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.

Same Guy

... and this is the same guy (see yesterday's picture) from a more conventional angle, with houses in Parliament Square in the background.

Torchlight Procession

On 29 December we took part in the annual Torchlight Procession, which starts on the Royal Mile and finishes with a bonfire and fireworks on Calton Hill. It's an amazing experience being part of this river of light with around 20,000 (!) people taking part. You buy your torch for £6 on the Royal Mile (the money goes to a city charity) and queue up, or you can simply watch the procession snake down the Mound and onto Princes Street. Highly recommended if you find yourself in or around Edinburgh for Hogmanay! (pic courtesy of Difa!)

Royal Mile 20 - Canongate Tolbooth

We leave Chessel's Court and continue to wander down the Royal Mile. Soon you'll see this incredible building on the other side of the road. The Canongate Tolbooth was built in 1591 and served as toll house, council house, courtroom and prison. The 17th century clock face has since been replaced by this one, dated 1820. The Tolbooth now houses a museum called The People's Story.

Royal Mile 18 - Canongate

We are now on the Canongate part of the Royal Mile, which is named after the monks or 'canons' of Holyrood Abbey (now a ruin behind the Palace at the foot of the Royal Mile). In the 12th century they were given royal permission to build and rule their own town, which soon stretched from the Abbey all the way up to the Netherbow Port (see Royal Mile 16). In other words, Canongate used to be completely detached from Edinburgh, separated by the city wall. Canongate itself was never walled and relied on the power of the church for protection - in vain, as the entire town was sacked and burnt down several times over the centuries.

Royal Mile 16 - Netherbow Port

If you look closely at the wall of the Storytelling Centre, you will see that a recessed space was created specifically to house this carving from 1606. It was once part of the Netherbow Port, a large gatehouse that stood not far from this spot on the Royal Mile. Part of the old city wall, residents and visitors had to pay to enter the city through this gate.

Gory detail: severed heads of executed criminals were often displayed on the spikes of the gate to discourage others from commiting crimes. The gate was demolished in 1764 but brass cobbles in the road mark the spot where it once stood.

(Image: edinburgh-royalmile.com)

Royal Mile 15 - Scottish Storytelling Centre

Resuming our walk down the Royal Mile, we soon reach the Scottish Storytelling Centre on the left-hand side of the street. This buidling incorporates John Knox's House (far left), home to the famous church reformer during the mid-1500s. The Storytelling centre itself was only opened in 2006. It was designed by Malcolm Fraser Architects and has won lots of architecture awards, including the RIBA Award 2007 and EAA Building of the Year. Personally I think it looks great, and a much better modern intervention than the Radisson (see yesterday's photo).

Royal Mile 14 - Radisson

As promised, here is the second part of the Royal Mile tour that we started back in July. Let's pick up the tour where we left off, on the crossing between the Royal Mile and the Bridges. The building right in front is the Radisson Hotel, completed in 1990 as the Scandic Crown. The site was originally occupied by 18th-century tenements, but they had long since disappeared and the site was 'a large hole' according to contemporary commentators. Although the initial designs for a new group of buildings were quite sympathetic to the history and look of the area, the final design became one 250-bed hotel without any ground-floor units or indeed any of the closes that would have gone through the building. Though the building may be inoffensive to some, to others it's an eyesore.

Christmas in September

In recent years I've been horrified to find the shops stocking Christmas goods even before the official end of summer and this year has been no exception. Who on earth needs Christmas wrapping paper in September?!?! And how come then that I really like this place? The Nutcracker is one of at least three shops in the Old Town - two of which are on the Royal Mile - where you can buy Christmas decorations year-round! Surely that's just wrong - or not?

Mystery man unmasked

Well - this is yesterday's mystery man, photographed through one of narrowest closes off the Royal Mile. Pretty harmless really!

Mystery man

Who is this kilted man lurking in the shadows? What is he plotting? (Suggestions in the comments, come back tomorrow to see if you were right...)

Chris Hoy on the Royal Mile

Yesterday, we went and cheered for the Scottish Olympic medallists Chris Hoy (3x gold in cycling), fellow cyclist Ross Edgar, rower Katherine Grainger and canoeist David Florence (all silver), along with thousands of others who came to see them as they were carried down the Royal Mile on an open-top bus.

Incidentally, Chris Hoy got tangled up in the debate about whether or not Scotland should have a separate Olympic team (yes, say the SNP and Sean Connery - not necessarily, say most others including Hoy). After some heated debates in the media, a big Saltire (Scottish flag) was prominently displayed on the front of the bus. Coincidence? I think not! Still it's a shame that even sport can become so politicised in today's brave new world of Scottish politics.

For a few more pictures of the parade, have a look at my photo report.

More Royal Mile mania

Lo and behold, a couple of hours sunshine late yesterday afternoon made for some frantic running around with my camera on the Royal Mile! Too much to choose from today, but I've gone for this guy because of the sheer weirdness as well as the look of utter concentration on his face. I also like the fact that he's in the light whereas his spectators are lurking in the shadow of St Giles Cathedral.

Fringe Posters

I have been meaning to take this picture ever since the festival started. The posters and flyers are as much a part of the Fringe as the performers themselves. It looks like these have had a good soaking over the last few days!!

Weather on the Royal Mile

This is the first of three guest contributions by Difa, who like most years came to visit me during the festival. Here, the Tron kirk is trying to make a hole in the clouds over the Royal Mile.

Love, love, love!

If there was a prize for the most imaginative and most positive promotion on Friday it surely would go to this group! They're in a show called I Love You! And You... And You... which plays in the C3 venue on the Lawnmarket and bills itself as a romantic comedy in which the audience chooses the ending. Meanwhile they're creating a 'love chain' with messages of love from the passing public, which eventually should stretch the length of the Royal Mile!

The Fringe: Almost there...

The Fringe is almost here!! The official start of the festival is on Sunday afternoon with the Cavalcade along Princes Street. Already the performers are out in their hundreds trying to persuade you to come and see their shows. Until the first reviews come out everyone is on an equal footing, so at the moment it's all about who shouts or sings loudests, has the best flyers or the most theatrical promotion. This particular one caught my eye on the Royal Mile on Friday; this poor girl has just been strangled.

Silhoutte of St Giles

The distinctive outline of St Giles Cathedral (officially High Kirk) seen from the Royal Mile looking up!

Royal Mile 13 - To Be Continued

Well, we've only walked about half-way down the Royal Mile so far, but this is the end of the tour for now. I hope you've enjoyed seeing some of the people and places along this great street. I'll finish the tour next time I go on holiday; still to come are, for example, the Scottish Storytelling centre, some of the beautiful courtyards along the Royal Mile and of course the Scottish Parliament.

If all is well I should be back tomorrow and look forward to catching up with you all soon!

Royal Mile 12 - Ghosts & Gouls

Ghost tours are inextricably linked with Edinburgh and a visit to the haunted vaults, graveyards or hidden closes should be part of any stay in the city! This beautiful lady was promoting the Haunted Underground experience, with half of her face covered in 'blood'... (I love how she maintained the make-up in the mirror of a nearby motorbike!)




Come back tomorrow for the next instalment of the Royal Mile tour (I am still away).