So, here is a guide to places where you can all kinds of Scottish music. These are the places to go to hear live Scottish music to suit your tastes: whether it’s military pipes and drums, folk, classical, musicals or up and coming rock bands.

1. Sandy Bell’s Pub

At Sandy Bell’s Pub, a sign shows an image of a fiddle with the words ‘Sandy Bell’s Ales and Music’. The small corner pub comes to life at night with live music. It has earned a worldwide reputation as a great place to go to hear traditional and folk music. Sandy Bell’s Pub is located at 25 Forrest Road.

2. Edinburgh Military Tattoo

Planning has already begun for the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, 7-29th of August 2009. It will be a special year for the event, as it celebrates its 60th season as well as the 250th anniversary of the birth of Scotland’s beloved bard, Robert Burns. Expect to see the traditional Scottish marching bands, pipes and drums and Highland dancers. Yet the mood is definitely international with a varied program each year of groups from around the world. Last year, Celtic dancers from Canada (the Canadian Celtic Association) took part.

3. Reid Concert Hall

Reid Concert Hall is a treasure for classical music lovers. The building incorporates a Museum of Instruments, which is usually open at concert times. Its focus is on classical European instruments – a rare chance to see a harpsichord in person! The program incorporates choral, classical and even jazz. Check out the lunchtime concerts. Part of the University of Edinburgh, Reid Concert Hall also has thought – provoking lectures which are listed in the events section of the website.

4. Edinburgh Playhouse

Edinburgh Playhouse is one of the most well-known music venues in Edinburgh. From ballet and musicals to rock, the Edinburgh Playhouse reflects the cosmopolitan, contemporary character of the city. The full program can be viewed on the website.

5. The Liquid Room

The Liquid Room is a basement venue with an edgier vibe. It is renowned for hosting early performances of bands like Coldplay, Smashing Pumpkins, and Moby. Who knows, you might discover a great new Scottish band!

6. Medina

Early in her career, Scottish musician KT Tunstall organized a series of acoustic series concerts in Edinburgh. These became the inspiration for the monthly Scottish musicians’ concert series, Acoustic Edinburgh. The concerts take place the first Tuesday of every month. The venue is Medina, a nightclub in the basement of the café bar and bistro, Negociants (45-47 Lothian Street). There is a handy map here.

Photo of Pull Tiger Tail concert at The Liquid Room in Edinburgh, Scotland, by Dale Harvey

Many people ‘in the know’ – those who work in the city – choose to leave their cars at home to avoid traffic and looking for a parking space. If the locals are doing it, it must be worthwhile!

Edinburgh is served by an international airport, as well as bus and train services. In addition, a tram system is currently being installed. It will run through the city centre and is scheduled to be completed in 2011.

• Edinburgh Airport

As international airports go, Edinburgh Airport is user-friendly. Be sure to allow yourself extra time to get through security clearance. The destinations that Edinburgh Airport serves can be viewed here. A popular new flight service is daily non-stop flights to and from JFK Airport in New York City.

• Edinburgh Buses

First Edinburgh runs a bus service throughout East and Central Scotland, as well as within Edinburgh.

Lothian Buses runs services throughout Edinburgh with a range of tickets and day cards. A useful option for tourists is the day ticket which allows you unlimited travel throughout Edinburgh.

Some tips: Visit the websites above to familiarize yourself with routes before your trip. Route information is also posted at bus stops and shelters in Edinburgh. When using the bus service, carry plenty of change so that you can give the driver the exact fare. Seats at the front of the bus are reserved for disabled people.

• Trains to Edinburgh

The railway in Edinburgh has changed a lot since the early days of The Flying Scotsman, the express passenger train service between Edinburgh and London. In 1862, the journey took over ten hours!

Today, National Express runs a service between Edinburgh Waverly and King’s Cross in London which takes around five hours. Scotrail also runs a sleeper service between Edinburgh and London.

