Calton City Lights

This layered city view looks across Edinburgh to the distinctive Calton Hill skyline from Corstorphine Hill. The city’s natural amphitheatre of spectacular viewpoints allow the photographer to take in a truly majestic capital. The lookout here is not entirely intuitive to locate owing to the network of unmarked paths in the Corstorphine Hill woodland area, but essentially you simply follow the path that takes you around the Edinburgh Zoo boundaries. Keep walking until the view opens out in front of you over Ravelston Golf Club toward the city.

This composition really comes alive in blue hour after sunset when the city lights illuminate the frame. Winter months mean this can be achieved at a reasonable hour, but dress for the cold and bring a torch as the paths are mostly unlit. A long telephoto lens around 400mm compresses the distant landmarks and brings them into the frame. While a long exposure is more suited to this sort of shot, in windy conditions (as with the image above) it becomes incredibly difficult to keep the camera steady over such a long distance. ISO and aperture compromises sometimes need to be made to bring the shutter speed to a tolerable duration. The view stretches to take in Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Park also and works well in late evening light throughout the year.

Night view to Calton Hill and East End from Corstorphine Hill