Scotland. Green hills, sheep, whisky, men in kilts. The regular connotations. But another thing Scotland has to boast about is it’s festivals. Festivals galore are held each year and today we bring you the lowdown on festivals from the highlands to the lowlands of my native land. Och Aye! (Translated – O Yes!)

The country’s capital, Edinburgh, is home to some braw (great) festivals. Edinburgh Festivals are annual events comprising of some of the most well regarded festivals in the world.  From art and film to The famous Fringe and Military Tattoo people travel from around the globe each year in aid of these popular events. Check it out here for the dates for your diary and have a wee dram (a small alcoholic drink) for us when you get there!

Fancy visiting the capital in winter? Then the Edinburgh Hogmanay festival is a must. Hogmanay (New Years Eve) is a big deal and is very traditional to us Scots. My Granny fondly tells stories from back in the day of first footing (visiting someone at home for the first time that year – usually with a selection of bottles!) where the tradition would carry on well into January. Sounds good to me, maybe we should reinstate that! So for a true Scottish New Year experience Edinburgh is a must. The event takes over Princes Street with amazing views of the historic Ediburgh Castle and the city hosts thousands of visitors each year especially for this event.

Glasgow International Jazz festival takes place in June and has a huge following from musicians and jazz lovers all over the world. Whilst Scottish Highland Games have been a hugely popular event for centuries, taking place across the country. They provide a showcase of traditional sporting events that are participated in and enjoyed by people of all nationalities.

For music fans and party lovers Scotland has some majorly fun and popular events. Rock Ness is an annual festival that takes place in the hometown of Nessie (The Loch Ness monster) Inverness. It comprises some of todays top bands and calls for a weekend of camping and music. T in the Park takes place in Perthshire every year and is 3 days of famous bands, partying, camping and plodding around a field in your welly boots! Awesome fun and totally worth a visit.

Wanna know more about festivals in Scotland? Just ask! And from the famous song, Loch Lomond, “You take the high road and I’ll take the low road and I’ll be in Scotland afore ye! (before you)”

-Danielle McKinlay, Contibuting Editor

Playing the air guitar in front of your bedroom mirror is probably the closest you’ll get to becoming a rock star.  But, hold your horses.   Just recently, we came across Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp™ which gives music lovers an opportunity to jam with rock star legends and even play live on stage at a major concert venue. 

There’s a London camp that’s being offered during Memorial Day weekend (May 25-30 2010) which has a cool lineup of acitvities.  Participants get the chance to record at one of the most famous recording studios in the world, Abbey Road.  Then, head up to the Beatles hometown of Liverpool and play live at The Cavern Club. 

Oh but, the fun doesn’t stop there.  “Campers” will meet with some with some serious rock n’ roll legends like Roger Daltrey of the Who, Nick Mason of Pink Floyd and Jack Bruce of Cream.

Are you ready to unleash your inner rock star?

Music mag NME – which has been reporting on music since 1952,  has named The Strokes’ Is This It the best album of the decade.

The new top ten in the poll – voted by “everyone who helped make music brilliant this decade” – features other New York alumni the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Interpol, as well as Canadian Arcade Fire, in a list that is dominated – not surprisingly – by Brits: The Libertines, Primal Scream, PJ Harvey, The Streets and Radiohead.

Like NYC, Britain has long held a reputation for great bands and the best live music, often breaking new talent onto the airwaves and the mainstream charts. Although The Strokes haven’t toured lately, top five faves the Yeah Yeah Yeahs kick off nine dates from 30 November. As well as two nights at the O2 Brixton Academy in London, their only Scottish date in Glasgow on 4 December is sure to be a hot ticket. Despite uncoupling from Kate Moss, Pete Docherty retains his music cool.

See what you think as Babyshambles plays Glasgow’s Barrowland on 18 December as part of a nine-date tour. As the place where Oasis were spotted and signed, Scotland’s style capital has plenty to offer visitors too: over 50 clubs, 100-plus pubs and bars, designer shopping, and Rennie Mackintosh architecture.

