Hotels near the Edinburgh International Science Festival

The Edinburgh International Science Festival attracts around 70,000 visitors for a variety of hands-on activities, workshops and shows for children, demonstrations, exhibitions, talks and tours, offering more than 200 events in 20 venues throughout the city.

Participating venues include everything from art galleries to forensic laboratories, with events ranging from debates, exhibitions and conferences to performances and even a science book festival. Serious attention focuses on the programme of talks, which deal with themes of important public interest, such as innovations in medicine and ethical issues that can arise from these.

The festival - details for which are announced every February - is a magnet for families, boasting major activities for kids, such dinosaur digs, computer-game making and journeys into a giant nose!