Edinburgh's Calton Hill In A Fog

There are truly moments that are captured that boil down to being in the right place at the right time. After my Highland jaunt, I had a few nights... more

by Mark Tisdale

Title

Edinburgh's Calton Hill In A Fog

Artist

Mark Tisdale

Medium

Photograph - Photo Art

Description

There are truly moments that are captured that boil down to being in the right place at the right time. After my Highland jaunt, I had a few nights in Edinburgh before heading home and as it was very much the off-season, I splurged on a hotel with a bit more of a view than I normally would. And on that first night back in Edinburgh, I arose from my slumber and looked across the way to Calton Hill and this was what I saw!

You can only imagine how immediately awake I was as I started digging for my camera gear. The dense winter fog mixed with the lights on Calton Hill as truly magical! Don't you love how fog has the power to make a moment quiet and mysterious all at once? I'm still stunned by it every time I get the chance to capture foggy moments like this.

For those who are less familiar with Edinburgh's geography, this is a portion of Calton Hill, one of the main hills in Edinburgh, adjacent to Prince's Street. And the structure that looks for the world like an old medieval castle is actually all that remains of the Old Gaol (or jail) in Edinburgh. It's a 19th century structure known as the Governor's House and all that remains of the old jail which was demolished in the 20th century. The obelisk beside it is the Political Martyr's Monument and is in the midst of the Old Calton Burial Ground. Knowing that's an old cemetery kind of lends a more eerie feel to the moment, doesn't it?

Still, seeing this just makes me want to return to Edinburgh and climb Calton Hill once more. It's been too long for me since I stood on the streets of that beautiful old city.

Uploaded

August 4th, 2013