# Edinburgh - A Gothic Capital By The Volcano



## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

*Half a capital and half a country town, the whole city leads a double existence; it has long trances of the one and flashes of the other; like the king of the Black Isles, it is half alive and half a monumental marble. *

*Robert Louis Stevenson*

The story of Edinburgh is a story of two cities...and indeed two countries...The Auld Reekie and The New Town. One gloomy, claustrophobic, atmospheric...gothic...the other light, airy, stately, classical. For a long time the city was the centre of Scottish political and cultural life, and one of the most important cities in Europe. But then with the passing of the Acts of Union in 1706 and 1707 the parliament and the king decamped to the far away London...And the city went "quiet". Jeered and sneered at by other Scots, Edinburgh stood still in time. The city fathers tried to save the situation by commissioning 26 year old James Craig to build the model new city - New Town - the elegant playground for the rich. But it failed, by 1821 Edinburgh had been overtaken by Glasgow...It wasn't until 1990s that Irvine Welsh and the Trainspotting crew brought the city back to the worldwide attention. Rentboy and Spud running down Princes Street reminded the world that Edinburgh was still here, still kicking. And today more so than ever - with the return of the Scottish Parliament, birth of The Fringe and Military Tattoo, Edinburgh is firmly back on the European map. 

1. After 8 hours of nearly sleepless night on the Caledonian Sleeper train this was our first glimpse of the city. The gothic architecture and autumn foliage provided for an amazing sight.










2. The view towards the Old Town from the New Town. The building with two towers is Edinburgh's University's New College building, built in 1846. Sorry for the camera shake. 










3. The imposing Edinburgh Castle - no mere tourist attraction - it is still a working military site and the home of Edinburgh Military Tattoo. It is perched on an extinct volcano high above the city. The site has been occupied since the Bronze Age, however current buildings date onwards from 12th century.










4. Edinburgh is easily the most spectacularly located city in the UK. Here's the view over the rooftops of the Old Town towards the Salisbury Crags. Can you spot people making their ascent? 










5. Here's the Old College of University of Edinburgh. An imposing Georgian structure completed in 1791.










6. As we can see Old Town is still a place to live and work. Despite it being a UNESCO World Heritage Site there's quite a few modern constructions. Before settling for a hotel we thought of renting an apartment. Some of the ones we saw were quite amazing - bright, airy and modern.










7. The nasty monstrosity of Argyle House...ewwww....










8. The views from the little steps leading towards the Castle, Edinburgh has fantastic topography which offers many different views over the city.










9. The view towards the Grassmarket.










10. View from one of the many alleyways or as they are called in Edinburgh Closes. The massive building in the background is The Balmoral the luxury 5 star hotel built in 1902.










11. Wonderfully old buildings on West Bow.










12. George Heriot's School. 1693.










13. The view towards Castle Hill from the Castle Esplanade. Wonderful view!










14. A bit wider view. Note the mountains. The white building on the left is apartment block. Most cost quite a bit!










15. The view over the old town from the Castle Esplanade.










16. I returned towards the evening and done this 30 second exposure.










17. In the other direction...










18. Zoomed in...










19. Cowgate.










20. The view towards the Castle from Castle Hill. On the left is The Witchery - a luxury restaurant - with a gothic feel inside.










21. The Hub the offices and a performance space for the Edinburgh International Festival housed in former General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.










22. At dusk looking towards the Castle.










23. The Gothic wonderland. The inner-courtyard of the New College.










24. The Lawnmarket and some of Edinburgh's pretty tall tenements. Indeed Edinburgh together with Yemen's Shibam is the home to some of the oldest skyscrapers in the World. Some buildings reach 10 storeys high! I visited one of them. We shall see photos from there later on!










25. The side street at dusk.










to be continued :cheers:


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## openlyJane (Feb 3, 2010)

Great start!


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## paul62 (Jan 27, 2012)

:applause:Great stuff.:yes:


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

Thanks kay:


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## AbidM (Apr 12, 2014)

The lawnmarkets are leaning slightly, hauntingly beautiful I'd say.


