East Claremont Street

Neo-classical stateliness that is East Claremont Street, here on a map.

Sunset over George Street

Sun setting over George Street....

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".

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.

West End

A view of the West End of Princes Street - the main, though not the best, shopping street in New Town - as seen from the Mound. The church on the left is St Cuthbert's on the corner of Lothian Road. In the distance you see Costorphine Hill, home to Edinburgh Zoo.

A car in the New Town

Driving along Queen Street, the northern boundary of the original New Town, in easterly direction.

A Door in New Town

I took this picture just around the corner from yesterday's Circus Place, on Howe Street, as a typical example of a New Town door and facade. As you can see the road is sloping up quite steeply; in fact, most roads that lead south into the city centre slope up. Which is very useful to know if you aren't that great at orientation, because all you need to do is keep going up and you'll always end up in town without a problem!

Circus Place

Driving along Circus Place in New Town this morning, I noticed that despite the colder weather there are still plenty of autumn colours around. Like many of the green spaces in the New Town,

the Royal Circus gardens (either side of this road, see here) are only accessible by those who live around them and who have a key. Remember the scene from Notting Hill in which Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts try to sneak into a private garden? Same thing.

Where people live!

This is the corner of a street I once lived in, a bit further down the road. Gorgeous eh? Because so many people share flats, even professionals/couples etc, many get the chance to live in these grand Victorian flats (they're not houses but were designed as separate apartments) they would never otherwise be able to afford! One of the many nice features of these old flats can be seen quite clearly in this picture - the windows on the ground and first floor seem to have the original shutters still in place. I can tell you from experience that they can't be beaten on keeping out light and sound, and they help keep your room nice and warm in winter!