Edinburgh is where I got the idea for photoshoot tours, so this tour will be far from being the first offered in Edinburgh, but what makes it Original is the scale of tours on offer and the premium product.
Tours will be conducted the course of a day and will include up to 18 locations and destinations across Edinburgh, a high quality album and a meal and drink in an Edinburgh outlet.
This Photoshoot Tour is ideal for aspiring or existing models looking to add to their portfolio, or tourists wanting to have a lasting memory of their trip to our wonderful capital city.
PLEASE NOTE - THIS IS A WALKING TOUR, TRANSPORT CANNOT BE PROVIDED. A BASIC LEVEL OF PHYSICAL FITNESS WILL BE REQUIRED. THE DISTANCE OF THE TOUR FROM START TO FINISH IS 6 MILES AND THE FULL PHOTOSHOOT TOUR WILL TAKE APPROXIMATELY 4 HOURS. A SHORTER VERSION OF THE TOUR CAN BE OFFERED, BUT THE PRICE WILL REMAIN THE SAME.
The Original Edinburgh Photoshoot Tour will begin with us meeting at Waverley Station at the agreed time
LOCATION 1: ROOF OF WAVERLEY STATION 10am
Edinburgh Waverley is Edinburgh's iconic train station in the heart of the city, and it offers stunning views of Edinburgh Castle and the Scott Monument in one direction, and the historic Balmoral Hotel in the other.
This location offers the opportunity of a tight headshot with Edinburgh Castle or the Scott Monument in the background, a pleasant opening shot to our shoot in the capital.
Edinburgh Waverley station opened in 1866, replacing previous stations in the same narrow valley between the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh. In 1991 Edinburgh Waverley was granted A Category Listed Building status. The station accommodates over 22 million passengers every year, making it one of the busiest stations in the UK.
Maintained by the Scottish clockmakers James Ritchie and Son since 1902, the Balmoral hotel's clock is set three minutes fast to ensure the people catch their trains. The only day it runs on time is 31 December for the city's New Year celebrations. The hotel elected to change that for 2020, citing a desire to have three minutes less of that year. The tower, at 190 feet (58 m) high, is a prominent landmark in Edinburgh's city centre.
LOCATION 2: EXTERIOR OF BALMORAL HOTEL 10.15am
The Balmoral Hotel is Edinburgh's iconic city-centre hotel, originally called the North British Hotel when it opened in 1902. The hotel took 6 years to construct, and was part of the British Railway Hotels group before Gleneagles Hotel purchased it in 1983. Gleneagles sold the hotel to Forte Hotels in 1997.
The exterior of the hotel offers a few photoshoot opportunities, but arguably the best is crossing Leith Street, this gives us the chance to create a documentary style shot of you in amongst tourists crossing the road on their way to Calton Hill.
LOCATION 3: CALTON HILL 10.25am
Calton Hill overlooks the whole of Edinburgh with views directly down Prince's Street, across to Arthur's Seat and Holyrood, and across to Leith and the Firth of Forth. Calton Hill is the location of several monuments and buildings: the National Monument, the Nelson Monument, the Dougray Stewart Monument the old Royal High School the Robert Burns Monument the Political Martyrs Monument, and the City Observatory.
Calton Hill offers a myriad of possibilities for shoots, including tight head shots and creative poses around the landmarks and with iconic Edinburgh Skyline backgrounds.
LOCATION 4: JACOB'S LADDER 10.45am
Edinburgh’s Jacob’s Ladder is a steep pedestrian pathway and steps, carved into the volcanic rock of Calton Hill. The route first appears on a map in 1784, though it probably existed long before then. This path links Calton Road, which is a few minutes from Waverley train station, with Regent Road, the location of St Andrew’s House, Calton Hill, and the Old Royal High School. The route is a perfect shortcut for residents, workers and tourists, and the path offers some unique views of Waverley Station and Old Town.
The length of the path offers a unique series of shots in any photoshoot, potentially the model showing their vulnerability when shot from above on the steps, and when the photographer is shooting from below the model on the steps, the model can look dominant and confident. And, for a city-centre backdrop for a simple posed shot, it doesn't get much better than this.
All participants are urged to use caution when walking down Jacob's Ladder due to its steep gradient and narrow steps.
LOCATION 5: ROYAL MILE 11am
Jacob's Ladder takes us down Calton Hill on to Calton Road, from here we walk through 'Waverley Square' and onto the Canongate - the south end of the Royal Mile. The Royal Mile is Edinburgh's iconic medieval street which runs from Edinburgh Castle, down to the Palace of Holyrood House, and the Scottish Parliament Building.
The Tolbooth Tavern is part of the original Canongate Tolbooth which was built in 1591. This medieval building was used to collect tolls from travellers entering the burgh at the Canongate. The ground floor became The Tolbooth Tavern in 1820. The building was used to collect tolls from travellers entering the burgh but has also served as a Council Chamber, Police Court and Prison.
Tolbooth Tavern acts as another iconic backdrop to our photoshoot, with a myriad of potential poses in this area, either across the road or close to the Tavern itself.
