Portrait of a nation: what do the Scottish shows on this year’s Fringe say about Scotland?

For those of us living in Scotland, it’s easy to forget the Edinburgh Festival Fringe encourages two-way cultural traffic. Yes, it’s a chance for us to see the world’s artists on our doorstep (for those three weeks, it’s really hard to miss them), but it’s also a chance for our own artists to reach an international audience. The opportunity isn’t for everyone; building-based theatre companies, for example, tend to keep their powder dry for the autumn season and give the Fringe a miss. But, especially since the introduction of the Made in Scotland programme, funded by the government to encourage cultural exports, homegrown artists frequently use the Fringe as a showcase for the world.What, then, is the impression they are creating? What will the cultural tourist discover about this country as they work their way through the 50-odd Scottish theatre productions?