The top ten according to NME are:

1. The Strokes – ‘Is This It’
2. The Libertines – ‘Up The Bracket’
3. Primal Scream – ‘XTRMNTR’
4. Arctic Monkeys – ‘Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not’
5. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – ‘Fever To Tell’
6. PJ Harvey – ‘Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea’
7. Arcade Fire – ‘Funeral’
8. Interpol – ‘Turn On The Bright Lights’
9. The Streets – ‘Original Pirate Material’
10. Radiohead – ‘In Rainbows’

For the full list,check out NME’s website.

See you in the mosh! Cause we expect there to be some battles on this.  List your own top ten in the comments.

Elliott Frisby – contributing editor

The Broken Hearts, also known as Amber and Nisha, are a performance duo group that have been making a name for themselves on the London style scene.  Their beats are just as quirky and outrageous as their pop burlesque outfits.  An article from the UK’s Guardian described them as ”a Hollywood musical on hallucinogenics.”  I like them already. 

With Halloween just a few weeks away, the Broken Hearts have placed their stamp on one of London’s hottest bars.  To the tune of an exclusive Broken Hearts handpicked soundtrack, the hyper-chic Met Bar’s ever-popular “Afternoon De-Light” will offer a new seasonal menu.  Take the edible artwork by illustrator of oddities and lover of the macabre, Rob Flowers. 3 PM to 6 PM daily, October 26 to November 11.  If you’re headed to London this Halloween, The Broken Hearts will be performing on October 29 at the Met Bar’s Halloween Party – “Death on the Dancefloor.”

Since ‘Wannabe’ launched onto the airwaves back in 1996 and the phrase ‘zig-a-zig-ah’ forever entered popular culture, the Spice Girls have rarely been out of the worldwide media. The British tabloids have diligently reported on all aspects of their lives, be it marriages, divorces, babies or solo album flops- (of which there have been many, between the girls they have released a whopping 13 solo albums). After a lucrative comeback in 2007/8, which saw the group release a greatest hits album and perform music concerts across the US, the girls are now apparently in talks to develop a West End musical about their rapid rise to fame. Details are sketchy at this point but all the girls have been papped together in London recently and are apparently all in support of the idea. If it were to happen, who could resist a Spicey night of London theatre, bopping along to ‘Say you’ll be there’ and other such Spice Girl staples.

– Phil Underwood, Contributing Editor

Unlabelled Britain is born of a passion for all things independent, creative, and energetic that are popping on both sides of the Atlantic.

Written by Anglophiles out there to scoop some trends and reveal the side of Britain you might not know is there:  from indie fashion to where you should be crashin’, from pop to punk, from castle romps to celebrity cat fights…basically the whole cultural kit and caboodle. In what London speakeasies will you get to rub shoulders with the likes of Amy Winehouse and David Beckham, maybe Susan Boyle?  We’ll find out.  Where do you go shopping for nerdy-chic, eco-friendly cardigans in Wales?  There will be a post for that.  Take that, iPhone fanboy bloggers.

So who are we?  Unlabelled Britain’s editorial team is based in New York. Full disclosure here: some of us work for the British tourist office.  We’re a mix of Brits and Americans who share one thing in common – we’re transatlanticists with an addiction to the latest trends in Britain.  We work with insiders and tipsters based in the UK who serve as contributors every week.  If it’s going to happen in Britain, in many cases, we hear about it first. Think of us as a travel advisory board with an edge.  For all the dirt on us, check out our bios.

Unlabelled Britain needs your feedback. Talk to us.  Tell us what you think.  Give us a shout out.  Add us to your blog roll.  Ask what you need to know.  Send us Cadbury chocolates.  Maybe we’ll do the same.  Plus, we do have the power to occasionally send folks to Britain.