Unusual Edinburgh Attractions: Swamp Soccer, Hauntings, Sociopaths

The most popular tourist attraction in all of Scotland is found in Edinburgh, but then if you were looking to visit a well-known site like Edinburgh Castle, you probably wouldn't have chosen this article. This article describes some of the more unusual Edinburgh attractions including events, lodging, tours and museums.

Swamp Soccer World Championships

The Swamp Soccer World Championships are held in Edinburgh each June. A concept imported from Finland, Swamp Soccer is played in mud- lots of mud. About 50 teams compete, some in fancy attire.

Edinburgh Military Tattoo

The Edinburgh Military Tattoo is the United Kingdom's largest gathering of military musicians. This is the event's 62 year. Pipe and drum corps perform against the backdrop of Edinburgh Castle. The Tattoo draws musicians from across the world. The Dutch are coming on bikes, while Jordan will dispatch a stunning regiment of Middle Eastern performers.

Edinburgh Fringe Festival

Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the largest performing arts festival in the world. Characteristic of fringe fests, this one includes a vast array of unknown artists with unusual talents. The festival got its start back in 1947 when the Edinburgh International Festival snubbed 8 performing groups- actually uninvited them- inspiring them to launch their own festival. The Fringe takes place in August.

Mary King's Close

The Real Mary King's Close is a haunted underground complex of streets. Mary King's Close is unusual in having been named after a woman back in the 1600s. The tour of the Close promises to reveal why this close that was once a vibrant neighborhood is now underground.

The Witchery

The Witchery enjoys a reputation as one of the seven wonders of the hotel world bestowed upon it by the esteemed Condé Nast. But the Witchery is more than a charmed hotel boasting roll-top baths and secret doors. Its restaurant is acclaimed far and wide, and has attracted celebrities the world over.

Edinburgh Saints and Sinners

A Saints and Sinners tour brings to life the chilling criminals and psychopaths in Edinburgh's history as well as its most esteemed citizens.

Gorgie City Farm

It's unusual to find a farm in the city. This farm raises the animals you might expet- sheep, pigs, cows, goats and hens- along with some more exotic specimens- tortoises, rabbits, guinea pigs and snakes.

Camera Obscura

See Edinburgh from the inside of a camera? Camera Obscura is a tower with lenses that project light onto a white table, creating an image of the city that can be manipulated by the tour guide who shares historical tidbits.

Dynamic Earth

Dynamic Earth documents the planetary changes from the Big Bang to global warming, using 3-D and 4-D visual representations.

Greyfriars Bobby

Greyfriars Bobby is a statue paying tribute to a dog named Bobby. The loyal mutt was the companion of "Bobby" John Grey until the policeman died of tuberculosis. Bobby remained loyal in death, never straying from his master's grave except to take lunch at the coffeehouse where the two had customarily dined. When a law was passed requiring all dogs to be licensed, the Lord Provost bought Bobby's tag so he wouldn't be deemed a stray.