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## skymantle (Jul 17, 2010)

great pics, one of the most beautiful cities in Europe and one of my favourites too...:cheers:


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## shik2005 (Dec 25, 2014)

Great pics!


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## Pedy (Dec 13, 2009)

Nice start!


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## diddyD (May 12, 2014)

Superb.


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

Great pics of this gothic city!


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

Thanks a lot, guys, for the kind words, but we need more comments, because comments are good. So comment and like. Yeah? 

 kay:


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## agus_southMVD (Feb 12, 2012)

Beautiful pics! Love the look of the city, really imposing. I also love it when you can see many layers of buildings of different styles and times forming compositions in the slopes of the city.

Fantastic.


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## gmacruyff (Oct 16, 2010)

The First photo is the view from Princess Street,the main street in Edinburgh!

Its also taken about 100m from the Balmoral Hotel,where J.K.Rowling wrote most of her Harry Potter books!


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## Benonie (Dec 21, 2005)

I always wanted to visit this northern pearl. Great stuff, looking forward to more pictures. :cheers:


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

agus_southMVD said:


> Beautiful pics! Love the look of the city, really imposing. I also love it when you can see many layers of buildings of different styles and times forming compositions in the slopes of the city.
> 
> Fantastic.


Thank you!

Definitely. I liked that as well. 



gmacruyff said:


> The First photo is the view from Princess Street,the main street in Edinburgh!
> 
> Its also taken about 100m from the Balmoral Hotel,where J.K.Rowling wrote most of her Harry Potter books!


What of The Elephant House? I thought that's where she wrote them?



Benonie said:


> I always wanted to visit this northern pearl. Great stuff, looking forward to more pictures. :cheers:


Do it.


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## Moschops (Jul 15, 2012)

gmacruyff said:


> Its also taken about 100m from the Balmoral Hotel,where J.K.Rowling wrote most of her Harry Potter books!


Pretty sure she finished the last chapter of the last Potter book in a suite in the Balmoral, but she was far too skint when she started to be able to afford to stay there. And seeing as she lives in Edinburgh, she only booked in to the Balmoral to make it a 'thing' that she finished the book there.



El_Greco said:


> What of The Elephant House? I thought that's where she wrote them?


The Elephant House is certainly the now-accepted venue of where the early stuff was supposed to be written but I'm pretty sure the first few times I heard the story of how as an impoverished single mum she used to sit in a cafe writing it was supposed to be a place on South Bridge that I can't remember the name of. I dare say it's entirely possible that there was more than one cafe she liked to go to...


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

^ Thanks for the insight, very interesting. My wife and I went to the Elephant House for lunch (we had lasagne ). The place was packed with Chinese and American tourists as well as local hipsters. The view from the windows is lovely as well, unfortunately someone was sitting just by the window with the best view, so I didn't take any photos as I didn't want to shove my camera in her face. Next time.

Lets continue.

26. After the lunch at the aforementioned Elephant House we want for a little walk in the neighbourhood. Here we have The Central Library built in 1890. I was studying old maps of Edinburgh and while most of the city has changed beyond recognition (thanks to those interfering busy-body Victorians), some places have remained more or less unchanged. This street - Candlemaker Row is one of them. The church spire we see here belongs to St Mary Magdalene Chapel built in 1544. It was financed by a certain Janet Rynd. It included accommodation for a chaplain and four poor men who's job was to pray especially for the Mary Queen of Scots.










27. Continuing down the Candlemaker Row. Wonderful skyline Edinburgh has. Very few cities have such great views from the street level.










28. Levels and levels. Fantastic. Candlemaker Row is famous as a home to the spooky and haunted (oh yeah!) Greyfriars Kirkyard. We will see photos from there later!










29. A nice modern addition. Sadly we didn't go up there. Next time I guess..? In the same courtyard I found an ancient doorway with Latin inscription (can anyone translate it?) - "Sedes Manet Optima Coelo 1638". 










30. The building on the left is City Chamber built in 1761. Although I bet it incorporated much older structure. It stands at whooping 10 storeys high. I went inside.


