Edinburgh Castle Reopening

I was delighted to be commissioned by Historic Environment Scotland to photograph the reopening of Edinburgh Castle on the 1st August. The world famous tourist attraction had been closed to visitors due to the coronavirus pandemic for over 4 months. New safety and hygiene measures have been put in place with visitors being encouraged to stay ‘one unicorn’ apart which is 2m. Visitors are also able to book tickets on line and the number of people permitted into the castle has been reduced to allow for physical distancing. The castle staff have come up with a novel way for visitors to safely watch the firing of the One O’Clock Gun.

Edinburgh Castle is famous the world over and so the obvious location for the main part of the shoot was in front of the magnificent iconic doors which face the esplanade. Historic Environment Scotland CEO Alex Patterson was on hand along with a piper, drummer and castle guide to welcome visitors back again.

One change is working practices for professional photographers as a result of coronavirus and physical distancing is that we have been using telephoto lenses more and wide angle lenses less in order to preserve a safe distance between photographer and subject. The telephoto lens is great for press images as it gives photos more impact. All the images at the front of the castle were shot on a 70-200mm lens.

I have a long working relationship with Historic Environment Scotland and it was great to see the Jewel in the Crown of its portfolio open to visitors once again. It was also great to catch up with HES staff after a prolonged absence.

More information about Edinburgh Castle and booking information can be found here:

https://www.edinburghcastle.scot