Virgin Trains provides another rail service to Edinburgh. There is information on discounted fares to Edinburgh at virgintrains.co.uk.

National Express, Virgin and Scotrail have services to destinations throughout the UK, so check out the websites for routes, as well as discount rail cards for senior citizens and students.

• Edinburgh Taxis

Taxis in Edinburgh are reasonably priced. It costs around £15 to get a cab from the airport to Edinburgh’s city centre. To help visitors to distinguish taxis, only the distinctive black cab is allowed to be used as a taxi in Edinburgh. You can find a taxi rank at the airport, train station, shopping center or other public place. Of course, you can also hail a taxi from the street.

• Not sure where to start?

Check out Travelinescotland for more information on public transport. This helpful website lets you work out the best train, bus or airline service to Edinburgh from any location in Scotland. It also tells you how much time the route will take and refers you to relevant public transport services. For travel in other parts of the UK, check out the main website, Traveline UK.

So here’s some help with five Scottish foods to try in Edinburgh.

1.Haggis

It’s a running joke to tell tourists that haggis is a type of animal. You’d be forgiven for believing this story, so unusual-looking is this dish. There are numerous recipes, but the most traditional haggis is made from sheep’s ‘pluck’ (a less graphic way of saying heart, liver and lungs). The meat is minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices and salt and boiled in the sheep’s stomach for around three hours.

Unsurprisingly, haggis has always had trouble being accepted. Even in the 1700’s, Scotland’s famous poet, Robert Burns, had to defend the dish. In a poem, he playfully mocked the haggis-hater who ‘looks down with a sneering scornful opinion on such a dinner’. To honor the poet’s memory, Burns Suppers are held all over Scotland on Burns’ birthday, January 25th. The main dish is, of course, haggis.

2. Scottish Shortbread

Don’t run away yet! Here is a sweet Scottish specialty that is, ahem, a bit more ‘mainstream’. Scottish Shortbread evolved from a medieval recipe for drying out left-over bread dough in an oven to make ‘biscuit bread’. Eventually, the yeast in the biscuit bread was replaced with butter to make shortbread.

Scottish Shortbread was once very expensive and served on special days like weddings, Christmas and New Year. Now, shops throughout Edinburgh sell it in various shapes, from ‘petticoat tails’ to ‘fingers’.

3. Scottish Porridge

Porridge is another classic Scottish dish. While porridge is enjoyed in countries around the world, there is a Scottish way of eating it. Scots cook the porridge slowly and use a spurtle (a 12” wooden stick) to get rid of lumps. Scottish porridge is served with salt or even a little whiskey.

4. Scotch

Which leads us to our next item. Scotch Whisky, or simply ‘Scotch’ is probably the most famous beverage to come from Scotland. It gets its distinct flavor from distilled barley liquor and peat-tainted water. If you want to find out more, there are several related tours in Edinburgh, such as The Scotch Whisky Experience on the Royal Mile.

5. Scottish Bannock

The Scottish Bannock is a type of bread about the same thickness as a scone, traditionally made from oatmeal (although sometimes plain flour is used) and cooked on griddle. These days, many people use an iron skillet instead. The bannock’s popularity has spread throughout the world thanks to Scottish settlers. Native Americans in the US and Canada adopted the food in the eighteenth century. One of the most famous Scottish versions is the Selkirk Bannock, which, ironically, is more of a fruitcake than an oatcake.

It seems there are a thousand different recipes for each of these foods – there is even a vegetarian haggis! In all their variations, these foods give you an authentic taste of Scotland.

Photo of vegetarian haggis originally posted by charitygirl

• TAG Theatre Company

TAG Theatre Company puts on performances by and for young people and children. There are weekly drama classes, workshops and productions with themes like ‘15 Minute Shakespeare’ and ‘Museums of Dreams’ which involves fantastic puppets. Call in advance for booking.

