Beth’s Recommendations: Don’t hesitate for a single second…grab everyone, children and adults alike and make your way to the Science Festival. Watch the website for updates on travelling elements and street performances.

Stockbridge feels like a village and offers shops that cater to local residents. We recently came across the Sarah Dallas Gallery, one of Edinburgh’s newest galleries with a distinctly Scottish feel to it. The owner, Sarah Dallas (that’s her real name!) shows a wide variety of art including paintings and sculpture by some of Scotland’s best contemporary artists.

Fiona in front of the Sarah Dallas Gallery

We could have easily bought the ceramic lamb by Lesley D McKenzie or a painted Puffin on gold leaf by Sally-Ann Johns…but we’d left our chequebook at home. Next time!

Beth’s Recommendation: I truely love the galleries around Edinburgh because they represent artists who share their love of the landscape, animals or still life with people like me who stand in awe of their talent. Sarah Dallas does a fabulous job maximising her gallery space by filling it with affordable, original artwork made by Scottish artists. If you’re looking for a piece of Scotland to take home with you or for your office I highly recommend making the journey to Stockbridge to see what Sarah has on display. Tell her Beth sent you!

The Black Dinner – On a late autumn evening in 1440 a dinner was held at the Castle hosted by the young King James II. By the end of the night two brothers had been murdered. Find out what happened in between.
Date: 5th-6th March 2011
Performance times: 11am, 11.30am, 12pm, 12.30pm, 1.30pm, 2pm, 2.30pm, 3pm
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Meet Lady Reres, one of Mary Queen of Scots ladies in waiting and get the inside story on the birth of the heir to the Scottish and English thrones, James VI of Scotland/James I of England.
Date: 12 & 13 March
Performance times in the Great Hall: 11am, 11:30am, 12pm, 12:30pm, 1:30pm, 2pm, 2:30pm and 3pm
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A Great Escape Edinburgh Castle, with its steep rock sides and well-guarded gates, was a very secure prison. Hear the exciting tale of one escapee, John Mhor Macgregor.
Dates: 19th-20th March 2011
Performance times in the Great Hall: 11am, 11.30am, 12pm, 12.30pm, 1.30pm, 2pm, 2.30pm, 3pm
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Prisoner of the Crown – During the American War of Independence prisoners of war were held in the vaults of Edinburgh Castle. Meet an American prisoner and discover what it was like to be held in this mighty fortress.
Dates: 26th-27th March 2011
Performance times: 11am, 11.30am, 12pm, 12.30pm, 1.30pm, 2pm, 2.30pm, 3pm
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Holyrood Park – Watch out Toads About!
Come along and help the Rangers with the annual toad migration. Thousands of toads are killed every year as they cross the road to reach their breeding grounds. Help rescue the toads from the kerb sides and place them safely into Dunsapie Loch. There will be art and activities at the Education Centre after the toad collection.
Date: 27 March
Booking is essential: - phone the Ranger Service on 0131 652 8150 or email hs.rangers@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

Beth’s Recomendation: It is glorious to live in a town with a Castle and a Palace! There is so much to see at Edinburgh Castle that even return visitors are drawn back. But if you need a Castle fix before your visit try this 3D version of Edinburgh Castle

Like a lot of artists, Kate carries a small notebook with her. On the occassion of her visit to the Storytelling Apartment she sat on the windowseat and sketched what she saw. How amazing to have such an incredible artist and friend find our windowseat vantage point so interesting!

Click on Kate’s now-famous sketch to enlarge it:

Storytelling Apartment view from the windowseat

Beth’s Recommendation: I wish Kate was our little secret so we could have first dibs on all her work, but it’s only right that we share her with the world. You can sign up for updates about Kate’s exhibitions directly on her website. We love you Kate!

Even the Scotsman liked the concert and gave it 4 stars!

Beth’s Recommendation: Buy their albums!!!!!

JMW Turner, Aldorough - Suffolk

Beth’s Recommendation: These watercolours are only viewed in January because that’s when sunlight is at its weakest. Therefore, the colours of these small pieces have been preserved thanks to the instructions that were included with Henry Vaughan’s bequest of the watercolours to the National Galleries. Even if you’ve seen these, it’s worth a visit to see them again and again and again…

Robert Burns

Voted “The Greatest Scot” by a pretty impressive pool of 35 movers and shakers supports the success of the new National Trust for Scotland museum – Robert Burns Birthplace Museum.

You can search online for more information about Robert Burns, suppers and haggis, but the real reason we continue to celebrate Robert Burns 251 years after his birth is because he wrote beautiful poetry like this:

Ae Fond Kiss by Robert Burns

Ae fond kiss, and then we sever
Ae farewell, and then forever
Deep in heart-wrung tears I’ll pledge thee,
Warring sighs and goans I’ll wage thee.

Who shall say that Fortune grieves him,
While the star of hope she leaves him
Me nae cheerful twinkle lights me,
Dark despair around benights me.

I’ll ne’er blame my partial fancy:
Nothing could resist my Nancy
But to see her was to love her
Love but her, and love for ever.

Had we never loe’d sae kindly,
Had we never loe’d sae blindly,
Never met – nor never parted -
We had ne’er been broken-hearted.

Fare thee weel, thou first and fairest
Fare thee weel, thou best and dearest
Thine be ilka joy and treasure,
Peace, Enjoyment, Love and Pleasure

Ae fond kiss, and then we sever
Ae farewell, alas, for ever
Deep in heart-wrung tears I’ll pledge thee,
Warring sighs and groans I’ll wage thee.

Beth’s Recommendation: If you can’t get your hands on a Haggis then maybe this year you can celebrate by supporting this amazing group of Scots who are climbing Mt Kilimanjaro to host the world’s Highest Burns Supper and raise money for Hospitality Industry Trust (HIT) Scotland.

Fireworks from Calton Hill, Edinburgh

Fireworks soar above Calton Hill to usher in 2011. Edinburgh Castle to welcome in 2010.

And for those of you who are thinking about coming to celebrate with us for 2012 here’s a visitor’s impression.

Beth’s Recommendation: Have a great 2011 filled with good health, happiness, success, fun and laughter!!

Auld Lang Syne by Robert Burns (1788)

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne?

For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.

Fiona's torch

Torchlight Procession

Kicking off Hogmanay is the Torchlight Procession.

Beth’s Recommendation: There are so many fantastic events planned for the end of 2010 and the beginning of 2011 it’s hard to choose but the Torchlight Procession from the Royal Mile, along Princes Street and up Calton Hill is my absolute favourite! My best advice to avoid long lines is to pick up your torch on the Royal Mile (near St Giles Cathedral) at least two hours ahead of time.

Beth’s Recommendation: If you can’t make it to Edinburgh then you can post your resolution for the world to see on the Edinburgh Hogmanay website. To help inspire you here is a streaming video webcam of the Royal Mile.