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Great, very nice photos from Edinburgh :cheers:


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## alexandru.mircea (May 18, 2011)

Gret stuff so far. I thought I had seen all the beautiful images and angles and this city has to offer but your pics make me feel like seeing it for the first time again. Cheers.


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

31. City Chambers. 10 storeys (one hidden from view at the bottom) + two storeys worth entrance. How many is that? 12? Pretty impressive! :nuts:










32. Inside City Chambers. Looking down from the top. Sadly the top windows are all stained glass so can't see the view of the city at all...










33. Warriston Close leading up to the Royal Mile.










34. There are many narrow stepped alleyways in the Old Town, here's Milne's Court.










35. Random closes.










36.










37. In the old days these alleyways heaved with activity as many entrances to the buildings were located off them. The tall tenements themselves housed all classes. There were poor in the basements or the garrets, the well off in the middle.










38. Advocates Close. You can see the hotel we stayed in on the right.










39. At night.










40. Milne's court again. It was built in 1692 by Robert Mylne, Master Mason to the King and soon became a fashionable place to live. Today it is a university hall of residence.


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## pozor (Jun 27, 2014)

Been there, I liked the city very much. :cheers:


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## Joe King (Oct 11, 2014)

Great pics! More please!


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

Thank you guys for the comments. I will upload more as I edit them!


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

61. Remember the apartment block on Castle Esplanade in photo 14? That's what the backs of them look like.










62. Hidden and atmospheric courtyard off the Canongate.










63. And yet another courtyard. This one is considerably larger and lined with elegant mansions.










64. Canongate Tolbooth. Once a courthouse, jail and a meeting place. Now a pub. 1591.










65. A graveyard of Canongate Kirk, behind it is the Canongate Tolbooth. It's all so deliciously atmospheric.


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## Phobos (Sep 14, 2003)

Undoubtely my favourite city in the UK.The photos are awesome as well :applause:


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## Antonio227 (Mar 10, 2006)

It's true what they say: there are few/none _persianas_ in the windows.










Totally understandable: the solar light is scarce.

Beautiful city, by the way. :cheers:


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

Thanks guys. Much appreciated!


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

66. The highly unusual and unique Canongate Kirk. Built in 1691 by James Smith. The Cross at the top seems to be framed by the head of a stag, anybody know what is that all about? 










67. Self explanatory.










68. John Knox House (the one in the middle) on the Royal Mile. It is reputed to have been the residence of the Protestant reformer John Knox. However the house was built in 1490 for Mossman family. "James Mossman remained loyal to Mary, Queen of Scots when she was exiled in England. He worked in Edinburgh Castle making coins for her supporters who held the castle on her behalf during the 'Lang Siege'. When the Castle surrendered in August 1573, Mossman was charged with counterfeiting, for which he was hanged, quartered and beheaded. The house was forfeit for the treachery, and was given in the name of James VI of Scotland to James Carmichael younger of that ilk". The house features many fine paintings and decorations and is famous for a great example of Scottish Renaissance painted ceiling.










69. The Royal Mile from a bus heading towards Leith. Maybe its Edinburgh's proximity to the sea or the fact it is autumn, but the weather was very changeable and the light amazing.










70. Apartments just behind the castle. I love how atmospheric Edinburgh is.


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## alexandru.mircea (May 18, 2011)

El_Greco said:


> 66. The highly unusual and unique Canongate Kirk. Built in 1691 by James Smith. The Cross at the top seems to be framed by the head of a stag, anybody know what is that all about?


Yes, it comes from the legend of Saint Eustace:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Eustace#Biography

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Albrecht_Dürer_-_St_Eustace_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

Oh thank you, very interesting. I spent many years studying the Bible when I was in art-school, but clearly there's still lots of things I don't know!


