Unusual weekend in Edinburgh

The main event is the Edinburgh International Festival, which will feature such productions as Orpheus X, a modern-day telling of the Orpheus myth, and a Mabou Mines staging of A Doll's House. But for many people, the real draw is the Fringe, a riotous collection of performances all around the city by hundreds of performance artists, comedians, memoirists and monologuists.

Still, Edinburgh, even in August, is more than just about sitting in darkened theaters all day. The city often provides the perfect kicker to a day spent discovering an amazing new talent, or the perfect antidote to a theatrical experiment gone horribly wrong.

Friday

Higher ground: Who's to argue with Robert Louis Stevenson? This native son of Edinburgh once wrote that the best views of the city could be found on Calton Hill - and he was right. The monument-studded hilltop, at the far east end of Princes Street and reachable by stairs from Waterloo Place, offers magnificent vistas of Edinburgh and the surrounding countryside, from the port town of Leith in one direction to Arthur's Seat and Salisbury Crags in another.

Starting the weekend: Grab a Candy Cosmo or a Pear Drop at the Candy Bar (113- 115 George St.; 44-131-225- 9179; www.candybaredin burgh.co.uk) during happy hour (5 to 9 p.m.), when drinks are two-for-one and this trendy basement bar is packed with Edinburgh's young scenesters getting revved up for the weekend ahead.

Italian food, of course: Edinburgh's new Restaurant Row runs along George Street from St. Andrew Square to Charlotte Square, with a clutch of sleek, upscale establishments. Expertly prepared Italian food, from lightly breaded fried calamari to a braised lamb shoulder with polenta, is served at Est Est Est (135 George St.; 44-131-225-2555 or 44-870-401-2109; www.est estest.co.uk), an elegant space dominated by 130 black-and-white photos. Dinner for two, with wine, runs about 70 pounds, or $140 at $2 to 1 pound, including tip.

Before they were famous: There are dozens of excellent places around town to hear live music, from Bannermans, where you'll often find unsigned local bands looking for their big break, to Sandy Bell's, a place for devotees of traditional Scottish music. But perhaps the best of all is Whistlebinkies (4-6 South Bridge; 44-131-557-5114; www.whis tlebinkies.com), a sprawling basement bar that is often the first gig for start-up acts - from testosterone-fueled garage bands to soulful lesbian folk singers. The crowd ranges in ages and temperaments, and the talent runs from slickly polished to amusingly clueless. But nothing compares to the frenzy that grips the room when an unknown singer unleashes a powerful voice and sets the place on fire. Open every night until 3 a.m. (5 a.m. during August).

Saturday

Old masters: The National Gallery of Scotland (National Gallery Complex; 44- 131-624-6200; www.national galleries.org; free) has an impressive collection of artists from van Dyke to van Gogh. But this inviting museum also offers a good introduction to Scottish art.

Scotland art: For a survey of the country's contemporary art scene, go a few blocks north and stroll among the galleries on and around Dundas Street, from the Open Eye Gallery (36 Abercromby Place; 44-131-557-1020; www.open eyegallery.co.uk), to Bourne Fine Art (6 Dundas St.; 44-131- 557-4050; www.bournefine art.co.uk) and the tiny Randolph Gallery (39 Dundas St.; 44-131-556-0808; www.ran dolphgallery.com).

Blue plate special: The modestly priced Blue (10 Cambridge St., 44-131-221- 1222; www.bluescotland. co.uk) shares the same head chef (Neil Forbes) and commitment to local seasonal ingredients as its better-known culinary sibling, the award-winning Atrium. Dishes include whiskey-cured salmon with creme fraiche (5.50) and pan-fried mackerel with toasted almond, orange and fennel (13).

How was Alan Cumming? The Theater Royal Bar (25-27 Greenside Place; 44- 131-557-2142) may not look like the best place to mingle with serious theatergoers (the signed posters of Mamma, Mia! and Annie hint at a more mainstream theatrical heritage). But this lively afterwork, pre-theater hangout is a good place to mix with the locals and catch up on festival gossip.

China on the North Sea: Chinese food may not be the first thing you think of when it comes to Edinburgh, but Kweilin (19-21 Dundas St.; 44-131-557-1875; www.kwei lin.co.uk) is a longtime local favorite, particularly for its classic Cantonese seafood dishes like steamed sea bass with ginger and spring onions (17) and wok-fried sliced monkfish with fresh broccoli (12.50).