Newington and the South Side

The Veterinary College is on the left, Sciennes is on the right. New houses have been built since Bertram's Foundry closed some years ago.

St Katherine's Works, Sciennes, Edinburgh is no more. I bought the rubber stamp from a junk shop which existed for a while in the former 'steamie' (public laundry) in Causewayside.

Where the houses in Summerhall and Sciennes Place meet there's this strange corner with assorted windows crammed together.

A few paces to the north shows the grassy triangle at the rear of Summerhall and some basement windows. These two pictures taken in 2009.

Innocent Railway Tunnel cycle-path, St Leonards end. Holyrood Park Road passes overhead. Pollock Halls student flats are across the road.

I decided to climb Arthur's Seat in an attempt to get above the mist.

This was how Millars confectionery factory looked in 1984, from the back of 166 Causewayside. This was where they made their brand of peppermint imperials called Pan Drops.

A wide view of the scene in the last picture.

A close-up of the brick tower.

From the same viewpoint as before but with a standard lens. Two employees are standing on the roof. Blackford Hill and the Pentland Hills are in the distance.

This is in the north west corner of the square, behind Marshall Street. The painted-on advertisements were still legible last time I looked.

How it looked in 1979. It will be rather smarter now.

A similar view 26 years later. The Flodden Wall has been around rather longer than that.

An old arched entrance has been closed up but fitted with a wee door and a tiny barred window, too high to see through.

Smoky chimneys, late '70s. Montague St, Rankeillor St & The Meadows are visible.

The road surface caught the attention of my wide-angle lens this day. Looking north towards Carnegie Court.

It's hard to believe that these are steps to a Royal Park. This area looks rather different nowadays.

A short time-exposure captures the wet cobbles in St Leonard's Street. The street on the right is Montague Street.

The Pleasance as seen from Calton Hill through a long lens. Photographed in the '70s as were the two previous pictures.

St Patrick Square, next to the Odeon Cinema. This picture is of the east side, part of the main road. Edinburgh Bargain Store occupies this site in 1999, twenty years after I took this photo.

The only changes in this street since the early '70s are the cursory coating of tarmac and the trees which have since sprouted. High up in the distance are Salisbury Crags and the Radical Road.

'Wash House' was deemed politically incorrect and subsequently changed to 'Laundry'. It hardly mattered anyway; this was actually a 2nd-hand furniture and junk shop for a while.

A favourite haunt of skateboarders but this guy's wearing aggressive inline skates and is more graceful (and quieter).

The first of three early wide angle shots attempting to capture the grand interior of this familiar building.

More of the ceiling is visible here.

The organ. On this Open Day, members of the public had the chance to play.

A worm's eye view of part of the square, looking east along Crichton Street towards the Edinburgh Mosque and Islamic Centre.

The decorative surface of the '60s (?) tower block called the Appleton Tower is dropping off.

At the north east corner of the square looking south.

A later picture of the south west corner of George Square.

Another worm's eye view of the north side of George Square, this time showing the irregularly shaped setts or cobblestones of the pavement.

Between Bristo Square and Old College, at the rear of Edinburgh Festival Theatre. The fence here had some eye-catching graffiti.

This whole area was demolished and the road layout changed in the '60s. Until further developments occur, the images here remain.

This image is particularly well painted and features a guitarist and a woman traveller.

Zooming in on the above picture reveals more detail. The guitarist and woman could both be Jamaican.

This image seems to me to resemble a college professor singing karaoke.

South College Street is behind, long since disconnected from Lothian Street. A pedestrian underpass connects Charles Street and West College Street.

The long established Medical Herbalist at the corner of Bristo Place and Teviot Place.

It's not every day you see a smartly dressed rabbit sitting on a chair in a shop window.

Just across the road from Napiers and in front of the McEwan Hall is this paved area much favoured by skateboarders.

A later picture of Bristo Square taken from the opposite corner. McEwan Hall is up the steps behind the square.

[There's no time - no time like this] is the conclusion drawn on this particular wall.

The redundant apostrophe is the only reason for this picture's presence. A dyslexic sign-writer..? This was opposite the Odeon Cinema in Edinburgh's Clerk Street.

An old black and white picture. I just like the geometry.

Both the police station and Salisbury Crags feature in Ian Rankin's Inspector Rebus books. This is the view along Rankeillor Street from Clerk Street.

If you go east via The Meadows' Melville Drive then this is the view which greets you at the end. Bernard Terrace lies ahead, connecting Clerk Street to St Leonard's

This is how it looked through a wide angle lens when the National Map Library Of Scotland was still a hole in the ground.

