Talk of the Town: Holyrood Park travellers not focused on staying

GYPSIES hit the headlines recently for occupying Edinburgh park and ride sites, but surely they wouldn't try the same trick in the Queen's own backyard?

A concerned local contacted Talk of the Town to report that caravans had indeed rolled into Holyrood Park and wondered why the police were not taking action.

So did we, until it emerged that the temporary encampment was a film crew shooting the new Hollywood movie One Day.

Haggis is hot property down Mexico way

SCOTLAND's national dish is regarded by purists as best served with neeps and tatties.

Mexican takeaway Los Cardos on Leith Walk have started serving up their own version though - Macsween's Haggis used as a filling for burritos, tacos or quesadillas.

Owner Neil Miller described the creation as "the ultimate fusion cuisine", although whether it would have inspired Burns to write an ode to the McTaco is debateable.

Anyone for toasted buns?

WITH the traditional summer holiday period now upon us, thoughts turn to achieving the perfect tan.

Alas, a study revealed a consistent all-over tan may be impossible to achieve, as some body areas are more resistant to the suns rays than others.

The exhaustive study at the University of Edinburgh, funded by the Medical Research Council - carried out to try and solve the puzzle of why different types of skin cancer tend to be found in different parts of the body - found that people with no freckles tanned more easily than those without freckling.

The findings, published in the journal Experimental Dermatology, also showed that the buttock is much more resistant to sunshine. It does go red, but it tans less well than other areas.

Miller talks out of his arts

IT may be the Worlds Biggest Arts Festival, but it seems not everyone cares for the charms of the Fringe these days.

Revered theatre and opera director Jonathan Miller found fame at the Edinburgh Festival in 1960 with the satirical ensemble Beyond the Fringe, alongside fellow comics Peter Cook, Dudley Moore and Alan Bennett . It doesn't mean the 76-year-old cares for the modern event though

Having written off West End theatre as "ridiculous" and "intoxicated by celebrities", the former opera director dismissed the Edinburgh event saying "I'm not the least bit interested in the Fringe."

Some may say he's a grumpy old so-and-so, but there's no doubt more than a few locals who would echo his sentiments.