There’s a particular joy in tagging along on my wife’s research trips. She attends conferences, presents her brilliant work, and I… well, I point a camera at anything that doesn’t run away. So, when she scheduled a conference in Edinburgh, Scotland, I saw tartan patterns in the clouds and immediately dove headfirst into planning the perfect photo adventure.
And let me tell you, this wasn’t just a stroll through castles and cobblestones. My browser history became a tapestry of ancient ruins, craggy coastlines, misty hills, haggis (out of curiosity), and charming villages with more character than a Dickens novel. If it looked Scottish, lived Scottish, or wore a kilt—I was interested.
Now, a quick word to my fellow shutterbugs: If you want your photos to tell a story (and not just say, “I was cold and confused”), hire a guide. I mean it. There are tours galore—some lasting an hour, others a full day. But if you’re like me and think a sunrise is just the appetizer, you’ll want the extended day. Which, in this case, was more like a scenic marathon.
There’s an old tale of a mechanic who fixes a complex machine with a single tap. The invoice? 25¢ for the tap, and $100 for knowing where to tap. That, my friends, is the value of expertise. And in photography—where the light changes by the minute, and the difference between “meh” and “magic” is a matter of angle and timing—you need someone who knows exactly where to tap.
Enter Aperture Tours, and my guide for the day, Martin Smith. We met over coffee (a ritual I highly endorse before braving cobblestones with camera gear), and he had already reviewed a few of my photos to gauge my skill level. When asked how good I am, I usually answer with the same level of optimism I reserve for IKEA furniture assembly: “Hopeful.”
My hit list of Edinburgh’s most photogenic spots included Circus Lane, The Vennel, Princes Street Gardens, Calton Hill, Victoria Street, Dean Village, and the Salisbury Crags. Martin, who knew the city like the back of his lens cap, mapped our route with Swiss-watch precision. Most of it we did on foot—fueled by local charm, photo chatter, and oatcakes (on my end). We only summoned an Uber once—because even adventure needs a break.
One of the highlights was Calton Hill, where I captured this photo of Princes Street and the towering Balmoral Hotel. Now, the wind that day? Gusting at 40MPH. I was holding onto my tripod like it owed me money. And yet—somehow—I got this shot. A crisp, balanced image that completely ignores the chaos behind it. Which, in many ways, is exactly why I love photography.
Edinburgh is a city that wears its history on its sleeve. It’s a place where every close (alley), every skyline view, every streetlamp could’ve wandered out of a novel or a painting. And while the photos are lovely, it’s the experience that stays with you—the stories, the architecture, the locals, the laughter, the wind, and yes… the guide who knew just where to tap.
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