More than 500,000 people normally live in Edinburgh. Only Glasgow has more inhabitants in Scotland. In summer, however, the Scottish capital easily makes up for the 100,000 more inhabitants in Glasgow than in Edinburgh, with tourists from all over the world. Especially during the festival season, which runs roughly from the end of July to the beginning of September, the national and international run on Edinburgh is great. It is estimated that the population doubles in August in normal years, as we experienced again in 2022, and so there are around a million people in Edinburgh. It's palpable, it's an experience, but it undoubtedly has its negative sides.

The reason for the enormous crowds is not only the general beauty of Edinburgh and the Scottish Highlands, which are not far away but also the world-class cultural and artistic offerings. During the world-famous Fringe Festival alone, thousands of performances occur on the Royal Mile and in many other parts of the city. Comedians, musicians etc., perform not only in pubs and concert halls but also on the streets. The numerous artists come not only from Great Britain but also from the rest of Europe, North America and Asia. They are not paid by the organisers, but rely on their skills and generous donations from the audience. This works well, so many return year after year despite the high cost of travel and accommodation.

We, too, have one or two favourite artists by now. For example, the Banana Man from the USA has won us over with his spontaneous rap interludes and his funny banana costume. Regarding musicians, Murdo Mitchell from London, the Australian Morf and of course our favourite Scottish busking troupe, The Spinning Blowfish, are the best. It's best to google them; they're all really good.