Waverley Nights

Looking west from Regent Road across into the rear of Waverley Station toward the castle. This image is taken from the very top of the 140 stairs that connect Regent Road at the foot of Calton Hill, with Calton Road and the rear entrance to Waverley Station below. The staircase is named Jacob’s Ladder (a biblical reference to the book of Genesis, meaning a stairway to heaven) and dates back over 200 years. This location is in the Calton Hill area, though doesn’t involve the final ascent to the other viewpoints. The walk from Princes Street is fairly short and flat.

This shot works year-round, although during the winter months sunset and blue hour falls at a more favourable time. The view is more striking later in the day when contrast masks a lot of the detail of the train tracks leading into the station. If you have a tripod then a longer exposure works well as light trails from moving trains and vehicles add interest to the composition. Late evening also works when the Old Town buildings and the castle in the distance are cast with warm light.