I spend a lot of time in Edinburgh for work, as that’s where our global headquarters are.

There’s a lot to like about the city they call Auld Reekie. Like the rich, thick, yeasty smell of the breweries that hangs over the centre of the city; or the awesome architecture of the Old and New Towns, including some wonderful tightly-packed medieval stuff and grand Victorian-era imitation Greek stuff.

The pubs, too, are great, with the typical Edinburgh pub being old, wooden-panelled, comfortable, quiet, and home to numerous good real ales. Being something of an “old man” when it comes to pubs, I much prefer Edinburgh to Glasgow’s somewhat pretentious bar scene. When I lived in Glasgow and told my Weegie friends that I liked a certain pub there because it was “very Edinburgh”, eyebrows would generally be raised.

On the other hand, stuff not to like include the huge crowds, the terrible traffic, the tourists, the hideous parliament building, and the fact that most of my visits seem to be preceded by the gruelling 0645 train from Inverness.

Oh yes, and the bloody Festival. Words simply cannot describe how much I despise the Edinburgh Festival.

Anyway.

I was down the road yesterday and today (Friday), and as I walked from my friends’ place to the office this morning, there was the most sensational sunrise over Calton Hill. I adjusted my route to what I thought would give me a better view so I could take a photo, but alas I ended up getting lost and by the time I found the hill again, there were too many buildings in the way.

There’s always next time. In the meantime, you’ll have to make do with this handful of shots – some from the train down yesterday morning (that good old 0645) and some that evening from Princes Street.

I’m now nearing my 1,000th photo on Flickr… I wonder what it will be of?