As Edinburgh's international arts festival ends, another festival kicks off, with a focus on local physical activities. Running from this Saturday until 14 September, the Festival of Sport showcases 33 sports on offer in Edinburgh, including trampolining, synchronised swimming, squash, football and fencing.
The City of Edinburgh Council, plus the other five local authorities – East Lothian, Midlothian, West Lothian, Scottish Borders and Fife – have joined forces with sportscotland to make the Festival the biggest of its kind ever staged in Scotland.
Hundreds of free events will run across the east of Scotland over the next fortnight, including taster sessions, demonstrations and competitions to encourage people of all ages to discover the benefits of an active lifestyle.
The Council's Festival and Events Champion, Cllr Steve Cardownie, expects London 2012 to create a huge surge in interest.
“Coming so soon after the hugely successful Olympic Games and running during the Paralympics, the Festival gives kids and families the chance to meet and try out sports clubs," he says.
The Festival carries the London 2012 Inspire mark which recognises "exceptional and innovative projects inspired by the 2012 Games".
Louise Martin, Chair of sportscotland, added:
“sportscotland is developing and supporting a world-class sporting infrastructure in Scotland, and we are using the captivation and excitement generated by the Olympics, Paralympics, and Commonwealth Games to encourage more people to participate in sport and physical activity.
“The Festival of Sport 2012 is a terrific concept which allows people of all ages and abilities to take part in numerous sports and have fun while being active, and it is going from strength to strength.”