Days out within 5 miles of Edinburgh

Edinburgh's festival season kicks off with the Meadows Festival, which offers the best local bands, dance groups, quirky performers and workshops amidst lots of family-friendly activities.

A wide range of tasty offerings with a conscience from local artisan producers, plus crafts and other goods. Check the website for a full list of the day's stallholders.

Meet the wedding jewellery experts and designers and take advantage of special offers.

Artisanal food and craft market set by the water of Leith.

Make a wee silver trinket box and decorate it with embossed silver and coloured stones.

Exhibition, organised by the Victoria & Albert Museum, of personal effects, music, film, costume, awards and photographs from the career of the Aberdonian musical superstar.

A special extraterrestrial exhibition featuring costumes and props from some of the most iconic sci-fi films and TV shows of all time. Browse memorabilia from the likes of Predator, Star Wars and Doctor Who, or take in the 360 degree film, We Are Aliens, narrated by Rupert Grint (AKA Ron Weasley).

Free table tennis club with DJs Ding and Dong providing the music. If you're feeling brave enough it's £1 to enter the sudden death tournament (strictly amateurs), and the winner takes home the cash.

It's a big bear bonanza today – a teddy hunt in the wood, teddy bear stories, a prize for best-dressed ted (better get the glad rags out) and the chance to get crafty and create some bear bunting for your bedroom.

RoadBlock Run (formerly Urbanathlon) returns with another race filled with obstacles for runners to negotiate in aid of Chest, Heart and Stroke Scotland. Prizes for fastest males, females and teams, as well as a special prize for runners in fancy dress.

MagicFest pulls another rabbit out of the hat with a progamme of close-up conundrums, mindboggling illusions, comic cabaret and other feats of the impossible. The festival begins with the Magic and Variety Gala Opening and continues to bamboozle with events and workshops.

Get the whole family out for this veggie BBQ, complete with kebabs and kids' activities. There's also a bicycle-powered smoothie maker on hand, which right there is reason enough to attend. Of course, it's all free, so there's that, too.

A chance to sample as many different whiskies as you think you can handle, also promising 'mystery, music entertainment, comicality and madcap pioneering.' That includes Heston-style whisky-based molecular experiments, a murder mystery challenge with a trip to Jura for one lucky winner, whisky cocktails and much more.

Garden opening.

The amiable bushcraft expert shares stories from his three decades roughing it in the bush.

An annual open day to come along and spend a day with the Historic Scotland Rangers Service in the Iron Age, meet characters from the past and try your hand at skills from the period.

A new monthly boutique market featuring crafters, artists and designers from around Scotland.

Michelin starred and award-winning chefs cook up a storm at this year's festival dedicated to epicureans, as well as offerings from local producers and workshops for food lovers young and old.