He is already an hour late. Audiences from London to Tokyo have grown accustomed to delays at the start of Valery Gergiev's performances, so it should be no surprise if the world's most charismatic conductor is late for me. This is the one day of the month when he is not travelling, rehearsing, fundraising or managing the companies he leads. But I am beginning to twitch.

We're in Edinburgh. Gergiev, the biggest draw of the 2008 festival, is free on the day of his last performance and has agreed to spend it with the FT. The plan is to escape the heaving crowds, see a bit of Scotland and sample the national cuisine.