LOCATION 6: HOLYROOD 11.10am
Holyrood is located at the bottom of the Royal Mile and is home to the Scottish Parliament, the Palace of Holyroodhouse and Holyrood Park, all in the shadow of the Salisbury Crags and Arthurs Seat. The area originally took its name from Holyrood Abbey, which has been in ruins since the 18th century. The Palace of Holyroodhouse is the official residence of King Charles in Scotland, and was the resting place of the Queen on her final journey whilst she was in Edinburgh in September. Across the road from the Palace is the Scottish Parliament building, which opened in 2004.
This quirky building offers a unique backdrop for a shoot, with the Canongate Wall giving us the chance to shoot with the Royal Mile in the background too. The reflection pools outside the Parliament Building also offer a wide range of shoot possibilities.
LOCATION 7 AND 8: ROYAL MILE 11.30am
From Holyrood we head back up the Royal Mile in the direction of Edinburgh Castle, and this iconic medieval street offers a variety of additional photoshoot opportunities.
LOCATION 9: VICTORIA STREET 11.50am
Victoria Street has become famous over recent years due to the Harry Potter books and films, but it is a stunning street in its own right and offers some splendid photoshoot opportunities. When we come towards the street from the Royal Mile the upper part of Victoria Street offers a fantastic shot with the curve of the street buildings and the railing.
COFFEE STOP 12pm-12.20pm
We will find a suitable outlet to have a break in Victoria Street or the Grassmarket
LOCATION 10: THE GRASSMARKET 12.25pm
The Grassmarket is one of Edinburgh's historic market places and was used for the sale of horses and cattle, and it was also used as a place for public executions!
The Grassmarket is situated below the Royal Mile and it has a truly tremendous view of the Castle, which will offer a splendid backdrop to a photoshoot. We can take advantage of the benches and seats in the Grassmarket for seated shots of the model.
LOCATION 11: THE VENNEL 12.30pm
The Vennel viewpoint is perhaps the most instagrammed spot in Edinburgh in recent years, and I am sure the residents of the houses either side of the stairs must be past annoyed by now! But nevertheless it is an absolute must for any photoshoot tour of our wonderful capital city.
There are opportunities for a wide range of shots here, all with the castle either fully or partially in the background of the image. The model could be stood, half-turned towards the photographer, or leaning against the hand rail, or sat or walking up the stairs.
LOCATION 12: DEAN VILLAGE 1pm
Another popular instagram spot is the Dean Village, but you just cannot have a photoshoot tour of Edinburgh without going there, it is wondrous. Dean Village (from dene, meaning 'deep valley') is a former village immediately northwest of the city centre of Edinburgh. It is bounded by Belford Road to the south and west, Belgrave Crescent Gardens to the north and below the Dean Bridge to the east. It was formerly known as the "Water of Leith Village" and was a successful grain milling area for more than 800 years. At one time there were no fewer than eleven working mills there, driven by water from the Water of Leith.
There are two primary shoot opportunities in the Dean Village. Firstly as we enter the village and we see the Water of Leith (as shown left) and then down by the water with the village in the background (shown right).
LOCATION 13: WATER OF LEITH 1.15pm
The Water of Leith is the main river flowing near central Edinburgh, and flows into the port of Leith where it flows into the sea via the Firth of Forth. Both the walkway, which runs past St Bernard's Well, and the Water itself, (shown in. adjacent images) offer great photoshoot opportunities.
LOCATION 14: PRINCES STREET 1.45pm
Edinburgh's world famous shopping street has iconic views everywhere, whether it be straight up the street towards Calton Hill and the Balmoral Hotel, or over to the Old Town and the Castle, the photoshoot opportunities are great here. We can shoot the model walking or even still among the crowded shopping street, perhaps with a longer exposure to blur the moving people, just one of the possibilities!
LOCATION 15: PRINCES STREET GARDENS AND SCOTT MONUMENT 1.55pm
LOCATION 16: WAVERLEY BRIDGE 2.15pm
LOCATION 17: WARRISTON'S CLOSE STAIRS 2.20pm
LOCATION 18: COCKBURN STREET 2.30pm
POST-TOUR MEAL 2.45pm
After our 18-stop Photoshoot Tour of Edinburgh you will be hungry and included in the price of the Tour is a meal at an Edinburgh outlet to be confirmed, either on Cockburn Street or the Royal Mile
BOOKING WILL BE VIA VIATOR AND TRIPADVISOR
PRICE FOR 2023: £250
What you get for this:
A professional Photoshoot around Edinburgh at up to 18 different locations
Guide to the tour and look book
High-res and low-res digital files from a minimum of 50 images delivered via WeTransfer within 48 hours of the tour
Photo album featuring the best shots from the shoot
A half-way coffee stop
A post-tour meal in an Edinburgh outlet (Outlet to be confirmed)
PLEASE NOTE - THIS IS A WALKING TOUR, TRANSPORT CANNOT BE PROVIDED. A BASIC LEVEL OF PHYSICAL FITNESS WILL BE REQUIRED. THE DISTANCE OF THE TOUR FROM START TO FINISH IS 6 MILES AND THE FULL PHOTOSHOOT TOUR WILL TAKE APPROXIMATELY 4 HOURS. A SHORTER VERSION OF THE TOUR CAN BE OFFERED, BUT THE PRICE WILL REMAIN THE SAME.