NIGEL THOMPSON Scot the lot MARJORIE YUE

With a medieval Old Town, a Georgian New Town, a spectacular castle, a volcano to climb and so much more, Edinburgh is a brilliant city to visit. Time your stay during one of the fabulous festivals in Scotland’s capital and it’s even better. Here are the 10 to enjoy for 2018: 1. International Children’s Festival (May 26-June 3): The best of kids’ theatre from home and worldwide. It opens in the National Museum of Scotland with a riot of pop-ups. 2. International Film Festival (June 20-July 1): Red carpet glamour meets quirky interactive and outdoor cinema experiences. Highlights will include workshops and screenings chosen by, and for, young people. 3. Jazz & Blues Festival (July 13-22): From the Spiegeltent in George Square to basement clubs and a giant carnival on Princes Street, it’s a foot-tapping fiesta. 4. Art Festival (July 26–August 26): Galleries, museums and artistrun spaces unite to showcase great established and emerging artists. 5. Military Tattoo (August 3–25): If the skirl of the massed pipes doesn’t stir your soul, nothing will. Set against the magnificent backdrop of the castle, there are also military bands and marchers, dancers and the Lone Piper on the ramparts. 6. Festival Fringe (August 3–27): Thousands of performers present shows from every art form, from unknown talent to top names. 7. International Festival (August 3-27): The original festival dates from 1947 and presents world-class contemporary music, theatre, opera and dance from around the globe. Expect some unconventional venues. 8. International Book Festival (August 11-27): Writers and thinkers from around the world gather to exchange ideas and take part in discussions in a pop-up festival village in Charlotte Square. 9. International Storytelling Festival (October 19-31): A celebration of live storytelling, oral traditions and cultural diversity inspired the traditional Scottish ceilidh. 10. Hogmanay (December 30– January 1): Nobody does New Year better. Music, fireworks, a torchlight procession, a giant street party and a dip in the Firth of Forth. edinburghfestivalcity.com emberscamping.co.uk kew.org Thumbs Up Unicorn Power Bank, asos.com, £14.99

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PIPE UP Military TattooEmbers is offering a new fiveday children’s bushcraft course for May half-term at its Bentley campsite in Sussex. Professional instructors will teach youngsters foraging, how to make a campfire safely, shelter building and where to find safe drinking water. Price £37.77 per child aged eight and over.London’s Kew Gardens will reopen its celebrated Temperate House on May 5 after a £15m, five-year restoration. The world’s largest Victorian glasshouse will feature 10,000 plants from around the world, many of which are rare or threatened. A spokesman said: ‘’The Temperate House will be for everyone. From young to old, for budding gardeners or aspiring artists... we hope every visitor will see plants in a new light.”