Edinburgh 9. National Galleries

I completed my last day  doing the sights in Edinburgh with a visit to the 
Royal Scottish Academy Building and the National Gallery of Scotland - interesting buildings and interiors plus some great art.

Edinburgh 8. Walk to the Castle

My last day in Edinburgh and a walk from my B&B in West coates through Princes Gardens with its wonderful fountain up to the Castle. The Old Town is full of alleyways and steps. As expected my favourite view was from the Castle entrance back across to Arthur's Seat with all the tourists milling around in the forecourt. 

Edinburgh 7: Scottish Parliament Exterior

The rainy conditions suited photographing the exterior of the building with its mix of metal and concrete. The branching tree motifs on the concrete walls are part of the architect’s “sitting in the land” vision with Scottish wildflowers, trees, shrubs and water adding to this ambition.

Edinburgh 6. Scottish Parliament Interior

From the outset, the building and its construction were controversial, scheduled to open in 2001,it did so in 2004, with an estimated final cost of £414 million, many times higher than initial estimates of between £10m and £40m. Enric Miralles, the Spanish architect who designed the building, died before its completion.The building aimed to achieve a poetic union between the Scottish landscape, its people, its culture, and the city of Edinburgh. The Parliament Building won numerous awards including the 2005 Stirling Prize. Here some interior shots - Barry, its exterior with its abundance of concrete will follow. 

Edinburgh 5. Glasshouses Botanic Gardens

Unfortunately, the Palm House was not open so it was straight into the tropical zones and hence misted up cameras. I got impatient waiting for the lens to clear so the first few images are (in the words of my school reading - never forgotten) “through a glass darkly” i.e. to have an obscure or imperfect vision of reality. the last two are double exposures.