Edinburgh is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, without a doubt. Currently filling up with camera-toting tourists, there are plenty of things to click away at. Here are some photos I've taken over the years showing some of the best views you can find here. This is St Mary's Episcopal Cathedral in the West End. Consecrated in 1879, it's tightly symmetrical three-spired shape is one of Edinburgh's many landmarks. It's also one of the few that isn't lit up at night, so it sits there looking Gothic and menacing. You get a tremendous view along Melville Street at dusk, when St Mary's is dramatically silhouetted - I walk past it every night and always look up.
You know Christmas is approaching when the big wheel is bolted together next to the Scott Monument. I've never actually been on it - I'm not quite sure why - but I suppose I should one day. It only takes a day or so to erect, and they always carefully hang a tarpaulin over the Princes Street pavement underneath to stop youthful riders plopping things onto passing pedestrians. It looks nicest illuminated, with other fareground-type attractions nearby, and the ubiquitous German Winter Market and ice-rink (which I avoid after my accident in Boston).
This is the best of all Edinburgh views, taken on a walk over the Bridges at the East End. Any time you get a colourful sunset, this is the place to stand. It's almost the same you get exiting Waverley station - I've seen people arrive in the city to this view and stand there gasping, or fumbling for their camera. On the far left is the spire of the original Parliament Building church, then the Bank of Scotland building, and then the castle sprawling down the hill. On the right is the Scott Monument with the Christmas ferris wheel, and in the foreground the glazed roof of the station.
The Meadows is the place to be on a sunny afternoon, there are times when you'd struggle to get a few square feet to yourself on this part. The large tenement flats of Warrender Park line up behind - I used to live to the left of this picture down the street a bit. Because of this I never went in our garden, we never needed to - a short frisbee throw away was this fantastic park. Very much the student area, I used to see them carrying sofas out of their flats and wandering to the Meadows for a hard day's drinking. There are signs up everywhere forbidding barbecues, but after a hot day there are always tell-tale scorchmarks on the grass.
The Dean Village in winter. It used to be a grain milling settlement along the banks of the Water of Leith (the name comes from 'Dene', meaning deep valley). I've written about this a few times, but it's a great part of the city few tourists find. We don't usually get much snow in Edinburgh as the central highlands and west coast get most of it, but when it arrives the Dean Village looks even more picturesque. The mills lasted here for over 800yrs, and the buildings still exist today, converted now to houses and fancy flats.
No prizes for guessing the most photographed building in the city. The castle dominates the landscape - I see it when I leave my flat in the morning, and I can still see it when I get to work several miles away (if I nick up to the top floor and stare out of the window). One of the UK's most popular tourist attractions, I think now it costs something like £13 to get in, so the National Trust Free Day last year - where all their historic buildings drop admission costs - had people queueing up in the hundreds to get in. Not me though, I went about 10yrs ago and spent the day there. It's a good day too, lots to see. But I prefer looking at it from the outside - and of all the many views, this is my favourite - straight up at the retaining walls, from the Grassmarket.
