Festival campsite planned for Edinburgh

Edinburgh is set to get a campsite for the Fringe, allowing festival-goers to stay in the city for as little as £12 a night.

Tens of thousands of tents are planned for Inch Park, two miles south of the Bristo Square hub of venues.

Campingninja, which ran campsites in Glasgow during the Commonwealth Games, has started selling pitches in the park – although the plan has yet to be approved by city councillors.

There will also be the chance to use pre-erected tents; while the camp will include bars and food outlets, as well as a family zone and VIP areas with ‘posher toilets’.

The campsite should boost visitors numbers to the Fringe, which last year sold 2.2million tickets, as the spiralling cost of accommodation for performers and visitors is seen as an issue stifling further growth.

It would be the first time music festival-style camping was deployed for the Fringe. Similar plans to use the Meadows in the heart of the city were rejected in 2011 amid ­concerns it would destroy the park.

The Campingninja site would be about a 17-minute bus ride from the main attractions of the festival. It is planned to open from August 7 to 31, the exact dates of the Fringe excluding preview shows.

The company also offers discounts for performers wanting a long stay, bringing the price down to below £10 per person per night.

Published: 14 Jan 2015