If you're coming to Edinburgh, the first thing you should do is head straight here…

After traveling from York to Edinburgh, even though it was almost dusk, I decided to head straight to Calton Hill. There's no other reason than that Calton Hill, along with Edinburgh Castle and Arthur's Seat, forms a perfect triangle on the city's skyline. Even though it's only 103m above sea level, you can get a glimpse of the entire city. Many classic photos of Edinburgh come from here, and even the movies Cloud Atlas and One Day were filmed here, as well as Jay Chou's music video "Ming Ming Jiu". Calton Hill itself is also part of the World Heritage Site "Edinburgh New and Old Town". The name comes from the Gaelic word "choille-dun", which means "wooded hill", which is not surprising, since it used to be part of the royal hunting grounds. The small hill is not difficult to climb and can be reached in 10 minutes. It has to be said that Calton Hill is an excellent 360-degree viewing platform: ⬅️West: Panoramic view of Edinburgh Castle + Royal Mile ⬆️North: Georgian architecture of the New Town ➡️East: View of the Firth of Forth + best spot to watch the sunrise ⬇️South: Arthur's Seat + Holyrood Palace If you think Calton Hill is just a viewing platform, you're wrong, because the neoclassical buildings on the hill are also very interesting and are known as the "Athens of the North". The two most famous buildings are: ✅Dugald Stewart Monument: Built to commemorate the Scottish Enlightenment philosopher, it is said to be inspired by the Monument of Lysicrates in Athens and has become a symbol of Edinburgh. It is also the place with the highest appearance rate on Edinburgh postcards! In the sunset, the golden sunlight shines on the monument and the city background, and you can take a great picture with a casual shot. ✅National Monument: Built in 1822 to commemorate the soldiers who died in the Napoleonic Wars, it was originally planned to be built as a Parthenon-style building, but due to lack of funds, it became an "eternal unfinished product", which instead created a unique beauty. Standing between the pillars, you can take photos with very expressive compositions, and the light and shadow effects are especially stunning at sunset. 💡 Useful tips The light is most beautiful at sunrise and sunset on Calton Hill! 6–8am is the best time to photograph Edinburgh + the morning mist, and this is when there are the fewest tourists; before sunset is the best time to photograph the light and shadow on Calton Hill, but if you want the blue hour, it is about 30 minutes after sunset, when the city lights gradually come on and the sky is a dreamy blue.