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Do these photos look like a model train set to you? They were taken from Calton Hill, a brilliant vantage point for views not only of Old Town on one side, but also of New Town and the Firth of Forth on the other side. We were amazed at how unreal the scenery looked from the hill, but it looks even more so in the photos.

Holyrood Palace and its environs (above), nestled in the valley, look like they’re pasted onto a cardboard cutout of Arthur’s Seat and the Salisbury Crags beyond.

And where did those hills come from? One minute you’re deep in the heart of Edinburgh with nothing but old buildings and chimney stacks on the horizon, and then you climb this hill and suddenly Arthur’s Seat pops up behind the city reminding you that Scotland is not all stone and mortar.

Below: What looks like Edinburgh-in-miniature is actually life-size buildings in Old Town Edinburgh.
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