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## Moschops (Jul 15, 2012)

alexandru.mircea said:


> Yes, it comes from the legend of Saint Eustace:
> 
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Eustace#Biography
> 
> https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Albrecht_Dürer_-_St_Eustace_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg


Given that Canongate Kirk is only a couple of minutes walk from Holyrood Abbey, I'd reckon it's a reference to the story of how Holyrood got its name:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holyrood_Abbey#Etymology_of_name


> Rood is an old word for the cross which Jesus Christ was crucified upon; thus the name Holyrood is equivalent to "Holy Cross." Legend relates that in 1127, while King David I was hunting in the forests to the east of Edinburgh during the Feast of the Cross, he was thrown from his horse after it had been startled by a hart. According to variations of the story, the king was saved from being gored by the charging animal when it was startled either by the miraculous appearance of a holy cross descending from the skies, or by sunlight reflected from a crucifix which suddenly appeared between the hart's antlers while the king attempted to grasp them in self-defence. As an act of thanksgiving for his escape, David I founded Holyrood Abbey on the site in 1128.[3]


Of course, it's entirely possible that King David just nicked the Saint Eustace story and claimed it happened to him too!


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

71. The previously seen George Heriot's School. Built in 17th century.










72. The view of Merchant Street from George IV Bridge. The darkness in the distance is the Greyfriars Kirkyard. Are you scared yet? You should - it is haunted!










73. Greyfriars Kirkyard. The burials here have been taking place since 16th century and as such the cemetery has a great number of very old monuments, tombs and mausoleums. It also acts as a little oasis of calm in a busy city. It looked especially beautiful in the golden autumn sunshine.










74. Apparently the cemetery is haunted. In 1998 a homeless person broke into Sir George Mackenzie's Mausoleum for the night. Since then the cemetery has been an epicentre of what has been called the best documented paranormal phenomenon in the world. Between 1990 and 2006 there has been 350 reported attacks and 170 reports of people collapsing. Visitors reported being cut, bruised, bitten, scratched and most commonly blacking out. Some complained later of bruises, scratches and gouge-marks on their bodies. Most attacks and feelings of unease occurred in MacKenzie's Black Mausoleum. Things got so bad that in 2000 Edinburgh City Council closed off that part of the cemetery, although it has since been re-opened and is now one of the focal points of Edinburgh's many haunted guided tours.










75. Beautiful place.










76. I like cemeteries. No, I'm not a goth or something like that. My interest is that of aesthetics, symbolism and art. 










77. Greyfriars Kirkyard is easily the most impressive cemetery I visited. The monuments are simply amazing. While I do like Victorian cemeteries like Highgate and Abney Park there's something artificial and even banal about them, this one is more real and tells a lot about the mentality of 17th century people and their worldview.










78. Skeletons and skulls dominate. 










79. Behind those houses lies the cemetery. This one was taken from one of the buildings on George IV Bridge.










80. Hogwarts? No just a boarding school called Fettes College.










81. The famous monument to Greyfriars Bobby. A skye terrier who spent 14 years guarding the grave of his owner until he died himself on 14 January 1872. The little guy is buried in Greyfriars Kirkyard. The people of Edinburgh still tend his grave.










82. North Bridge.










83. The Old Town from Waverley Station.










84.










85. 










Well, this wraps up the tour of the Old Town. Next up - the New Town.

:cheers:


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## alexandru.mircea (May 18, 2011)

El_Greco said:


> Oh thank you, very interesting. I spent many years studying the Bible when I was in art-school, but clearly there's still lots of things I don't know!


Having studied art history, one thing I noticed how much of Christian art and culture does not build upon the Bible but especially on saints' lives and legends, upon religiously inspired poems, allegorical novels etc. There are shitloads of such litterature from the late antiquity (where visionary litterature dominates) to the late middle ages (when there's more focus on storytelling). Of modern writers, Flaubert has done extremely well with his forrays into this universe, with his pieces on Saint Julien the hospitable and on Saint Anthony and his visions. Also, besides all this, from the late middle ages on there's a lot of pre-Christian material that enters the scene with barely a Christian make-over.



