Castle?!

The way this block of tenement flats just peeps over the trees and overlooks the Water of Leith always reminds me of a castle on a hill!

Five Pound Fringe

Over the last few years, ticket prices for Fringe shows have shot up quite a bit. Expect to pay at least £8 pounds for lesser known shows, and £15 for the big names! This is why some venues - like the Tron on Hunter Square - have decided to support initiatives like the Five Pound Fringe, or even Free Fringe, each of which does exactly what it says on the tin!

C Venue - Chambers Street

Normally a quiet, stately University building, during the festival Adam House is transformed into C Venue!

Piper with Drummers

This is the piper who plays with the drummers (see yesterday's post).

Drummers on the Mound

A guest entry from Difa - during the Fringe, this well-known group of drummers & piper often perform on the Mound next to the National Gallery. Can anyone remind me of their name?

Fringe Framed!

I'm totally blowing my cover here but I don't care, because... today my picture got printed in the Metro!! The Fringe Office and Metro run a competition called Fringe Framed, where each day they select a photo for publication. If you want to take part, all you have to do is e-mail your photo (jpeg) to fringe.framed@edfringe.com. Good luck!

Not sure what to call this!

As spotted at the Cavalcade in Holyrood Park - this Lord of the Rings-like figure is, I believe, part of a theatre company that specialises in stilt-based, costumed street theatre. These imposing figures (there were three of them) wandered around high above the crowds, scaring unsuspecting bystanders by suddenly pecking them in the neck.

Wedding at St James's

At the weekend I photographed the wedding of this lovely couple, Kaivo and Margit from Tallinn, at St James's Church (see post on Sunday). See here the happy two, accompanied by the Rector, Tembu Rongong, in kilt!

Pants!!

This is of another preview of a show we saw on the Royal Mile. I've forgotten the title; the costumes and makeup were pretty cool but despite the obvious enthusiasm of the actors, it was a bit, well, pants really!

William Hole Murals in St James's

Anyone who's ever visited the Scottish National Portrait Gallery will remember the beautiful murals and frieze painted by William Hole around 1900. Few, however, will know that Hole painted two equally fabulous murals in St James Church at Goldenacre, some years before his more famous commission. St James's , a red stone building on Inverleith Row, was Hole's own church, and he carried out the decorations as a favour to his own parish. Just as well he did, because this work later earned him the Portrait Gallery job!

Performance on the Royal Mile

All day, performers showcase their shows during allotted slots on stages on the Royal Mile. These guys are from "Bloodbath - the Musical" (21:30 at George Square), and this lady definitely stood out from the crowd with a fenominal voice - though you couldn't really hear the music from the stereo.

Street Performance on the Royal Mile

Edinburgh street performer Todd Various doing what he does best, spotted yesterday on Parliament Square - just off the Royal Mile. With guest performances of 'England' (left), 'Scotland' (right) and two very cheeky little boys.

Festival Time!!

Hi Everyone!!

Back by popular demand... after this inexcusably long absence I'll keep the blog going during the Fringe and International Festival at least.

This picture was taken during the cavalcade on Saturday, the official start of the Fringe. The entire cast of the Tattoo, as well as a host of other performers and bands parade through the city - except this year due to tramworks on Princes Street the entire show was moved to Holyrood Park. And you know what? I actually preferred it - there was lots of space for everyone to go, no traffic restrictions for other good citizens, and the setting is just so beautiful! I met up with a couple of good friends and gave my brand new zoom lens a run for its money :-).