I created this page after receiving from Cal Flyn a free copy of her book Islands of Abandonment published by WilliamCollinsBooks.com which reminded me of other photos I'd taken. Most appear on other pages on this website according to their physical location.
A view of the old rubber mill building from beside Dundee Street.
The Union Canal is on the right in this view towards Gilmore Park.
sanctuary
Now an art centre and Café Ink.
Nature doesn't take long to colonise derelict buildings.
1975/6. Shale bings near West Calder taken using infrared film. Edited again in 2013.
Looking south east toward the Pentland Hills from the top of the Broxburn bings. East Mains Industrial Estate can be seen at the right.
From their roof garden and windows the council workers have an excellent view of another, unplanned garden populated with wild bushes and trees.
Zooming in for a closer look at a mini (unplanned) nature reserve.
A wide angle view of the scene.
A few years ago a wind-blown seed lodged itself between the brickwork and the concrete slab. It's grown into a tree and cracked the concrete, lifting it by a few inches.
This was at the north end of the Polo Field near Laverockdale.
Previously photographed in 2010. It prevails 4 years later but I fear its days are numbered.
I stepped back to get the whole tree in. The infrared photo makes the blue sky very dark. The adjacent vegetation has been cleared, perhaps so surveyors could see what lies beneath...
In front of the array of huge advertising billboards which have been there for decades. Plant life reflects infrared light making grass and foliage appear white.
Nature doesn't take long to produce new growth of grass and weeds.
A similar shot from further away but zoomed in.
Nature thrives at the back of the advertisement hoardings. The building whose roof is visible has a Bean Scene coffee shop at street level.
The remains of Craiglockhart Castle
Growing beside the Radical Road path September 2018
Growing beside the Radical Road path September 2018
October fungus
Near Romanno Bridge
Near Romanno Bridge
Near Romanno Bridge
Near Romanno Bridge
Near Romanno Bridge
Despite the bare white quartzite rock and extreme weather, nature - on a small scale - does well here. This little unidentified mushroom / toadstool was about 3cm tall, growing on a patch of moss.
Bright orange colour caught my eye, exposed in the roots of this toppled tree beside the River Esk. The largest trumpet shaped fungus is about 5cm across. Also notable are the blue patches on the roots and sandy soil.
One of the many kinds of fungus which thrive under the damp trees in autumn.
Judging from its blackened interior, a fire has scorched the surface. Nevertheless (and perhaps because of this) the tree continues to thrive. A white fungus grows here.
A close up view of the white fungus.
Amanita muscaria, commonly known as the fly agaric or fly Amanita is a poisonous and psychoactive fungus. It'll either kill you or blow your mind. This little specimen, found in the woods overlooking Bonaly, had only recently popped out of the ground and still has soil sticking to it.
Fungus has got a hold on the bark of this tree. According to my searching the Wild About Britain website this fungus is Turkeytail or to give it its proper name Trametes Versicolor.
Photographed at Howe Dean in Blackford Glen. At first glance this fungus looks like apricots.
HD picture of some strange fungus growing on dead wood at the bottom of Howe Dean.
A wider view of the scene. The fungus resembles black fingers.
Near the bottom of Howe Dean a tree stump is being recycled by fungus.
Windblown seeds have taken root and sprouted in the cracks in the mortar, using sunlight and carbon dioxide and whatever nutrients they can find to grow into plants.
If this is a fern then it will have reproduced without sex, from a spore, not a seed.
Grass reflects the infrared light but the stones absorb it, creating this contrasty effect.
Back in Russell Road I photographed this grass which is thriving in the gap between the stone blocks and the concrete slabs on top.
Grass is doing well between some of the blocks lower down, too.
Ocean Drive and behind the mouldering wooden pier Ocean Terminal looms into view. PureGym and Debenhams signs are visible.
Further west along Albert Dock I noticed grass and weeds growing in cracks, ideal for infrared photography. (The cranes referred to above are at top right of this picture.)
Windblown seeds never miss an opportunity to germinate in damp cracks between paving stones.
Plant life reflects infrared light making it stand out.
My favourite shot of opportunistic grass beside Albert Dock.
A slightly wider shot showing more of nature's interactions with our constructs.
Unofficial pedestrian route to the next part of Albert Road
Albert Road heading WNW to the closed gate at Bath Road
Albert Road heading WNW to the closed gate at Bath Road (getting nearer)
At the right edge of the grey-painted building, peering over the wall into what's often called a 'hole in the ground' in Edinburgh.
It's interesting to compare this infrared shot with the previous photo. Nature has wasted no time in colonising the vacant plot.
This leafy lane connects Dundee Terrace to Angle Park Terrace. At the top of Henderson Terrace 4 storeys of flats perch on top of the Diggers pub.
