Need to escape the hustle and bustle of the Edinburgh Festival?

Get ready to explore: This is the Lady's Tower at Ruby Bay, on the east side of Elie Ness. It was used as a changing room for the Lady Anstruther.

Millions of people come from around the world to share their passion for arts, culture and comedy at the Edinburgh International Festival and the sister Fringe event, but for some of the city's residents it can all be a bit overwhelming.

For those looking to escape Edinburgh during festival season, Stagecoach has unveiled a number of itineraries for interesting and beautiful spots right here on our doorstep.

These secret journeys can lead you somewhere out of the ordinary for a day, from trying tasty fish and chips by the harbour in Anstruther to taking in the Romanesque architecture of Dunfermline Abbey.

Here are just some of the ideas for exploring the east of Scotland, all less than two-and-a-half hours from Edinburgh.

A day on the Fife Coastal Path

Walk from St Monans to Anstruther and see the sights of the East Neuk with a Stagecoach trip. Catch the hourly service X60, Monday to Saturday from Edinburgh Bus Station to Station Road, St Monans and enjoy unlimited travel with a Fife dayrider+ ticket costing £11.50 for adults and £6.10 for children. Simply buy from the driver or on the Stagecoach Bus App.

Take some time to explore picturesque St Monans, then follow signs for Fife Coastal Path to begin your walk along the coast. Don't forget to stop for ice cream in bustling Pittenweem, now the most active of the fishing ports in the East Neuk coast of Fife, then continue your walk along the coastal path to Anstruther.

The Anstruther Fishing Museum is well worth a visit for an insight into the history of the Scottish fishing industry, then tuck in to some famous fish and chips from the Anstruther Fish Bar, widely believed to be Scotland’s best fish and chip restaurant.

Travel back to Edinburgh Bus Station on service X55, departing Anstruther harbour every hour, Monday to Saturday.

Discover Dunfermline and North Queensferry

Dunfermline and South Fife have lots to see and do for all ages. To find out for yourself, take Stagecoach service X55 from Edinburgh Bus Station; travel all day with a Fife dayrider+ which you can buy from the driver or on the Stagecoach Bus App. In just over an hour you'll be in Dunfermline with plenty of time to explore the Heritage Quarter, see Dunfermline Abbey and the ruins of Dunfermline Palace.

You can visit the Carnegie Library and Galleries, a spectacular free museum and art gallery in the heart of the Heritage Quarter which was first opened on 29 August 1883, and explore the Andrew Carnegie Birthplace Museum, dedicated to the Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist himself.

Stop for lunch at Fire Station Creative, a cafe and art gallery, or have a picnic in one of Dunfermline’s many parks – don't miss the chance to take a walk through fairytale Pittencreiff Park and spot some of the free-roaming peacocks.

Then why not hop on service X51 or X55 and head to North Queensferry for a bracing walk along part of the Fife Coastal Path before visiting Deep Sea World, tucked beneath the world-famous Forth Rail Bridge, and find out what lurks in the water.

Service X55 departs from North Queensferry to Edinburgh every 20 minutes, Monday to Saturday and up to every 30 minutes on Sundays.

For more inspired journeys from Edinburgh, see Stagecoachbus.com