Seagull on approach

Seagull landing in Newhaven Harbour.

Edinburgh on fire?

Apologies for not posting something a bit more recent - this picture dates from earlier this winter - but I've been so busy I haven't had much chance to pop out with my camera. This is the view from the rooftop of the National Museum of Scotland, looking west at sunset. It was taken minutes before the one of Edinburgh castle.

Victoria Park

This is a view of Victoria Park from Newhaven Road, with Victoria's son King Edward VII surveying the grounds on her behalf. The park itself was created in 1919 and was once known as Bonnington Park, after Bonnington Park House. It is now part of a Conservation Area that includes 'the Dudleys' and Summerside Place.

Spring is coming!!

Crocuses in Victoria Park.

Waverleygate

This is Waverleygate, on the corner of North Bridge and Waterloo Place. This wonderful classical building was once the General Post Office and went through a series of improvements in the 1890s, 1900s and 1960s but by the 1990s all post services had moved out and the building stood empty for several years. More recently it has been redeveloped into fancy new office spaces. Take-up has been slow, however, and I believe the building is still largely empty.

Arthur's Seat from Pollock

And to complete the series on Arden House; this is the view from the window of yesterday's room, or rather just in front of it on the lawn. The hill is of course Arthur's Seat, but seen from a more unusual angle.

Arden House

I simply had to share this with you; this is the drawing room in Arden House (for hire from the University) - downstairs from the Confucius Institute. It's beautiful!!

Confucius

I came across this guy yesterday when my colleague and I went on a tour of the University of Edinburgh's conference facilities at Pollock Halls. The Confucius Institute for Scotland promotes cultural and economic ties between Scotland and China. It is based in the University, on the top floor of Arden House - a stunning mansion with views over Arthur's Seat and the Queen's park.

Royal Museum Work in Progress

In my lunchbreak I walked past the Royal Museum - currently closed for major redevelopment - and noticed that the door to the East Wing was left open. This space is fondly remembered by many as the mammal hall with the elephants, giraffes etc etc. Looking quite a bit different at the moment!!

RSA on the Mound

The Royal Scottish Academy on the Mound, basking in the winter sun. Originally built as an art school by William Playfair in the mid-19th century, it is now used by the National Galleries of Scotland as its primary exhibition space.

Loving Memory

A lovely Edinburgh tradition; remembering lost loved ones by donating a public bench and putting it in a place that was special to them. This one looks out over Newhaven Harbour.

Buccleuch Place and Meadows

I took this photo a couple of days ago from the 11th floor of the David Hume Tower on the University of Edinburgh Campus, looking to the south-west. In the foreground is Buccleuch Place, part of the central University campus, with behind it the Meadows and the residential area of Marchmont (not -d) beyond that.

Crows in the snow

Two crows sharing a piece of bread in Newhaven Harbour this morning.

Roslin Glen Gunpowder Mill

On Sunday, Mr Dido and I went for a walk in Roslin Glen, a beautiful wooded area just south of Edinburgh. Nowadays, thanks to the Da Vinci Code, it is most famous for nearby Rosslyn Chapel, but back in the days of the Napoleonic Wars it housed the largest gunpowder mill in the country! The mill produced gunpowder from around 1804 until 1954. Today's photo shows the location of the large water wheel (between the two walls) which was used to power the factory - you can't quite see the river but it runs right behind it.

Pentlands

OK - I know that this is not strictly speaking Edinburgh, but it's not far off. This is in fact Saturday's sunset over one of the Pentland Hills, just to the south of Edinburgh near the village of Penicuik. This is a very beautiful area, and very easily accessible from the city - and it usually gets much more snow than the town itself!

Snow again!

Last night we had 1-2 inches of snow across Edinburgh - more than we've had so far, but not as much as some areas of England last week, where there has been widespread disruption (but then, they're really not used to it...). This was the view from the car on our way to work this morning; Arthur's Seat looking even more imposing than usual.

Over the coming days I'll post some more pictures of yesterday's beautiful snowy walk just south of Edinburgh.

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.

Accidental Art

I spotted this 'accidental art work' on the side steps of the National Gallery. It reminds me of a Roman senator addressing the masses. Can you guess what it really is?

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!

View of the beach

As requested, the view from yesterday's tenement building which is, of course, on the Portobello waterfront.

Beach house anyone?

Imagine: you wake up in the morning, stumble out of bed, open the curtains.... and look out over a sandy beach and the sea (well, estuary...) - how amazing would that be?!

Cool turret on Newhaven Road

Every morning I pass this little turret on the end of a terrace on Newhaven Road. I've been meaning to take a photo of it for ages; it looks even better with the dark clouds behind it!

Cold Monday

A frosty Monday morning... our car was cold too!