The Police Station is near here so it's unlikely that there's a disturbance at the pub - which seems to be closed for business anyway.

Round the corner, looking towards St Leonard's Street.

The entrance to the former James Clerk's High School. Its elevated position means that homes in this converted building have stunning views.

This little cul-de-sac is a nice entrance to Holyrood Park for walkers. An early glimpse of Salisbury Crags through a gap in the trees.

The junction of Newington Road and East Preston Street.

Looking north from the Queen's Hall towards St Patrick Square. Montague Street and Rankeillor Street are on the right hand side.

A pleasant residential street close to Cameron Toll shopping precinct. Photo taken from the gardens separating it from Liberton Road.

This is the Playfair Library in Edinburgh University's Old College.

A look at one of the shelves shows bound volumes of official records of the Human Rights Committee.

A closer look reveals more detail of the diamond shaped leaded glass and its ornamentation.

A few yards away from the Playfair Library is a less permanent display of creative efforts, painted on the fence where Lothian Street meets Potterrow.

Winter morning sunlight catches the Queens Hall entrance and its clock tower which points into a pink sky.

Taken from the other side of the road from the Queens Hall facing St Patrick Square. One eighth of a second exposure on a Sony DSC-U30 2 Megapixel camera.

A similar twilight shot as above but at the east end of Melville Drive facing the Lion's Head of Arthur's Seat. The tall building was part of the Royal Dick Vet

Sad to see them gone to the Bush Estate. The box-shaped building on the left should perhaps be demolished as it's out of character with all the surrounding ones.

At the south west corner of the Newington Road / Minto Street / Salisbury Place / Road junction.

Another after dark shot, this time of the blue lights belonging to a computer shop.

Clerk Street in Newington on a Sunday morning (Sept '04). There are no parked cars visible but there are two taxis, double-parked outside Greggs at the Queens Hall bus stop, forcing buses to stop in the middle of the road, straddling the white line.

This is how Clerk Street would have looked if the taxi drivers hadn't double parked at the bus stop.

It's the same road facing opposite from near Gifford Park (opposite Rankeillor Street). Montague Street and Bernard Terrace are the 2 side streets visible here.

The clock tower of Queens Hall stands over the tenements. A signpost points the way to Glasgow, starting along Melville Drive through The Meadows.

At the top of hotel-lined Minto Street is this junction where the number 5 bus turns to and from Churchhill and Morningside.

I took 3 long-lens shots to pass the time whilst waiting on a bus. The shiny metalwork decorated with sun, moon and stars caught my eye.

The dome of Edinburgh University Old College 1.28km distant is in the centre of the picture. The nearer steeple on the left is Queens Hall, 0.5km away.

The background of rooves and chimneys is blurred here. A 29 bus heads from The Bridges area to Gorebridge, south of the city.

Autumn colours in the sunshine at the side of the Scottish Widows building, opposite the Commonwealth Pool at Holyrood Park Road.

Just off The Meadows is this unusual building with two front doors. Much of the property in this area belongs to Edinburgh University.

Charming old houses at Meadow Lane

Bristo Place which leads southeast from George IV Bridge used to continue straight on at a crossroads into Bristo Street, demolished and replaced by Bristo Square and Crichton Street carpark

The same spot revisited about 25 years later. It's a slightly wider view showing the left hand carriageway. Just beyond Brighton Street on the left, there used to be a shop called Baird's that sold me nitric acid and other dangerous chemicals when I was a boy, as long as I had a note from my mum.

A splash of orange colour brightens up an otherwise bleak view at the crossroads.

This cobbled lane leads up from Chambers Street to South College Street. A bridge connects Old College on the left to the museum on the right.

Montague Street has been pronounced 'montaygay' (with the emphasis on the 2nd syllable) by locals for many years. The long x10 zoom lens seems to flatten the perspective and give the image an isometric appearance.

Just north of Montague Street is Rankeillor Street. The LRT double decker bus is in Clerk Street having just passed the lane known as Gifford Park. This area has many student flats being close to Old College and other parts of Edinburgh University.

I remember this establishment as a coffee bar in the '60s but it's been a pub called Doctors for a few years now.

Oddfellows Hall used to have stalls buying and selling records but these days it's the Fat Cow pub.

Infrared photo of Oddfellows Hall taken in May 2014.

Monster Mash has been here for a while. "We did the Mash, the Monster Mash" sang Bobby Boris Picket in 1962. I prefered Vivian Stanshall's effort for The Bonzo Dog Doodah Band.

This long lens shot clearly shows the missing outer cladding.

