Skywatch Friday - Calton Hill
A morning sky striking enough to make me stop for a photo on my long uphill walk to work on Monday. The highest tower with the sort of mast on top is the Nelson Monument, which is visible from ships on the Firth of Forth. From 1852 (tho with a gap of some years due to disrepair), a time ball has dropped from the mast at 1pm Greenwich Mean Time each day, originally as an aid to navigation.
The concertina glass roof on the left of the shot above is Waverley Station, Edinburgh's main railway station. Away in the distance are the Firth of Forth and the hills of East Lothian. One of the lovely things about Edinburgh is that you can see hills and countryside even from the centre of the city.
More skies from around the world are at Skywatch Friday.
I recognize the location names from the Rebus books - nice to see them. Thanks Linda.
ReplyDeleteGreat pictures Linda - especially that second panoramic shot. Rain has gone off now, but husband and dog got pretty wet on the evening walk. We really haven't seen many planes at all, so they must be heading over your way right enough. That was why that one seemed so unusual - took it from the M8 just after Livingston (not driving :)
ReplyDeleteA whipped cream sky.
ReplyDeleteTerrific captures, Linda! And I, too, especially love the second shot! It is truly breathtaking. And I love the tower silhouetted against the sky -- perfect! Hope you have a wonderful weekend! Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteSylvia
Yes Linda that is a big patch of Lily of the Valley ready to pop.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful to behold!
ReplyDeleteThese are lovely shots, Linda, and a nice bit about Edinburgh, too. I had no idea what a "time ball" might be, so looked it up. Now I've learned a little bit of navigational history and all before my morning cup of coffee, thanks to you.
ReplyDeleteGreetings from Alaska!
ReplyDeleteYou are so fortunate to have such an incredible view on your way to work. The clouds, in the wide angle, remind me of the clouds I use to draw coming out of house chimneys when I was a kid. Great capture. I'm off to check out your garden.:)
Thanks for bringing back happy memories of Edinburgh. I always meant to do some sight-seeing but some how I forgot half way down Rose Street.
ReplyDeleteGreat shots Linda. Interesting to hear about the time ball. I have often been through Waverley on the train so enjoyed seeing it from above.
ReplyDeleteGreat shots. Even in silhouette the sense of history is palpable.
ReplyDeleteWonderful photographs - increadible sky. I really like the expanse shown on the 2nd one. Interesting to see all the details in the foreground, the roofline, the railroad tracks, the cars, and the water & hills in the distance.
ReplyDeleteFirth of Forth always sounded so romantic to me...and I would love to see the bridge over it one day (http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.pre-engineering.com/resources/forth/images/Forth-Bridge2.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.pre-engineering.com/resources/forth/forthbridge.htm&h=970&w=1607&sz=282&tbnid=KI_Xar4pLDls9M:&tbnh=91&tbnw=150&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dfirth%2Bof%2Bforth%2Bbridge&hl=en&usg=__CW9xj9IViKH338P9P6oj_aSlXUM=&ei=VcnuS_rgFsaqlAeUsPm1CA&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=3&ct=image&ved=0CAoQ9QEwAg)...note the 2nd photo...fun demo on how the bridge works, I hadn't seen that before.
RE the boots - it's just cool fashion here (maybe less so with the younger set now)...what I like the most is seeing teens girls in short-shorts (they were hot pants in my day) with Ugg boots.
Amazing skies and thanks for the short history.
ReplyDeleteSmiles
Wonderful skies! The clouds are fluffy enough to sleep on.
ReplyDeleteConcerning your son's studies in aerospace engineering, I think that the ash cloud issue is just another collective panic that will blow over soon, like avian flu, swine flu or the millennium bug. I am probably a bit biased because I work in aerospace myself but I believe it is one of the very few engineering sectors that can still attract a reasonable level of investment and state funding.
its the second shot that got me. lovely
ReplyDeleteThese are beautiful skies and scenery for your morning walk to work! Nelson monument is impressive.That hill is a nice vantage point for photo shoots.
ReplyDeleteWell call me crazy but my favorite shot is the top shot!!! Love the silhouette look of the shot...with the light slightly reflecting off the building, defining the architectural details...lovely!!!
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