North Berwick is read for Fringe By The Sea

Go Forth Tours are offering the chance for people to find out more about the town, with tours leaving from the Scottish Seabird Centre daily at 11am.

Visitors can learn about the town's Robert Louis Stevenson connection; the Bass and its port; view Tantallon from unusual angles; discover our secret beach; local lairds’ hidden homes; picturesque villages; wartime airfields; the origin of the Saltire; tower houses and fallen castles; estuary wildlife; splendid country houses; magnificent Victorian & Edwardian mansions.

Alternatively, local Councillor Dave Berry is hosting a Walk the Toun, looking at the town's most interesting places at 3.30pm,with tickets from the Harbour Ticket Office.

North Berwick Drama Circle also get in on the act with The King and the Witches at 6pm at La Gaiete Spiegeltent.

Did a hundred or more witches meet at the Auld Kirk by the harbour of North Berwick on All Hallow’s E’en 1590?

Many women and men from East Lothian and Edinburgh confessed to this and were tortured, strangled and burnt.

King James VI’s fears that his enemies were using these witches to destroy him fuelled a witch hunting fever that was to spread throughout Scotland.

This lively original play explores whether we can ever know the “whole truth” about our own history – or anything.

There is also entertainment at North Berwick Fry with Quattro Macjazz at 6pm.

Hamish McGregor, Lennie Herd, Alastair McDonald and Roy Percy are internationally acclaimed jazz players from Scotland playing hot Dixieland jazz classics.

These talented musicians play an upbeat selection of the New Orleans sound created through the clarinet, banjo, trumpet and double bass.

Toe tappin’, yes, finger lickin’, for sure.

Come and buy your chippie tea and let the accompanying musical rhythms surround you.

This will be the start of a fabulous melody wave which will continue throughout the week.

Then, at 8.30pm, head along to Palais Des Glaces Spiegeltent for Elkie Brooks.

Quite simply one of the most successful and popular singers the UK has ever produced.

Now in the fifth decade of her career, she is still proving to be one of the most powerful and versatile vocal talents of our generation.

With numerous hit singles, million selling albums and awards, her annual tours are a treat for fans old and new.

Performing some of her classic hits, blues and jazz, an electric evening with Elkie is guaranteed to leave you begging for more.

2012 saw the release of Elkie’s much anticipated autobiography ‘Finding My Voice’ and a re-release of her highly acclaimed album ‘Powerless’.

Finally, at 11pm at La Gaiete Spiegeltent, Safehouse take to the stage.

With a new line up and a sound edgier than ever, Safehouse are going from strength to strength.

As well as wowing audiences in their native Scotland, they gig all over Europe.

Original member Andrew Stirling has been joined by two former Blues ‘N’ Trouble members John Bruce on guitar and Sean Scott on drums.

The line up is completed by keyboard player Ali Petrie (Hobotalk and others) and Chris Peebles, frontman and vocalist extraordinaire!

Meanwhile, on Tuesday there are even more events, with Alexander the Great, who trained in circus skills at De Hoogta Circus School in Amsterdam, at Palais Des Glaces Spiegeltent at 9am and 11am.

Tai Chi and Chai Tea are being dished up at La Gaiete Spiegeltent at 1pm.

Come along and try your hand at some exercises and gentle moves from the Taoist Tai Chi set.

The class will introduce you to the meditative movements of Tai Chi and will provide a relaxing but toning stretch round the body.

Part of the Chinese form is a midway break for tea.

If anyone would like to come along and stay seated Tai Chi can be done from a chair.

At 3pm at Palais Des Glaces Spiegeltent it is the turn of children's favourite Mr Boom.

Mr Boom – the children’s one-man band from the moon – is no stranger to the coolest festival under the sun – appearing annually since Fringe by the Sea began in 2008.

His imaginary spaceship has been landing on Planet Earth for over 30 years and he continues to enchant and delight wee Earthlings with an exciting mix of action songs, circle dancing and spontaneous banter.

An hour later, one of Scotland's finest crime writers Denise Mina will be at La Gaiete Spiegeltent.

Described as an author of Tartan Noir, she has also dabbled in comic book writing, having recently written 13 issues of Hellblazer and adapted Stieg Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy.

Then, at 6pm at Palais Des Glaces Spiegeltent, Richard Navarro is back after his success last year.

Evocative and uplifting, the music of Richard Navarro takes the folk traditions of melody and storytelling and supercharges them through live looping and improvisation.

Epic, soaring vocals combine with punchy, post-folk arrangements of songs that combine lyricism and sharp social commentary with violins, keyboards, infectious bass lines and driving percussion.

At 8pm, Rebus writer Ian Rankin is at La Gaiete Spiegeltent.

The focus is firmly on the music, films, gigs books and memories that have helped to shape the author’s life.

Come along and listen to the reasons behind his eclectic choice and bring your questions for this fabulous Edinburgh writer.

As Rebus approaches 30 in 2017, what can we learn about the writer from his up close and personal favourites?

Big Comedy Tuesday also promises plenty of laughs with Pete Firman, Grant Stott, Jo Caulfield and Zoe Lyons all at Palais Des Glaces Spiegeltent from 9pm.

JazzMain provide some music later in the night at La Gaiete Spiegeltent from 11pm.

Arran Johnston will be at Palais Des Glaces Spiegeltent at 2pm on Wednesday.

On the eve of an unhappy peace, hear an English soldier’s reflections on the so-called “Rough Wooing” of 1547-50, from the drama of the Battle of Pinkie to the horrors of the Siege of Haddington.

See how this survivor comes to terms with what went wrong, and what defeat might mean for his country.

At 3pm, it is the turn of Fringe by the Sea favourite Aly Bain and Phil Cunningham.

La Gaiete Spiegeltent hosts the duo, who are folk royalty and as gently humorous and as musically astonishing as ever.

At 6pm, there is more comedy with Funnies at the Fry, with Glasgow storyteller Scott Gibson joined by comedienne Ria Lina and fellow funnyman Fin Taylor.

Rounding things off, Capercaillie are at Palais Des Glaces Spiegeltent from 8pm.

As Scottish music triumphantly comes of age in the 21st century, Capercaillie are the band who’ve grown up with it and are now widely credited with a seminal role in that wider transformation.

Further consolidating their stature among Celtic music’s international premier league, Capercaillie’s reputation as a thrilling live act has also only grown with the years, with the wondrous voice of Karen Mathieson heading a stellar cast of folk music’s finest players.

At 10pm, at La Gaiete Spiegeltent, it is the brilliantly named Ceilidh Minogue.

They never fail to make ceilidhs a success. Based in Scotland but playing  all over the UK as well as abroad (Most recently France, Indonesia, Tunisia, Lithuania, Belgium, Azerbaijan, Bahrain).

For more information and full listings go to www.fringebythesea.com