In pictures: Edinburgh Festival

The annual Edinburgh Festival began in 1947 as a small celebration of peace by the world's best known arts companies.

Film, music, book and fringe festivals soon followed, as well as a military tattoo and the whole event is now one of the world's largest arts festivals.

BBC News Online takes a look at some snapshots from recent festivals.

Edinburgh is now used to international Festival sights like these naked Russian clowns

Last year Big Spirit Theatre presented Shakespeare's Hamlet atop an Edinburgh phone box

Street performance from actors to jugglers is a mainstay of the Edinburgh Festival

US novelist Norman Mailer was one of 400 authors who spoke or read at the 2000 Edinburgh Book Festival

Edinburgh Military Tattoo is the city's most popular attraction during the festival

Rene Ruso and Pierce Brosnan attended the UK premiere of The Thomas Crown Affair at the Edinburgh Film Festival in 1999

Comic Dave Gorman has found the world's other Dave Gormans and is taking his show to the festival

Ladyboy Opoh Seelita would not attend Edinburgh 2000 until her silicone breasts were insured against explosion at altitude