JulyJournal

The highlight this month has got to be the Jazz & Blues Festival and Carnival. The festival presents over 140 performances throughout the city culminating in a dazzling carnival under Edinburgh Castle. Expect an extravaganza of African drummers, Balkan beats and swirling dancers.

• Jazz & Blues Festival | 17th - 26th July 2026 at various venues throughout the capital
• Edinburgh Carnival & Mardi Gras | tbc
• Edinburgh Folk & Food Festival | tbc

• Giants | until 14th September 2026
• Jupiter Artland | until late September 2026
• Wendy McMurdo : The Digital Mirror | until 25th August 2026
• Little Sparta : The Garden of Ian Hamilton Finlay | open June, July, August & September
• Costume Couture: Sixty Years of Cosprop | 18th July 2026 - 9th January 2027
• Scotland's First Warriors | until 17th May 2027

• The National Galleries of Scotland have a huge number of events, tours and artist workshops for both adults and children.
• Hopetoun House and grounds often host ranger walks and house tours throughout the year. See their website for what's on.
• Dalkeith Country Park is very similar, bushcraft, walks and foraging workshops are hosted frequently alongside their fabulous Fort Douglas Treehouse and adventure playground for kids and Go Ape course for adults.
• Dovecot Studios offer behind the scenes tours and workshops on tapestry, drawing and needlework.
• And last but not least, the National Museums Scotland host in depth tours for grown ups and fantastic exhibition interpretations for little ones.

We've listed some of our favourite Edinburgh and country based restaurants & shops and suppliers for your Summer break.

To pick your own fresh local produce head to Craigie's Farm Shop where this month their strawberries, raspberries, cherries, red currants, blackcurrants, gooseberries, peas and broad beans are in season.

Brew your own

How about booking yourselves in to Craft Beer Kitchen. Stewarts Brewing has long invited the public in to try their hand at crafting the perfect pint. With expert guidance you can spend the day brewing your very own bespoke beer. If staying at Eastside the brewery are more than happy to send the beer on (within the UK) when it's ready. Not a bad holiday souvenir!