Infrared photography shows the contrast between man's artefacts and plant life.
After noticing the plant life I returned another day with my infrared camera.
Nature encroaches on the corrugated iron roof.
The statue of Napier has been removed and weeds sprout from its plinth.
Nature has reclaimed the ground at this derelict building in the woods.
A mile east of Craigmillar are the twin outdoor shopping malls of Kinnaird Park and Edinburgh Fort, on the north and south sides of Newcraighall Road respectively. This 'Road to Nowhere' leads past the rear entrance to the Fort at its south west corner.
This picture is from the path on the left of the previous picture and shows what's hidden from view by the remants of this slag-heap. There's a large open area in a triangle between Edinburgh Fort, the A6106 road (The Wisp) and the Cleikiminfield and Wisp Green houses.
A few metres further on gives surprising views, considering this spot is adjacent to a huge shopping complex. Arthur's Seat is the hill in the distance. This industrial wasteland has some wild trees. It was deserted when I was there but I suspect that it's regularly used by NEDs on unlicensed, uninsured motor bikes.
Taken from the same standpoint but zoomed in for a closer look at the burned out car. The ruts worn into the mining waste will have been made by male adolescents on motor bikes. It would be nice if the area was landscaped and turned into a park that families could use.
The view south west shows The Wisp road on the left and the Pentland Hills in the distance on the right.
Zooming in reveals the pigeons on the broken roof. Trees now grow up beside the back walls, covering the metal-clad windows.
Also from Niddrie. Empty buildings stood for a long period and someone stencilled TOLERANCE on this one. Arthur's Seat is in the background.
A surreal landscape covering a large empty part of the city of Edinburgh. With property prices rising, this situation will not last. The old Craigmillar Primary School is at the right.
This was once someone's livingroom but is now a garden of weeds.
The ubiquitous rosebay willowherb adds a pink splash of colour to the untended greenery at the back of this block of flats and shops.
The east end of the building shown above. It's hard to tell if TOLERANCE was stencilled on this livingroom wall before or after the other walls disappeared.
Apart from the buildings shown here, the whole area has now been flattened mid-September. The clearance has opened up the views which I've tried to exploit here.
Mr Singh's optimism about the Fire Sale was unfounded; it never happened. But at least the building was used to display paintings by local artists. New, affordable homes built nearby had the name 'Parc' given to them. An occupant noted that this was 'Crap' spelt backwards...
The changing face of number 21 Niddrie Mains Drive.
Tanneries and paper mills once operated here; I once worked at a paper mill in nearby Juniper Green where cardboard was made.
This former industrial site has lain vacant for some time and the wall has been decorated with some colourful graffiti. December 2006.
Continuing west it's necessary to cross the top of busy Ardmillan Terrace to reach this overgrown bench at the entrance to North Merchiston Cemetery. Merchiston Townswomen's Guild provided the bench to commemorate their 21st anniversary.
At this rate the bench will disappear entirely...
Some time later I revisited this spot and photographed the ivy-covered bench in infrared.
Braid Hills Road and Braid Hills Drive are the same road. West of Braid Farm Road it's called Road rather than Drive. There's a slow battle between the rusting railings and the gorse bushes.
In some places rust appears to have eroded the iron railings completely leaving only traces under the thriving gorse bushes beside the footpath.
Looking east towards Liberton. Most of the north side of this road is lined with rusty railings and gorse bushes.
This picture taken in August 2013, one year later than the first batch above.
Obscured by ivy, these tombstones overlook the one in the foreground which hasn't yet vanished under a cloak of leaves.
I was so intrigued by this weird scene I took another shot from a bit closer.
Shot in colour and monochrome infrared for comparison.
Shot in colour and monochrome infrared for comparison.
Grass grows between the setts at the east end of W Bowling Green Street.
Previously photographed elsewhere on the website, this time in infrared.
Looking back (west) past the bridge sign in the previous picture.
Anderson Place as seen from W Bowling Green St.
A broad track leads to the Gunpowder Mills (featured on previous Local pages). This is the remnants of one of the outbuildings, currently being used to store timber for walkway repairs.
Looking up the channel down which water once flowed. The waterwheel stood vertically between the parallel walls. If you would like to know more about the Gunpowder Mill then there is a CD available. See Roslin Heritage Society for more information.
Stepping back a few paces reveals a wider view of the scene.
The criss-cross effect of the grass was never intended in this communal clothes-drying area. A crack or gap is all grass needs to thrive once the people have gone.
It's been some time since any gardening was undertaken.
Watch the 'tree' as we get closer... (Forth Crossing as seen from near Port Edgar)
Watch the 'tree' as we get closer...
Watch the 'tree' as we get closer...
The former RBS building at the corner of Dundas Street and Fettes Row