admission charges and opening times of many of the key attractions on each tour's route. There might be an attraction you particularly want to visit. With a Walk Talk Tour you have the flexibility to stop your tour whenever you want. Enjoy a look round the National Gallery of Scotland featured on the Old & New Towns iPod travel guide. Then simply resume your podcast guided tour. To hear an audio sample from the Old & New Towns Edinburgh travel guide please click here.

The Old & New Towns Edinburgh city guide begins outside the Castle. Listeners then descend to the Grassmarket, where public executions were once regularly held (though they didn't always go to plan), before crossing the Mound and walking into Princes Street Gardens. Head past the Scott Monument - which visitors with a head for heights can climb for a small fee - and into St Andrew Square. Walk along George Street. Hear why the the Church of St Andrew and St George is round. Hear about some of the famous figures to have trod the boards at the Assembly Rooms. The Old & New Towns Edinburgh visitor guide concludes in Charlotte Square, where the Edinburgh International Book Festival is held.