This weekend was the close of the Edinburgh Festival, and with it the grand finale of a massive fireworks display at Edinburgh Castle.

Having watched the fireworks last year from Calton Hill and been frustrated by the view being slightly obscured by buildings and people, we had good intentions of heading out to somewhere different this year.

One option we considered was the Grassmarket, as although its behind the Castle and the fireworks are launched from the front, being so close should ensure some decent shots. Another option was The Vennel above the Grassmarket, where the fireworks would be framed by the surrounding buildings. We also considered Bruntsfield Links from where there’s a great full width view of the Castle.

However having had a lengthy wander around town this afternoon, and arriving home slightly later than planned, we took the easy option and decided to watch the show from our street!

Unfortunately it was incredibly windy tonight, which more or less ruled out any long exposure photography as the fireworks were being quickly carried away on the wind after exploding.

Unfortunately from our vantage point there were huge pauses between the fireworks with little to be seen for long periods. We could see hints of lower level fireworks just over the other side of the Castle esplanade, but there certainly seemed to be less in the way of the big, impressive fireworks this year. I would go as far as to say that this was the worst display I’ve seen in Edinburgh, although to be fair the bar has been set very high over the years.

Hopefully next year will be less windy, and we’ll make the effort to get closer to the action.