Old Town from Calton Hill

View of the Old Town of Edinburgh as seen from Calton Hill, looking west.

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.

Fly like a bird!

Birdseye view of the roofs of buildings on George IV Bridge, Old Town.

Roofs of the Old Town

Still on the roof of the Museum, now looking to the right of the castle in almost northerly direction. The large church steeple is what used to be a Church of Scotland and its Assembly Hall in one. It is now known as the 'Hub', or the headquarters of the International Festival. In the distance you can just make out some snowy hills in Perthshire, on the other side of the Firth of Forth.

Old Town from the graveyard

The Old Town of Edinburgh as seen from Greyfriar's churchard. Spooky!!

Central Library

This interesting piece of sculpture sits on the exterior of the Central Library on George IV Bridge. My interpretation of it is that it shows Caledonia ('Scotland' - note the tartan plaid) in the middle, with farmers on either side (note the sickle on the left and plough on the right). Look closely and you can see the kilt and beautiful sporran on the left-hand farmer.

I think the motto means: "Always up in arms, now also industrious" which I guess points at a desire to move away from militarism in the Highlands towards peaceful and productive farming. Now a library, this part of the building was once the Highland and Agricultural Institute.

Playfair Steps

The Playfair Steps, between the National Gallery of Scotland and the top of the Mound/Market Street leading into Old Town.

Royal Mile... with a difference!

This is one of my favourite objects in the city centre: a cast model of the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh, which sits on the Mound between the National Gallery and the RSA. Apparently it was given to the city by the staff of Marks & Spencer to commemorate their centenary.

The accompanying plaque says: "This relief was crafted to enable people with impaired vision to enjoy the grandeur of the City".

... And it's gone

Well 'all' of the snow has disappeared again... but here's another pretty picture I took yesterday, of the back of Candlemaker row as seen from Greyfriar's. How very Charles Dickens, don't you think?!

Snow is here!

Well it's official; Britain is gripped by snow anxiety! For days now the forecasts have been warning us that blizzards from Russia were fast approaching. And this morning we finally got a bit of snow here in Edinburgh - apparently there's more to come today and overnight. On my way to work this morning I took a detour via Greyfriars' Churchyard for some photo opportunities - and got stuck in a true snowstorm at the other end of the graveyard!

North Bridge

This photo should be seen next to yesterday's one. North Bridge connects the Old Town on the right with the New Town on the left (at the Balmoral Hotel). It was originally built in 1772 but was reconstructed in the 1870s. The ravine it spans houses Waverley Station.

Sunrise over North Bridge

On our way to work this morning we were treated to a beautiful sunrise - this was the view from North Bridge looking south-east at about 9am.

Old Town winter sun

A low winter sun over the Old Town skyline as seen from Princes Street whilst doing some (rather unsuccessful) Christmas shopping at lunchtime!

Birds & Augustine's

Across the road from yesterday's picture I spotted this group of birds circling the spire of the Augustine Church. The building dates from 1861, and its architectural design incorporating Romanesque, Renaissance and Classical motifs caused quite a stir, with the 3-tier octagonal spire being ridiculed as a 'bridescake'. Nowadays of course it's an essential part of the Old Town skyline.

Chiaroscuro

Under cover of darkness? Or in the spotlight? This is Fleshmarket close, between Cockburn Street and Market Street, famous for housing two great pubs - the Halfway House and Jinglin' Geordie. It's also a convenient shortcut between Old Town and the train station.

Also Cockburn Street

... and this is the slightly seedier side of Cockburn Street (see yesterday's picture) - with tattoo parlours and alternative fashion shops existing alongside restaurants, cd shops and a very nice wine bar.

Cockburn Street

This is the top of Cockburn Street (pronounce Coe-burn or risk getting laughed at), which runs between the Royal Mile and Waverley Bridge.

Fuchsia in Old Town

A late-flowering fuchsia in a small, damp courtyard in front of some mossy stones, somewhere in Old Town

Calotype?

No this is not a Hill and Adamson calotype - though apart from the bike it could have been one! This is a courtyard off the Canongate, a little haven of peace and quiet.

Money money money

Ever seen a note of £1,000,000? Well, apparently that and everything else you have always wanted to know about money is on show at the Museum on the Mound, which is part of the impressive HBOS Headquarters just off the Royal Mile. I confess I haven't actually visited it yet, apart from when the exhibition was still being put together (Mr Dido worked on the building's renovation and showed me every room, radiator and cleaner's cupboard just before completion!). One of these days we really ought to have a look. Oh, and it's free.