This weeks collection of Edinburgh photos were taken between St Giles, on the Royal Mile, and Greyfriars graveyard, on what was the edge of the old walled city. As always in this part of Edinburgh, I came across lots of interesting people and sights. As I turned the corner towards St Giles a large wedding party swept past me, and the beautiful red of her flowers and his tie caught my eye. Love had blossomed into marriage, and a whole train of family and friends followed excitedly in their wake, heading off to the post-service party.
This set the theme for the rest of my walk. While I was trying to work out some angles for photos of the old Bank of Scotland’s headquarters off St Giles Street, a wonderfully colourful couple floated past. They were very clearly in love, and their happiness tugged at me to take a photo. They were happy to pose, and their smiles were infectious.
As I continued to walk I wondered how long they had been together, and what had kept their relationship so vibrant.
I headed down a shadowy close, away from the High Street and out towards Greyfriars. As I took a photo of Bobby the devoted dog, I got thinking about devotion. This little terrier had loved his master Andrew so much, that when he died suddenly of TB, Bobby had found his grave in Greyfriars and refused to move from it. He stayed loyally at his dead masters side until he too died, many years later. The Edinburgh townsfolk were so impressed with his love and devotion towards his master, a former policeman, they fed him at the graveside and adopted him as a town mascot.
Young love to devotion in death I had seen it all in one afternoon in Edinburgh’s Old Town. In some respects not much has changed over the last thousand years.
And now the history bit for those of you still reading:
The old Bank of Scotland Headquarters is now The Museum on the Mound, and is dedicated to the history of coins, money and banking. It’s a beautiful old building built at the height of the banks power and wealth. This bank dates back to the 17th Century, and is the second oldest bank in the UK. The Bank of England beat it into existence by one year. However unlike its English equivalent which was set up to finance defence spending, the first Scottish bank was set up by an Act of the original Scottish Parliament to finance business and trade. Something the banks seem very reluctant to do nowadays.
It was the first bank in Europe to print its own bank notes, which it continues to do. In 2007 it became part of the HBOS Group, and in 2009 it became a key part of the Lloyds Banking Group.
See last weeks Tuesdays Taste of Edinburgh post here.
See previous Tuesdays Edinburgh posts by clicking on Edinburgh in the Header above.
Double click on any image in the gallery to enlarge it.
breathofgreenair 
Always good to see your Edinburgh view, reminds me to keep my eyes open. I love your colourful couple
Thanks, it’s lovely seeing somewhere you know well through someone else’s eyes. I like seeing your posts for the same reason 🙂
More wonderful photos; the large pic of St Giles is particularly stunning. And I do love the “rainbow” couple.
Thanks Su….I really liked the way the rainbow colours in the big window came out in that photo…I keep going back for a another look 🙂 and the couple were delightful.
What magnificent old architecture.
Thanks Fi, glad you enjoyed it.
What a lovely post. The photo of the colourful couple is just beautiful, they seem so natural and close. I love your journeys around Edinburgh, they are whetting my appetite for my visit, which I hope will be very soon 🙂
They were a delightful couple, and so obviously deeply in love. They let me position them, and take some really quite close up shots. Im trying to practice taking more shots of people, which I find much more challenging than nature and buildings….they will keep moving:-) I can’t wait to see your photos, your take on Edinburgh, when you do visit.
Wonderful stories! Love these pics. The first one is a magnificent shot.
Thanks Amy, I really like the way that first shot turned out too. I’ve been playing around with various processing effects…great fun….might post up some of them if you’re interested?
i adore the edinburgh you show us. and the knit rainbow he’s wearing! 😀
Thank you Janna, welcome back from your holiday. I couldn’t resist that jumper, and their happy faces 🙂
they do look insanely happy. it’s reassuring. 🙂
Mmm
You do show Edinburgh from some lovely angles. 🙂
Thanks Jo, glad you like the angles 🙂