The Cramond Island Walk: a guided walk to Cramond Island, organised by The Cramond Association. Learn about the activities that took place on the island, see what remains exist of the early buildings, gain an understanding of the farming, the duel, the quarry and military activity. 2-4pm, starting from the Causeway. £3 per person, accompanied children free. To join the walk please email bill.weir312@btinternet.com. The Cramond Assocation is a thriving local community organisation, dedicated to looking after the special nature of Cramond, Barnton and Cammo, to encourage people to take an interest in the area, and to ensure the preservation, sound development and improvement of its features.
Edinburgh Vegan Festival: stalls with a wide variety of vegan products, workshops, speakers, freebies and much more – everyone welcome, whether you are already a vegan or are just interested in finding out more. Fun for all the family! 10.30am-4.30pm, Roxburghe Hotel, 38 Charlotte Square. Admission £2/£1/children under 5 years free.
Summer Storytime: Hugless Douglas Goes to Little School. Come and listen to David Melling’s latest Hugless Douglas story, then join in arts and activities related to the story. 12 noon, Waterstones, Cameron Toll Centre, 6 Lady Road.
The Art of Giving Opening Gala: a chance to meet the artists exhibiting in this charity art exhibition in support of International Voluntary Service. With refreshments and live music. 3-7pm (exhibition open from 10am), Undercroft Cafe, St Andrew’s & St George’s West Church, 13 George Street. Exhibition ends 29th August 2015.
Gallery of Modern Art Highlight Tours: monthly tours of the Gallery of Modern Art’s permanent collection, focusing on key works. 2-2.45pm or 3-3.45pm, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art ONE, Belford Road. Free and unticketed.
Little Voices Summer Fayre: ice cream, face painting, raffle, bake stalls, cake decorating and lots more! 11am-2pm, Little Voices Nursery, 46 Bruntsfield Place.
Summer Storytime – Darkmouth: Worlds Explode. Fun and activities to celebrate the release of the sequel to the brilliant Darkmouth by Shane Hegarty. Waterstones, Fort Kinnaird, 26 Kinnaird Park.
Head-to-Head Sculpture City Walking Tours. A National Galleries of Scotland walking tour taking a fresh look at Edinburgh’s sculptural and architectural gems – hear the stories behind the city’s imposing figure sculptures and monuments. Please come dressed for the weather and be prepared to walk at a pace, as the tour will cover a large area of the city. 2-3.30pm, meet at main entrance, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. £10/£8: please book in advance as places are limited to 15 per tour – tickets are available from the gallery’s Information Desk or by calling 0131 624 6560.
Summer Storytime: Lost At The Zoo. Come and listen to Gill Arbuthnott’s Lost At The Zoo, in which Rory the pet mouse gets lost on a trip to Edinburgh Zoo – then join in arts and activities related to the story. 3pm, Waterstones, 83 George Street.
Strange Still LIfe: Lauren Wayland invites you to choose from a range of materials to create a zany mixed media still life mixture, using the gallery’s intriguing objects as inspiration. 2-4pm, City Art Centre, 2 Market Street. Tickets cost £4 and must be booked in advance via the Usher Hall Box Office, in person, by calling 0131 228 1155 or online here. 
Please note that this workshop is intended for children and adults to experience together; children must be accompanied by at least one paying adult, and no child should be booked into a workshop alone.
Judy’s Affordable Vintage Fair – Fringe Festival Edition! Over 30 stalls of vintage fashion, accessories and homeware. 11am-4pm, Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 36 Dalmeney Street. Entry costs £2. Also at same times on Sunday 9th August.
Summer Storytime: Come and listen to some stories by the brilliant children’s author Julia Donaldson, then join in related arts and activities. Waterstones, Ocean Terminal, Ocean Drive. Please contact shop on 0131 554 7732 for times.
NMS Free Fringe Music: live music showcasing the best contemporary talents from Scotland and further afield – everything from bold brass to fantastic fiddlers. There will be a free performance every day until 30th August – for full daily details see the NMS website here. Today the programme kicks off with Will Pound and Henry Webster, a traditional instrumental duo playing mouth harp and fiddle. 2-2.40pm, Grand Gallery, National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street. Please note that some performances will take place in other areas of the museum. In association with Live Music Scotland.
Alice in Wonderland Tea Party: come and celebrate the 150th birthday of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland with a tea party the Mad Hatter would be proud of! 12 noon, Waterstones West End, 128 Princes Street. Free but places are limited, so please call 0131 226 2666 for further information.
Toby Paterson in Conversation: the artist discusses his new work, a series of reliefs for Maggie’s Centres around Scotland, with exhibition curator Judith Winter. 3-4pm, Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop, Hawthornvale. Free: no booking required.
Wee Man Mountain Climbers: puppet mountaineer races for ages 5-12. 3-4pm, Muirhouse Library, Pennywell Court.
Edinburgh Gallery Festival Show: artists include Brent Millar, Anne Forbes, Jules George, Tio Guise, Graham Flack, Henry Kondracki and Michael Kirkman. 10am-6pm Tuesday to Friday, 10am-5pm Saturdays, 11am-5pm Sundays, Edinburgh Gallery, 20A Dundas Street. Ends 29th August 2015. For more information contact peter.sinclair@mail.com.
The Line Gallery: John Taylor. A new exhibition of recent paintings and prints from the painter, printmaker (founder member of Glasgow Print Studios), teacher and commentator – including landscapes and more abstract city details. Open preview 2-4pm today (please contact gallery for opening times thereafter), The Line Gallery, 238 The High Street, Linlithgow. Ends 1st September 2015.
Learn to Play the Ukulele Workshops! Fun musical workshops for all ages and levels of experience (including beginners), hosted by celebrated ukulele artist and performer Tricity Vogue. Learn to play the ukulele in under an hour, then sit back with tea and biscuits and hear Tricity perform. The second half of the workshop will teach you to play along with Tricity’s own swinging tunes, ready for a final group performance. The Musicroom will be happy to lend you a ulukele for the workshop, and is offering discounts on purchases in August. 1-3pm, Rae McIntosh Musicroom, 41 Shandwick Place. For more information please call in and speak to a member of staff, or call the store on 0131 221 0041. Free and unticketed, but donations to the artist would be appreciated. Also at same times on Sunday 9th August 2015.
Spotlight Tours: Scottish Art: People, Places, Ideas. Guided tours of the City Art Centre’s Scottish Art collection, focusing on people, places and ideas. 11am or 3pm, City Art Centre (meet at reception), 2 Market Street. Free (suggested donation of £2), no booking required.
Chatterbooks: for ages 8-12. 2pm, Portobello Library, Rosefield Avenue. Free.
Portobello Comedy Night Fringe Special: acts include Patrick Monahan, John Scott, Ivo Graham and Steven Davidson. For over 18s only. 8.30pm, Dalriada, 77 Promenade, Portobello. Tickets cost £10 (transaction fee applies) and may be purchased via Brown Paper Tickets here or from the Dalriada.
