Sunday 22 August 2010

Edinburgh Days/Camera Daze........

A Scots 'close' is a narrow alley between tenement houses.
They run off the Royal Mile like ribs off a spine.
In old Scots a close might also be called an entry, wynd, court, vennal, gate or gait.

Hullo ma wee blog,

I recently posted some reflections on being in Edinburgh during the festival and said that I would have to take my camera in with me for a bit of a hoof about the sights of our wee toon in full tourist mode. Although the weather today wasn't the best to show off the town in, being a bit dull and overcast with only occasional glimpses of blue skies, I decided to give it a go as who knows what next week may bring. Although I didn't get round everywhere that I had hoped I took a fair few photo's and it should give some idea of what the place looks like just now. Hopefully I'll get a chance to catch the Grassmarket and Cowgate areas some time next week.

The population of Edinburgh doubles in August as visitors flock in to see not just a festival but the festivals, a there is the International Festival of the Arts, The Edinburgh Fringe Festival of music, theatre and comedy, The Edinburgh Book Festival and the Film Festival. The atmosphere is incredible with 2300 shows available through 3 weeks, 7 days a week just in the Fringe alone.























                                                                                     












































Writing workshop tomorrow which I'm looking forward to.

see you later.

4 comments:

The Scudder said...

Ha, so you found my old ancestor's close Al !
I have that picture in my collection too.
Andrew Crosbie, 1736 -1785, Advocate, Banker.
Lord Stowell who was Dr Johnson's travelling companion when he visited Edinburgh in 1773 said that Johnson was treated with a degree of deference bordering on pusillanimity and that Andrew Crosbie from Dumfries was almost the only one who had the courage to stand his ground against Johnson. He was the original for Councillor Pleydell in Sir Walter Scotts novels. He founded Lodge St Michael, Dumfries. He is buried in the family vault in St Michaels Churchyard.
My Mum was a jovial Crosbie too & would have molicated the bully boy Johnson .,., she was neither timid nor cowardly I can assure you !
Most of my Crosbie relations now live in the Aberdeen / Dundee area.

Scottish Nature Boy said...

Terrific pics Al - we probably won't make it throught ot the Fringe this year - too much else going on, so lovely to see all these images! nice post! Cheers, SNB

Scottish Nature Boy said...

Scudder - I always thought that Dr J must have been a bit of a bully - remember how he was portrayed by Robbie Coltrane in both Blackadder and then that BBC film with John Sessions as Boswell? I'm sure he was just like that! Well done to that old Andrew Crosbie! Are you related to Annette Crosbie too?

PS Al - did you partake of the "free hugs" on offer at the Fringe?

Alistair said...

So Scudder, that explains the curmudgeonly side of you perhaps......

SNB that would be telling!!!

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