Moschops said:


> Given that Canongate Kirk is only a couple of minutes walk from Holyrood Abbey, I'd reckon it's a reference to the story of how Holyrood got its name:
> 
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holyrood_Abbey#Etymology_of_name
> Of course, it's entirely possible that King David just nicked the Saint Eustace story and claimed it happened to him too!


That must be it, great shout! I'm no expert in Saint Eustace, but the Wikipedia entry helpfully points out to the fact that the essentials of the story of the conversion have been repeated for other characters (fictional or real) throughout history.


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## Moschops (Jul 15, 2012)

Some great photos there. By the way, this...



El_Greco said:


> 82. George IV Bridge.



...is North Bridge, not George IV Bridge. Easy mistake to make and all that!


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

Ha so it is, thanks for that! I fixed it.


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## Llinass (Oct 26, 2005)

Hope to visit this place soon. Quality set of pictures here.


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

alexandru.mircea said:


> Having studied art history, one thing I noticed how much of Christian art and culture does not build upon the Bible but especially on saints' lives and legends, upon religiously inspired poems, allegorical novels etc. There are shitloads of such litterature from the late antiquity (where visionary litterature dominates) to the late middle ages (when there's more focus on storytelling). Of modern writers, Flaubert has done extremely well with his forrays into this universe, with his pieces on Saint Julien the hospitable and on Saint Anthony and his visions. Also, besides all this, from the late middle ages on there's a lot of pre-Christian material that enters the scene with barely a Christian make-over.


Ha. I studied art-history too which is what got me into all the Bible stories. And in turn it helped me understand old masters better.



Llinass said:


> Hope to visit this place soon. Quality set of pictures here.


Megabus can take you there pretty cheaply! Thank you!


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## shik2005 (Dec 25, 2014)

Great sets of pics, fabulous city!


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

Thank you!

86. The New Town viewed from the Old Town.










87. Bute House in Charlotte Square, designed by Robert Adams and built in 1805. It contains the Cabinet Room, offices and conference, reception, sitting and dining rooms where the First Minister works, and where Scottish Government ministers, official visitors and guests are received and entertained. The second and third floors contain the private residence of the First Minister.










88. Different angle.










89. Charlotte Square in the glorious October sunshine!










90.










91. As befits Georgian creation the architecture of the New Town is uniform and mostly consists of grey terraces, although there's rather a lot of Victorian and modern buildings too!










92. Edinburgh Tram.










93. Wide grid streets. Edinburgh Castle in the background.










94. Victorian.










95. At the other end of George Street (the central street of New Town) is Charlotte Square's brother St Andrew's Square. Here it viewed from Harvey Nichols store terrace.










96. Looking towards the Firth of Forth.










97.










98. Salisbury Crags, Arthur's Seat and in the foreground left Dundas House a 1771 Georgian mansion which is now RBS head office.










99. Somebody likes to read. 










100. Looks good!


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## openlyJane (Feb 3, 2010)

Wonderful city. Fabulously situated.


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## gmacruyff (Oct 16, 2010)

El Greco! Hope you don't mind!


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

No worries. kay:


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

A little intermezzo before we wrap up the tour of Edinburgh with some shots from the Salisbury Crags and Arthur's Seat!

121. Museum On The Mound that focuses on money, coinage and economics. A wonderful Italianate building.










122. Looks like it just landed from Florence or somewhere like that. Beautiful.


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## AUTOTHRILL (Dec 12, 2009)

so so nice, and a wonderful effort from yourself. i visited edinburgh and glasgow this autumn myself, catching the last of the fringe, and scotland certainly left an impression on me too. 

just out of interest, what do you think are ten most beautiful uk cities, in order? id say edinburgh is deffo the most striking.


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## diddyD (May 12, 2014)

Gorgeous pics.


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

AUTOTHRILL said:


> so so nice, and a wonderful effort from yourself. i visited edinburgh and glasgow this autumn myself, catching the last of the fringe, and scotland certainly left an impression on me too.
> 
> just out of interest, what do you think are ten most beautiful uk cities, in order? id say edinburgh is deffo the most striking.