Addressing the Haggis

Today we celebrate Robert Burns' 250th Birthday - well actually, we did it yesterday (partly to give us a chance to sleep off the whisky and partly to have the party coincide with Mr Dido's birthday). We organised a proper Burns Supper at our house, complete with all the toasts and addresses. This is my good friend Alex addressing the Haggis, and doing so brilliantly!!

Portobello Baths

These are the Victorian baths in Portobello. They are being looked after by Edinburgh Leisure, and include a swimming pool, turkish baths and even normal bath tubs that you can use if you don't have one at home!

Seagulls on the beach

Another impression of a cold but bright Saturday afternoon on Portobello beach.

Portobello beach

Portobello beach (to the northeast of Edinburgh) also goes by the name of 'Edinburgh's Seaside'. Like many 19th-century seaside towns it has gone through some rough patches but the beach is still as lovely. We caught a few hours of sun here at the weekend, before the rain and gales set in. I'll show a few more pictures over the coming days.

Cold, cold January

So yesterday was supposed to be the most depressing day of the year? No money left after Christmas, no holidays in sight, no sunlight, hmm... well how about a nice cheerful picture to represent this particular state of mind!? (And no this picture was not taken as or converted into B&W...)

Ross's favourite graffiti

OK, one more then. I was walking past these on my way back from a meeting, together with a male colleague - who, incidentally, is much more of an expert on graffiti than I ever will be. Not surprisingly, his favourite was this one.

My favourite graffiti

This is my favourite bit of graffiti on the Potterrow wooden fencing (see yesterday's picture). As I am totally ignorant of these things I have no idea what it stands for or represents; I just like the shape and colours of it, and I also like how it stands out among the many tags.

Graffiti in Potterrow

This is the footpath from South College Street along Potterrow, in the University area just to the south of the city centre. Graffiti such as this is rare in Edinburgh's city centre, but here the walls and wooden boards along the pavement have been full of it for as long as I can remember. Great for colourful pictures on a dreary January day!

Students protest against war

Anti-war protest by students on Bristo Square, yesterday lunchtime.

That path...

Well after a bit of tweaking and testing the camera seems to be working again. Fingers crossed.

Not the most picturesque image today, but a topical one nevertheless. This is 'the path' where on 31 December 2008 some poor soul discovered the head of a woman in a blue IKEA bag.

Sorry!

Apologies once again for the long gap in posting. There's a problem with my camera in that it keeps turning itself off. At first I thought it was something to do with the batteries but it now appears to be the camera itself. (It's a Canon S5 IS if anyone has any suggestions!)

I took a few pictures on my sister's camera at the weekend so am waiting for them to come through to start posting again.

Lights in trees

I am feeling really rubishy today with a cold and sore throat, so I'm afraid today's picture is a stock photo I took a few months ago but never used! At the various festivals - summer or winter - Edinburgh's trees get lit up beautifully. At the moment they're taking down all the winter decorations... which is why January always feels much darker and more depressing than December!

Bonfire and Vikings

The torchlight procession (see yesterday's picture) ended on the top of Calton Hill where a large bonfire was lit by the Vikings of Up Helly Aa.

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!)

A Fresh Start

After an inexcusibly long absence, I am finally back! It may not surprise you that keeping up to date with the blog is one of my main New Year's resolutions.

Happy 2009 everyone!!

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.

Balmoral Hotel

Opened in 1902 as the North British Hotel, the Balmoral hotel is one of Edinburgh's most famous landmarks. It was originally a railway hotel and at 1 Princes Street it still towers over Waverley station. Its name and ownership changed after a refurbishment in the 1980s, but the clock is still always set a few minutes fast so that travellers don't miss their trains (except for at New Year when it is set accurately!)

Interesting fact: Edinburgh author J K Rowling finished the last Harry Potter book at this hotel. Rowling left a signed statement written on a marble bust in her room saying; "JK Rowling finished writing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in this room (552) on 11th Jan 2007".

Skating minister?

A lone skater on the Winter Wonderland icerink, following in the footsteps (skate marks?) of our own 'Skating Minister'.

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.

More Christmas decorations

Another shot of the Christmas decorations stall on the German Market! Have you decorated your tree yet?

P.S. I was very honoured to receive a mention as one of the "20 Awsome Photography Blogs - Edinburgh, Scotland".

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.

HBOS Takeover

On Friday it was announced that HBOS shareholders agreed with the takeover of their bank by Lloyds TSB. Shares fell by 23% but the HBOS headquarters on the Mound stood tall and proud, basking in the sun (OK this may have been the previous day...!).

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!

Victoria Primary School Fireworks

Earlier tonight I attended the switching on of the Christmas lights at our local primary school. It was lovely to see literally hundreds of people who had turned out to support the event and to watch the amazing fireworks!