Calton Hill – Central Edinburgh. Ink/watercolour on a watercolour Moleskine.

This is the view of Calton Hill as seen from the North Bridge which passes over Waverley Station leading from the east end of Prince’s Street to the old town of Edinburgh. The obelisk at the left is the Martyrs Memorial which commemorates political martyrs transported to Australia in 1783. It is situated in the Old Calton Cemetery. Next to that is St Andrew’s House, a government building. To the right is the cylindrical “Governors House” formerly for Calton Jail which used to be situated along the extreme right of this scene but is long demolished. Calton Hill offers some of the best views of all parts of Edinburgh. On top of the hill there is a “Greek Styled” building which is based on the Acropolis. This was intended as a memorial to commemorate Nelson’s victory over the French in 1815 but, when funds ran out, was never finished. It has been known, ever since, as Edinburgh’s disgrace. The small tower, at the extreme left of this painting, however, is known as Nelson’s Tower and has been used, for many years, as a timekeeping device for ships in the Firth of Forth. A spherical ball is hoisted to the top of the tower’s mast and, at exactly one o’clock, in the afternoon, drops downwards to provide a visual signal. At the same time, a cannon is fired from the ramparts of Edinburgh Castle to provide a backup, audio signal. This can be quite alarming – tourists be warned!

Edit by ‘skine.art…
Found a panoramic photo from a slightly different vantage point, check it out: