15 Of The Best Photo Spots Edinburgh

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Where are the best photo spots in Edinburgh for your city centre wedding?

This handy little photo location guide is here to help with photographs from real weddings and a handy little map of city centre highlights. They are all close to the city centre & perfect to easily explore on your wedding day

Please let me know if you have a favourite place that you think should be added.

• Table Of Contents

  City Centre Map

  1. St. Giles Cathedral

  2. Edinburgh City Chambers

  3. The Royal Mile

  4. The Edinburgh Festival

  5. Writer’s Museum

  6. Riddles Court

  7. John Knox’s House

  8. Edinburgh Castle

  9. Victoria Street

  10. The Vennel

  11. The Mound

  12. Prince’s Street Gardens

  13. Carlton Hill

  14. Holyrood Park

  15. St. Anthony’s Chapel

  Useful Links

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Let’s start at the heart…

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1. St. Giles Cathedral

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St. Giles is literally in the heart of Edinburgh, the Heart of Midlothian is a mosaic on the ground outside St. Giles. Although this sounds like a romantic place to stand, beware, it is thought to be good luck to spit on it (apologies for spoiling the romance with a rather yucky start to this guide).

Let’s skip past that part… St. Giles is one of Edinburgh’s most iconic buildings with it’s crown top a prominent part of Edinburgh’s skyline. I love exploring the pretty steps & doorways and I use it as a screen to take you away from the Royal Mile crowds into some of the quieter spaces behind.

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2. Edinburgh City Chambers

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Edinburgh’s City Chambers is a fantastically placed Registry Office, placed right outside St. Giles the chambers building is beautiful with its courtyard and sheltered arches (which have sheltered many weddings from Scotland’s weather over the years).  

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3. The Royal Mile

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Talking about weather, around the city centre there are plenty more sheltered spots to explore around the royal mile, if the weather isn’t optimal. I have photographed in rain and fog around the city and it often just adds to the beauty.

When it rains the sandstone on the buildings darkens and the cobbled streets glisten and colours pop.

In the fog, everything looks old world-y and the diffuse light is beautifully flattering for portraits.

 The Royal Mile links Edinburgh Castle to Holyrood Palace and has the majority of the best photo spots in Edinburgh, especially as there are many popular wedding venues on the mile or within walking distance.  

St. Giles and the Chambers are on the high street part of the mile which is the most photographed part but boogle down some of the Close’s and you’ll find hidden gem’s such as Advocate’s Close with it’s brilliant views of the Scott’s Monument or Riddles Court’s with is beautiful courtyard.

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4. The Edinburgh Festival

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In the festival Edinburgh fills up and the Royal Mile is packed with crowds, buskers & entertainers. The atmosphere is electric. Walking down the Royal Mile in a wedding dress will always get cheers of friendly congratulations but in the festival, you will be hidden amongst the many crazy outfits of the performers vying for your attention.

Jemma and Alasdair got married during the busiest week of the festival and loved getting amongst the crowds for their photos.

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5. The Writer’s Museum

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Continuing up the Royal Mile from the High Street you reach the Lawnmarket which leads up the final stretch to the castle.

Just off the Lawnmarket you find Lady Stair’s House. The 17th century Lady Stair’s House is home to the writer’s museum, I love exploring the peaceful courtyard and the cute lamposts.

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6. Riddles Court

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Riddles Court is one of my favourite Edinburgh buildings. I love the orange façade & pentice stair. I can imagine the king holding his banquet’s there in the 16th century. It’s tucked away off the lawn market. It’s so hidden, few tourist’s find it so it’s the perfect place for some quiet photos with some stunning unique architecture.

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7. John Knox’s House

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Further down the High Street, just before you enter the Cannongate part of the Royal Mile you get to John Knox’s House. Parts of the building date back to the 15th century building and it now houses the Scottish Storytelling Centre.

It’s a little off route and on a busy part of road on the Royal Mile but it is one the oldest buildings in Edinburgh and very picturesque.

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8. Edinburgh Castle

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The temptation is to go the castle for wedding photos but unfortunately if you have a wedding dress on, they won’t let you onto the castle esplanade (unless you are getting married there) but really the best spots are a wee walk away, venture to the Vennel or the Ross Fountain for the perfect castle pic.

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9. Victoria Street

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Victoria Street is famous as the inspiration for Diagon Alley in Harry Potter. This cute little street has some brilliant little shops and links the Royal Mile to the historic Grassmarket where you can get a brilliant view of Edinburgh Castle.

