Another view of the Portuguese Cannon, atop of Calton Hill looking down Princes street
Scottish Parliament Building
The Scottish Parliament Building, at Hollyrood
High Street
Portobello Beach At twilight
Old Town From Regent Road
today I present to you, the very beautiful view from Regent Road – Obviously not taken today, as it’s awfy dreich… it’s pishin doon!
A great view over the Old Town, the dominant Arthur’s Seat and Salisbury Crags, with the Scottish Parliament peeping out the corner, the New Calton burial ground plus a fair bit more.
2017 Floral Clock
The floral clock for 2017 is complete, this year it commemorates the Scotsman newspaper bicentenary. It’s an actual working clock, with a new design each summer. see the bird house, every hour a wee cuckoo pops out and does her calling. – it’s awfy nice 😊 (you can find this in West Princes Street Gardens next to The Mound entrance)
Edinburgh’s Ross Bandstand architects shortlisted – BBC News
Link from the auld bbc – Seven shortlisted designs for the Ross Bandstand in Princes Street gardens. We all know this wee place needs some TLC, some of the designs are just a tad horrendous. But I do like the Flanagan Lawrence design
It is hoped a new pavilion to replace Edinburgh’s Ross bandstand will revitalise West Princes Street Gardens.
Source: Edinburgh’s Ross Bandstand architects shortlisted – BBC News
But here is a better page with the entries
https://competitions.malcolmreading.co.uk/rosspavilion/shortlist
Linlithgow Palace
Not in Edinburgh but very close, 15 miles from Edinburgh
here is a Panoramic view from the top of Lithograph Palace. in View also St. Michael’s Church, and Linlithgow loch
Linlithgow Palace
Full Gallery over at cludgie
Edinburgh Castle From St Cuthbert’s Kirkyard
Edinburgh has many Gothic and spooky locations, here is a shot of Edinburgh Castle taken from St Cuthbert’s Kirkyard. (with a sepia tone added). St. Cuthbert’s Kirk is thought to be one the oldest site of worship in Edinburgh.
The graveyard of the ‘Kirk below the Castle’ is an intrinsic part of the story of Christianity in Scotland from the Dark Ages onwards, and its establishment during the 8th century predates the first records. Despite its busy city centre location, the site feels secluded and secret.
Burns Night
As it’s Burns night here in Scotland, its time for a wee ‘Did ye ken’ haggis fact.
Wild Haggis’s left and right legs are of different lengths, this is useful as it lets the wee timorous beasties run quickly around the steep mountains and hills of the Scottish Highlands.
In fact legend has it, there are actually two species of Haggis one with longer left legs and the other with longer right legs. The former variety can run clockwise around a mountain while the latter can run anticlockwise. – This of course, is a true and factual statement.
So, time to raise a wee dram and address yer haggis :-
Fair fa’ your honest, sonsie face,
Great chieftain o the puddin’-race!
Aboon them a’ ye tak your place,
Painch, tripe, or thairm:
Weel are ye worthy o’ a grace
As lang’s my arm.
The groaning trencher there ye fill,
Your hurdies like a distant hill,
Your pin wad help to mend a mill
In time o need,
While thro your pores the dews distil
Like amber bead.
His knife see rustic Labour dight,
An cut you up wi ready slight,
Trenching your gushing entrails bright,
Like onie ditch;
And then, O what a glorious sight,
Warm-reekin, rich!
Then, horn for horn, they stretch an strive:
Deil tak the hindmost, on they drive,
Till a’ their weel-swall’d kytes belyve
Are bent like drums;
The auld Guidman, maist like to rive,
‘Bethankit’ hums.
Is there that owre his French ragout,
Or olio that wad staw a sow,
Or fricassee wad mak her spew
Wi perfect scunner,
Looks down wi sneering, scornfu view
On sic a dinner?
Poor devil! see him owre his trash,
As feckless as a wither’d rash,
His spindle shank a guid whip-lash,
His nieve a nit;
Thro bloody flood or field to dash,
O how unfit!
But mark the Rustic, haggis-fed,
The trembling earth resounds his tread,
Clap in his walie nieve a blade,
He’ll make it whissle;
An legs an arms, an heads will sned,
Like taps o thrissle.
Ye Pow’rs, wha mak mankind your care,
And dish them out their bill o fare,
Auld Scotland wants nae skinking ware
That jaups in luggies:
But, if ye wish her gratefu prayer,
Gie her a Haggis