A fisheye view of this university building on the south east corner of George Square.

The sunlight picks out the rough texture of the stone.

Another view from the north end at the corner of Buccleuch Place.

A wide angle view of this multi-storey tower.

Looking down on this street from the top of Salisbury Crags. The Meadows public park is in the background.

Some functional looking plumbing which has the appearance of being added later.

A misty morning at this street in 2008. Potterrow's appearance has changed drastically since Parker's Stores was here.

The other side states POLICE BOX ART GALLERY. It wasn't open for business when I passed.

As photographed on a sunny day.

Saint Leonard's Street goes up the slope on the right. To the left is Parkside Street which normally affords a view of Salisbury Crags and Arthur's Seat.

The same view when it wasn't misty. Arthur's seat has caught the November sunshine.

Picture taken at the north west corner of the square, near the footpath to Middle Meadow Walk. This part of George Square survived the destructive madness of the '60s and thus we can still admire the interesting stonework.

At the north east corner is the University of Edinburgh's Psychology Department.

Potterrow Port, the pedestrian subway connecting Bristo Square to the corner of South College Street and West College Street at the back of Old College.

The ever-changing graffiti adorning the fence at the east side of Potterrow. (In August 2012 the fence was being removed.)

Two parking attendants walk towards the open mouth of the woman - whose image has an unusual photographic quality.

Unkind motorists might think the writing-on-the-wall is appropriate for parking attendants, but without these guys the city would soon be at a standstill.

School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences at 3 Charles Street.

The atrium of the new Informatics building September 2009.

At the junction of Bristo Place on the left and Forrest Road on the right is this corner of a triangular city block. Teviot Place forms the south side

Across the road is Bristo Port which may serve as a back entrance to the museum.

A longer focal-length lens captures the painted legend on the side of the building as well as the quaint, triangular window that juts out over the lane. The dark lane contrasts with the white museum bulding in the winter sunshine on New Year's Day, 2013.

The graffiti seems to depict a happy relationship between different races, the clue being the central heart. The dude with the hat reminds me somehow of Keith Richards.

A clear blue sky and no-one around - ideal opportunity to grab a quick snap of McEwan Hall.

Autumn foliage on this tree at the north west corner of George Square Gardens. Salisbury Crags are in the far distance.

Interesting architecture as seen from Middle Meadow Walk.

George Watson's Ladies College formerly occupied these premises in George Square.

The perennial problem of vehicles parking on the pavement The slabs, supported by a bed of sand, crack easily. Consequently pedestrians trip and fall and some sue the council.

The corner at the far end of the previous photo, as snapped by Autographer from upstairs on a number 23 bus.

The Friendship Centre's paint job lingers on the stonework above these two cafes opposite Nicolson Square.

At the western end of Nicolson Square. The road connects to Potterrow at Marshall Street. Just out of shot to the right are Nicolson Square Gardens and public toilets.

A fisheye view of the westmost corner of Nicolson Square.

A few metres further south is this Bingo Hall, once the La Scala cimema.

The Pear Tree pub garden is a nice place for a refreshing glass of beer.

Here you can see the tree which adorns the front of the building. West Nicolson Street is behind the wall to the left.

The name sounds grand, corner of Roxburgh Place and West Adam Street - but the prefabricated concrete structure is ugly and stark.

I had to rotate my camera to squeeze it all in, even with a wide angle lens. I wanted to capture this colourful construction built into a basement for reasons unknown.

Facing east down the street for a different look at the psychedelic paintwork.

Looking into the old railway tunnel from its east end, near the nature reserve at Duddingston Loch.

This is the view down one of two paths leading down to the path from the road to Duddingston Village. The other path is less steep and better suited to cylclists. To the right of the path is Prestonfield Golf Course and the Wells O' Wearie.

Zoomed in here from the same viewpoint. A lone cyclist is approaching, having come from the Duddingston Road West end of the path.

Here you can see more of the steeper path as well as a little bit of the road above. The next 2 pictures have been copied from Edinburgh East for completeness.

This is at the east end of the long, straight, flat section from Duddingston Road West along the south side of Duddingston Loch. There's information about the railway and this bridge over the Braid Burn in the next picture.

Image shrunk in size but the small text is still legible. If reading in a web browser then it's necessary to zoom in to read all the text but it's full of interesting history.

Looking west up the gentle slope towards the tunnel. The geological feature known as Sampson's Ribs is up on the right behind Queen's Drive.

Inside the Innocent Railway Tunnel.

Trees photographed in infrared at the back of the Commonwealth Pool. The camera was facing southwest.

