Scouting Report: The Geometry of Holyrood (Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Concrete)

Right, let’s get one thing straight: I’m a Glaswegian who moved to Edinburgh years ago. For a long time, I made the classic mistake of taking this "museum of a city" for granted. It took being stuck indoors during the pandemic for me to realize I actually missed the cobbles and the drafty wynds. That’s how Shutter Scotland was born—a promise to never take these streets for granted again.

While our official Old Town Icons walk kicks off on April 4th at Lady Stair’s Close, a photographer’s eye doesn’t just switch off when the tour ends. Today, I wandered down to the bottom of Holyrood Road to do a bit of "scouting." Here’s what happens when a Glaswegian with a camera (and, let’s be honest, superior intellect) hits the modern side of town.

1. The Bronze Birds: A Lesson in "Shutting Out the Noise"

Subject Isolation: Proof that even bronze birds have more "grit" than a seagull trying to steal your chips (image by author).

In a city as busy as Edinburgh, your camera can get overwhelmed. There's too much stone, too many tourists, and far too many seagulls trying to nick your chips. To get this shot at Dynamic Earth, I used Subject Isolation.

By focusing purely on the "grit" and weathered texture of these bronze birds, the background disappears. It’s about deciding what actually deserves space in your frame. Even if it’s a bird that can’t actually fly away with your lunch, the texture tells a better story than a cluttered wide shot.

2. Industrial Minimalism: Looking Up (and Not Tripping)

Negative Space: Sometimes the best shots come from just looking up and finding some peace in the rigging (image by author).

I always tell my groups to mind their footing on the cobbles. But sometimes, you have to risk a twisted ankle to find the shot.

This rigging at Holyrood is a masterclass in Negative Space. By framing these lights against the sky, the shadows simplify the whole scene. It’s clean, it’s sharp, and it’s a brilliant way to find peace in a noisy city. Just remember to stop walking before you look through the viewfinder—I’ve got enough housekeeping notes in my script to prevent me from getting sued already!

3. Trapping the Parliament: The "Natural Frame"

Natural Framing: Using a bit of bronze to "trap" the modern geometry of Holyrood (image by author).

You’ve probably seen people taking the same "postcard" shot of the Scottish Parliament. Don't be that person.

I used Natural Framing here, using the rough, organic opening of a sculpture to "trap" the modern geometry of the building. It’s a visual conversation between the old and the new. It also proves that if you move just a few steps to the left or right, you find a completely different story.

4. Brutalism in Black & White

Shapes in Monochrome: Stripping away the color to reveal the rhythmic, geometric soul of the building (image by author).

The Parliament is a bit like a Glaswegian accent: some people find it beautiful, others find it utterly confusing. But in photography, it’s a playground of Shape and Contrast.

Stripping away the color forces you to look at the "rhythm" of the architecture. I love the warm glow of a Lawnmarket shopfront as much as the next person, but there’s something undeniably "moody" about concrete and shadows.

Join the Pack

We might not be heading this far down the hill on the Old Town Icons walk, but the principles are exactly the same. Whether we're balancing a turret with a lamppost in Makars’ Court or hunting for "light stages" in a dark close, I’ll show you how to see the city through a different lens.

We’ve got the pocket maps printed, the route rehearsed, and I promise to speak slowly enough for everyone to keep up.