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10. The Vennel

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Just off the Grassmarket you can climb up the Vennel Steps and get one of the best views of Edinburgh Castle. If you’re really lucky you might get a congratulations from the author Ian Rankin who was passing by during Maria & Rhys’s wedding, we’re waiting to see if they appear as characters in a Rebus novel.

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11. The Mound

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If you walk down from the Lawnmarket you will get to the Mound and enter into Edinburgh’s New Town.

The architecture completely changes as you enter the straight streets and Georgian architecture of the New Town and see the statement pillars of the galleries.

You’ll be surrounded by the hustle and bustle of shoppers on Princes’ Street. From here you can also explore Prince’s Street gardens and get some great views of Edinburgh Castle.

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12. Prince’s Street Gardens & Ross’s Fountain

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Prince’s Street gardens run along the whole length of Prince’s Street and have some amazing views of the city & the castle. At the east end of the garden’s, you’ll find the Ross Fountain area which is a great place for a pic with Edinburgh Castle.

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13. Carlton Hill

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Carlton Hill is the best place in Edinburgh to get panoramic views across the city or to enjoy sunrise or sunset. It’s a bit further away from the Old Town so you will need transport to get to there. If you chose to walk, it’s about a 15 minute walk (with a some steep hills) from the High Street on the Royal Mile.

You can see from the River Forth to Arthur’s Seat to Edinburgh Castle. It’s an amazing place to go when the sun is low but it is a good hike to get up to it. Olivia and Tom got a car up the hill and enjoyed the golden evening light at the top of the hill.

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14. Holyrood Park

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At the bottom of the Royal Mile you’ll find Holyrood Palace which is the King’s home when he visits Edinburgh.

The palace is next to Holyrood Park, if you want a real adventure with an amazing view you can walk up Arthurs Seat and get some photographs at St. Anthony’s Chapel

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15. St. Anthony’s Chapel

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St. Anthony’s Chapel is a ruined chapel on the hillside with stunning views over the city.

It takes about 20mins to get up to it and it is rough ground so you need good footwear but it is stunning.

Shauna and Frazer went here to exchange their vows after their wedding in the City Chambers.

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Taxi Adventure

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Edinburgh is compact but if you have high heels on a vehicle to get your around is a plan.

You can hire an Edinburgh cab to take you around some of the sights. It’s also a cute vehicle to have in your photos.

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Red Bus Tours

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If you want your guest’s to enjoy the city while you have a more intimate adventure you can hire a Red Bus to take your guests around the city. Companies such as the Red Bus Bistro will do a tour with afternoon tea for your guests.

Are you planning an Edinburgh wedding?

If you’d like to chat about your plans, check availability or pricing, please get in touch :-)

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Useful Links

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The City Chambers

Riddles Court

Red Bus Bistro

The Red Bus

Edinburgh Vacation Family Photo Shoots

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Book an Edinburgh vacation family photo shoot and create a photographic journal of your Edinburgh adventure.

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Edinburgh has an unbelievable number of beautiful buildings and vistas, I love taking people around the city and telling them the things I’ve learnt about the city over the years. I capture the adventures as we go and create a journalistic record of the day.

I’m not a tour guide but I share the things I know as we go around and I usually finish a family shoot near an ice cream shop or a playpark. I keep things moving and fun.

The Castle

Did you know the famous castle sits on a volcanic plug and has secret tunnels running beneath it?

It looks down at the city from it’s very impressive defensive position and looks different from each side.

I know a number of places where you can get a great view. One is near a playpark and the other is near some great pubs. Both have ice cream nearby so it’s a great place to finish your shoot whether you’re family group or an adult group.

The Edinburgh Festival

During the Edinburgh festival nothing surprises me, it’s bonkers.

There are street entertainers everywhere, performances in every space across the city and the whole city is just buzzing.

It’s crammed with people so it’s not a good time to try and get pictures without people in but it’s very fun to capture kids enjoying the atmosphere and a great time to visit.

The Royal Mile

The Royal Mile has some beautiful views up and down it and many of the most historic & famous buildings are on it or just off it.

At the top you have the castle and at the bottom you have the infamous Scottish Parliament which went hundred’s of millions over budget. It’s worth a visit, I think it’s like marmite, your either love it or hate it!

