Photography enthusiasts are being encouraged to enter a competition running until October celebrating three decades of Edinburgh’s World Heritage Site.
The Old and New Towns of Edinburgh were first inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1995 making this World Heritage Day (Saturday, 18 April) so special as the competition is part of the Site’s 30th birthday celebrations.
This makes this weekend the perfect time to explore the Old and New Towns to capture images of one of the most extraordinary urban landscapes in the world.
The winner of the competition, which is run by Edinburgh World Heritage, Historic Environment Scotland, and the Council, will receive a year’s membership to Historic Scotland.
Entries will be grouped into twelve categories, each celebrating a particular value of Scotland’s capital city. The winning photograph in each category will become part of a year-long calendar, which will be sold on Historic Scotland sites and at Edinburgh World Heritage events to raise money for the Trust. The over-all winner will take pride of place on the front cover of the calendar and will receive a one-year membership for Historic Scotland, who run top-rated visitor attractions all over the country.
The entries will be judged by Tom Duffin, a professional photographer who specialises in showcasing Edinburgh’s heritage; Neil Hanna, a multi-award-winning photographer with over 35 years of experience; and Jane Bradley, celebrated Arts and Culture Correspondent at the Scotsman.
This year’s World Heritage Day celebrations also include the following event.
Did John Bayne take a secret to his grave?
On Saturday 18 April as part of the Legacies in Stone project, Edinburgh World Heritage, the Friends of Greyfriars Kirkyard, and the Council (funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund) aim to lift the lid on a secret centuries in the making: does a broken gravestone in John Bayne’s mausoleum hide a forgotten burial vault? By repairing a simple flat grave slab, the aim is to unlock the mystery of this unique tomb in Scotland’s most famous kirkyard.
How to join:
- In person: Attend the event in Greyfriars Kirkyard, followed by expert talks at Augustine United Church.
- Online: Catch 10-minute live streams at 11.00am and 11.30am on Facebook.
Cllr Joan Griffiths Planning Convener said
This year World Heritage Day is so special as there is much to celebrate. The 30th birthday is a significant achievement and milestone to reach as looking after the Site with our partners takes a lot of care and has many challenges. Edinburgh is a living, breathing city and it needs to be well managed to balance the needs of our residents, businesses and visitors.
This World Heritage Day is a great time to enter our photography competition as it’s a lovely time of year to capture the changing light, sunsets and skylines this part of our stunning capital city is so famous for. The beautiful spring flowers appearing in the many gardens and open spaces are also there for us all to enjoy. If you’re interested in photography, why not explore the area this weekend to capture what inspires you most about the Old and New Towns. You could combine your visit to find out if John Bayne took a secret to his grave by attending the event in Greyfriars Kirkyard - or if history is more your interest - just attend the event instead.
George Findlater, Head of Community and Economic Development at Historic Environment Scotland, said:
After thirty years of being a World Heritage Site, Edinburgh continues to inspire admiration from visitors and locals alike. We are excited to offer a year’s membership to Historic Scotland as a prize in the photography competition, and World Heritage Day is a terrific opportunity to bring out your camera and capture what makes Edinburgh so unique across the competition categories.
Douglas Brotherston, Chairman of Edinburgh World Heritage, said:
Thirty years as a World Heritage Site is quite a wonderful achievement and we are delighted at Edinburgh World Heritage, together with our partners at HES and the City of Edinburgh Council to mark the occasion by holding this photography competition. The unique appeal of Edinburgh’s streets and landscapes, skylines and special heritage is so varied, it lives up to its reputation as one of the most beautiful cities in the world. We hope that we will get many entries from locals and visitors alike who can capture the glorious views of our spectacular city.
Further information
The twelve categories for which applicants can submit their photographs are:
- Medieval Old Town
- Neo-classical New Town
- Gardens and open spaces
- Urban planning/street layout
- Topography and skyline
- Public and commercial monuments
- Conservation
- Layering of heritage
- Architectural detail
- Graveyards
- Juxtaposition
- The Living City