• Glasgow Science Centre

Glasgow Science Centre has plenty to enthrall the family. The Science Mall is packed with interactive exhibits. Plus there is a planetarium and an IMAX theatre, currently showing The Dark Knight. A ride to the Glasgow Tower gives a panoramic view of the city.

• The Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum

The Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum has an eclectic collection with something for everyone, from fine and decorative art to natural history. Your kids can check out Sir Rodger the Elephant, fossils of marine life from the Glasgow area, and a massive collection of armour. The building is surrounding by the beautiful Kelvingrove Park in Glasgow’s West End.

• The Tall Ship

The Tall Ship at Glasgow Harbour known as the Glenlee was built in 1896. Your family can explore this 245 feet long ship and learn about maritime history. It’s open year round except some holidays.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg! Glasgow has a lot of other activities for kids to enjoy such as the World Pipe Band Championship and Paddle Steamer boat trips on the River Clyde. The Theatre Royal has productions for kids such as Cinderella on Ice. There is information on all these events at the following link: http://www.seeglasgow.com/

Ever felt that your kids are running circles around you? Glasgow has the energy to match!

Photo credit:Clyde Maritime Trust

1. The Scottish Storytelling Centre

The Scottish Storytelling Centre lets kids experience Scottish culture. There is a permanent exhibit about Scottish tales from William Wallace to Katie Morag – including, of course, Long John Silver and Rob Roy McGreggor. Call ahead to learn about the monthly Family Story Circle and the Tiny Tales Events.

A bonus for the adults, the Scottish Storytelling Centre also incorporates John Knox House, the oldest house in Edinburgh, dating to 1470. The permanent exhibition explains the fascinating history of the Protestant reformer John Knox and his uneasy relationship with Mary Queen of Scots.

The Centre is located half way along the Royal Mile, downhill from the Castle and North Bridge. It is a short walk from Waverley train station and Princes Street.

2. Princes Street Gardens

Princes Street Gardens is to Edinburgh what Central Park is to New York City. Full of beautiful flowers and trees, it’s a great place to stroll or sit on a park bench to abbreviate a busy day of sight-seeing.

Hard to believe that the Garden was once a loch which was used as a city dump for centuries. The loch was drained in order to connect Edinburgh’s Old Town with the New Town.

There are vendors selling ice cream and snacks and a children’s playground on the West Side.

Walking along Edinburgh’s main thoroughfare of Princes Street, this green swath in the centre of the city is hard to miss. Princes Street Gardens is divided in two by a street called the Mound.

3. Edinburgh Zoo

Children have been visiting 82-acre Edinburgh Zoo since it was opened in 1913 by the Royal Zooological Soicety. The newly opened Budongo Trail is thought to be the largest chimpanzee enclosure in the world. For bird lovers, there is Rainbow Landings, home of over 40 rainbow lorikeets. For children (and adults) there are keeper talks, several play areas, and free hilltop safari rides. The Zoo is three miles to the West of Edinburgh City Center.

4. The Museum of Childhood

The Museum of Childhood has been called ‘the noisiest museum in the world’!That will appeal to your kid who claims he is allergic to visiting museums. The museum is crammed with objects that both kids and adults will fondly remember. There are toys and games from all over the world and an interesting exhibit that shows how children have been brought up, dressed and educated throughout history.

The Museum of Childhood is located on 42 High Street off the Royal Mile.

5. Edinburgh Castle

What kid wouldn’t like to see a real castle? As castles go, Edinburgh Castle is one of the most majestic. Perched atop an inactive volcano, the fortress dates from 600 AD, although it was re-built in 1578. Dramatic stories of battles, kings and queens will have your children learning history without realizing it. A guided tour is included in the general admission.

A fun event for kids is watching the firing of the cannon from the battlements of Edinburgh Castle, which happens precisely at 1 p.m. from Monday to Saturday. The tradition began as a means of communicating the time of day to ships in Edinburgh’s Leith Harbor. Edinburgh Castle in the middle of Edinburgh, a short walk from Waverly train station.