Beside the parliament you have Holyrood Palace, Dynamic Earth & you can trek up Arthur’s Seat to get some great views over the city.

St. Giles Cathedral

The crown of St. Giles is visible from much of Edinburgh.

If you stop to admire it, BEWARE!

There is a heart mosaic called the Hearth of Midlothian just outside and it’s traditional to spit on it for good luck. I’m not sure I get this tradition as it was actually a place people spat to show disdain for the executions that took place in the tollbooth which was demolished in 1817.

Unposed & All Inclusive

As you can probably tell I like people to have fun during my photo shoots, I don’t want it to feel like you’re being dragged around and made to pose.

I take lots of candid photos and encourage kids to explore and play.

My photo shoots are also all inclusive as I don’t like hidden costs so you get plenty time (2 hours), all the images as printable files and a voucher to buy prints if you wish.

For prices, click the link below.

Family Shoot Prices

I love to capture the city but I also want to capture you enjoying time together.

With Hiba & her family, we explored a park in the centre.

She was visiting from Dubai and she wanted some greenery in her photos to capture the greenery of Scotland. As a Scot I definitely take this for granted!

I’m open to your ideas so please get in touch if you have any questions, let me know what you would like to see and I can plan a route for you.

Get In Touch

Edinburgh’s Spooky Graveyards

If you like Harry Potter, ghosts or stories of grave robbing you can explore some of Edinburgh’s many graveyards.

Greyfriars is the most famous and has many of the names from Harry Potter novels on the stones including; Tom Riddle, MacGonagall, Moody & Severus. This is also the site of the famous story of Greyfriars Bobby, the little Skye Terrier who guarded his owners grave for 14 years in the 1800’s.

My favourite is St. Cuthbert’s Kirkyard which sits below the castle and is full of stories of warfare and body snatching. These days it’s a pretty wildlife haven within the city centre.

Family Heirlooms

You can print your images yourself but you’ll also get a voucher towards prints so why not ask me to create a special book of memories in a beautiful fine art album. I can organise overseas shipping for you and they’ll be much better quality that you get on the high street.

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Get In Touch

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If you’re interested in an Edinburgh Vacation Family Photo Shoot, fill in my wee form for more info :-)

Graduation Photography

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Graduation photos don’t have to be dull and lifeless, with everyone standing stiffly in front of a white screen. Those pictures don’t really capture the joy of your university experience or the stunning beauty of Edinburgh, where you’ve spent these amazing years. I want to give you photos that celebrate your graduation day and tell the story of your time in this beautiful city.

As standard, I suggest a 2-hour shoot to give us plenty of time to explore the city and the university, capturing all those meaningful spots. But if you want to venture further afield, we can always add extra time. You could even book a full day to cover your entire graduation day, from getting ready to celebrating after the ceremony and exploring the city. Edinburgh is a unique, ancient city, full of character and history—definitely worth recording in all its glory.

Get In Touch

My graduation shoots are all about capturing the essence of your university life in Edinburgh. My graduation shoots are priced like my other portrait shoots so visit my vacations page to find out about my prices and what is included in my portrait packages. You can share the shoot with a few friends if you wish, or just get some lovely shots with your parents, just get in touch to find out more.

After your shoot, you’ll get a beautiful gallery with lots of storytelling images to download, share, and print. These aren’t just graduation photos—they’re a personal and meaningful record of this important part of your life. When they’re framed or in an album, your kids or grandkids will love hearing about your time in Scotland. You’ll be able to show them the castle, the mountains, your student accommodation, or even your favourite pub.

Portrait Pricing

We’ll chat before your shoot to make sure it’s personalized and includes the spots in Edinburgh that mean the most to you. For example, Li, an Edinburgh University graduate from Hong Kong, couldn’t make his graduation ceremony, so we did a candid shoot around the architecture teaching areas on Minto Street and the Edinburgh College of Art. Karina and her friends, also from Hong Kong, booked me on their graduation day for some beautiful shots in their robes around the library, McEwan Hall, Old College, and the Meadows. Zuhri and Nisah wanted iconic Scottish scenery, so we spent a day in Glen Coe, capturing beauty spots like Loch Lomond, the Trossachs, Stirling Castle, and the Forth Rail Bridge.

For more info about pricing, check out my vacation portrait pages, or just get in touch at alijayphotography@gmail.com or 07885930579.

Let’s make your graduation photos a beautiful, personalised story of your time in Edinburgh and Scotland.