Not sure about the order but the list should include - Edinburgh, York, Bath, Bristol, Whitby, Lancaster, Oxford, Cambridge...



diddyD said:


> Gorgeous pics.


Thanks! 

:cheers:


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## AUTOTHRILL (Dec 12, 2009)

i love whitby too, the whale bones and the harbour are fantastic.


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

Ok let's finish the tour then! I left the pièce de résistance for last, of course. We are now going to go to the Salisbury Crags and then climb Arthur's Seat!

123. Scottish Parliament Building. Designed by Spaniard Enric Miralles and built in 2004. It is the symbol of new Edinburgh and new Scotland. After the absence of centuries Scottish politicians are back in Edinburgh.










124. Holyrood Palace and behind it is Leith and behind it still Firth of Forth.










125. Edinburgh from Salisbury Crags. The crags are a series of cliffs curving around Arthur's Seat.










126. Stunning!










127. The Castle and the suburbs!










128. 30 second exposure. Can you spot Forth bridges? 










129. No?










130. Balmoral Hotel and Waverley Station.










131. The walk along Salisbury Crags gets pretty hairy from time to time. 










132. Now the city from Arthur's Seat. Even though it is only 251 metres high getting up there is pretty tough and to reach the very top involves a slight scramble. A chance to acclimatise if you're heading for the Highlands. 










133. Look at those tiny people! It's a sheer 45 metre drop! Arthur's Seat is the largest part of the extinct volcano which makes up the Holyrood Park. Robert Louis Stevenson described it as "a hill for magnitude, a mountain in virtue of its bold design". 










134. The view in the other direction - towards 164 metre Blackford Hill.










135. Impressive stuff.










136. Edinburgh is simply stunning city...










137. On the way to Leith - Edinburgh's seaside. Once a harbour and centre for industry today it is home for boutiques, independent shops and Cables Wynd House - the home of Sick Boy from Trainspotting!










138. Leith riverside.










That's it. I miss Edinburgh already....Thanks for sticking around guys and thanks for your comments. Much appreciated.

:bow:


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## diddyD (May 12, 2014)

Very nice update.^


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## openlyJane (Feb 3, 2010)

A lovely, interesting set of pictures. Thanks!


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## Leongname (Nov 13, 2012)

El_Greco said:


> Ok let's finish the tour then!


quite pity. it's a really interesting and informative thread of Edinburg.



El_Greco said:


> I left the pièce de résistance for last, of course.


beautiful photos with fabulous views in all directions, but this I like more: http://i.imgur.com/7t53FXn.jpg


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## Benonie (Dec 21, 2005)

Beautiful! The city and the pictures. kay:


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## alexandru.mircea (May 18, 2011)

El_Greco said:


> 138. Leith riverside.


Ah, so frustrating to remember, when we went down to Leith we stopped and turned back just before reaching this place, which we didn't know existed.

On the plus side, we found an old church in Leith with an old courtyard / cemetery that was extraordinarily picturesque, and it also had the only squirrel we saw in our short trip there.


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

You only saw one squirrel? We saw lots of them! 

Thanks guys!


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## alexandru.mircea (May 18, 2011)

Glasgow made up for it. The old and hungry squirrel at the botanical gardens was the most aggressive I have ever seen! :lol:

Actually no, I did see another squirrel in Edinburgh proper in the Princess Street Gardens.


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

You should go to Hastings - it has the most aggressive seagull population I ever seen. We went there in June and watched in amusement as a thuggy bird robbed a bunch of German teens off their snacks!


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## gmacruyff (Oct 16, 2010)

El_Greco said:


> You should go to Hastings - it has the most aggressive seagull population I ever seen. We went there in June and watched in amusement as a thuggy bird robbed a bunch of German teens off their snacks!


Aberdeeen is the seagull capital of the world!

p.s.El Greco has created a great thread,so it would be good for other people to download there Edinburgh snaps on here! Keep the thread going!


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

Thank you, thank you!


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

:banana:


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## capricorn2000 (Nov 30, 2006)

quite interesting capital city...and the castle atop the crag is awesome. do you have any interior shots?


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