Previously photographed in infrared but I was keen to repeat the exercise, knowing how it would appear.

A more recent picture of the entrance to the Innocent Railway Tunnel where it passes below Holyrood Park Road. You can see the red top of the pillar box shown below.

A fine example of a Victorian hexagonal pillar box near the entrance to Holyrood Park.

Roughly half way through the Innocent Railway Tunnel is this amusing graffiti.

One of Edinburgh's fine red sandstone buildings, the Royal Hospital for Sick Children.

The east side of the Sick Kids building as photographed from the adjacent Sciennes Primary School.

Sciennes Primary School as seen from Sciennes Road.

Grateful thanks to Lucy Gallagher for inviting me to take photos from this (east) fire escape as well as its companion on the west side. The rear of the west side of Livingston Place is in view.

Looking back at the fire escape door from where the previous picture was taken.

Looking down to the gardens at the back of Livingstone Place.

Salisbury Crags can be seen to the left of Arthur's Seat.

Zoomed in for a view over the rooftops to Salisbury Crags.

Zoomed in yet more with Arthur's Seat in the background.

I believe the green spire belongs to another primary school at the top of East Preston Street.

From the west fire escape Edinburgh Castle is visible to the north west. In the centre of the picture is Quartermile at the old Royal Infirmary.

Also from the west fire escape this is the view north. Behind the concrete university library building stands the dome of McEwan Hall.

The main road connecting Newington to Churchhill passes along The Grange, one of Edinburgh's leafy suburbs. It starts off as Salisbury Road then Grange Road, Beaufort Road, Strathearn Road, Strathearn Place, Churchhill then Churchhill Place.

Marchmont Rd is to the right of the corner; Strathearn Rd is to its left. This is a busy crossroads, being part of the Grange Rd route Salisbury to Morningside at Churchhill.

Diagonally opposite the corner in the last photo is Grange Cemetery. This west view is towards St Giles Parish Church on Kilgraston Rd. The central stone structure with the driveway on top is 180m long.

The stone structure, built from red sandstone, contains dark tunnels and tombs. This is an east view from the central stairway.

Facing west from the same standpoint as the previous picture.

Before investigating the tunnels, I backed off for a view looking south through the centre towards Dick Place.

Two sets of three pillars are on either side of the tunnel entrance, and each set has a face carved into the stone beside it.

On the right is a woman's face wearing a disconsolate expression as befits someone whose nose has been disfigured.

The bearded man on the left looks more resigned to his fate, although his nose has been chipped too.

Just inside the entrance. Two tunnels branch off left and right.

Peering into the left tunnel...

Past the barred gate some sunlight filters through openings.

These tunnels would not normally be accessible. There were some workmen in the cemetery and they use the space for storage of tools and equipment.

At the south end of the central tunnel looking back towards Beaufort Road, the middle part of the Grange Road / Strathearn Road link from Newington to Churchhill.

Green ivy leaves swamp their stone likenesses on this tombstone.

An impressively different stone carving graces this tomb.

This vertical shot shows more detail including the fruit borne by this palm tree made of stone. Just beyond the wall, countless passengers on the upstairs deck of the number 5 bus will have glanced over the top totally unaware (as I was) of this intriguing memorial.

Mortonhall Road in the Grange photographed from Blackford Hill.

Pitlsligo Road has had some changes in 2009. New luxury homes have replaced former sheletered housing, and opposite there the former BT (British Telecom) premises have been vacated.

Kilgraston Road is a continuation of the route from Kings Buildings via Blackford Avenue. It goes north up this slope to Marchmont Road. The lodge house pictured here has the EP logo on its gate, short for Esdaile Park.

An atypical vehicle for The Grange, even in its main north-south route of Blackford Avenue.

A van with 'attitude' - it spells out its attitude with this 'PARKING SHMARKING NOTICE'. It continues with a claim that there's a method of avoiding parking tickets...

Built in the Scottish Baronial style of architecture and subdivided into individual houses.

I'm not giving directions to Lover's Loan because the sign has been stolen in the past.

Photographed from Buckstone Snab using a Fujipix F770 compact superzoom camera.

June 2014 - I revisited the Grange with my infrared camera. This is at the junction of Kilgraston Road, Strathearn Road and Marchmont Road.

In the Grange Cemetery I was struck by this headstone for Ann Drysdale which may possibly feature her likeness.

A general infrared view of the cemetery which is well maintained in comparison to other ones in Edinburgh.

Dalry, Warriston and other cemeteries have this sort of architectural feature, generally with a footpath along the top.

A closer look at the right hand stairway.

Scanned from my negative

Scanned from my negative