I'm on the verge of so many colds at the moment - drawing outside demands wooly hat, long-johns and the fingerless gloves I don't possess. I am beginning to wish I'd booked a holiday somewhere warm. This is a famous pub just around the corner from work. It stands just near the old city wall and the building was put up to mark the opening of the nearby infirmary. Thus the name. It's where you go for a 'cure' the next day.

Our old celebration of thwarting those early terrorists on the 5th seems to have passed me by this year - probably due to Guy Fawkes night being mid week and coinciding with a deadline. I popped up to the castle today - a working garrison and its war museum being part of the National Museums five sites. If we go up out of hours to install part of an exhibition you have to pass the lone, armed sentry - a bit of a shock first time around. Today there were kids in the forecourt drawing which was really nice to see. It seemed fitting to note some names of the fallen. Earl Haig - who gave his name to the Scottish poppy appeal - was overlooking the proceedings upon his horse.

Really chilly again today with a blustery wind from Scandanavia. Blue skies for the most part though. This was drawn on a back street just near where I drew the cheesemonger earlier in the year. Quite a posh part of town. The building on the left was put up in 1650 and now home to a Thai restaurant. Noise around is car tyres on cobbles - you can hear them a mile off. Cobbles are a nightmare on a bike! We hit a deadline on Friday at work and off to Osaka next week so hope to update from there.

New site, Urban Sketchers, hitting the airwaves from November - courtesy of Seattle's Gabi Campanario. We appear to have someone in every continent - bookmark it today for your drawing fix!

Today I took a wee reminder in bike maintenance. The bike co-op does day training for few shekels and despite it taking up a full day of your weekend, I'd recommend to anyone. I was a bit concerned when we started by repairing a tyre - a well trodden area for me - but comfort zones were soon being challenged. Even in sections I did know about there was always one new thing I learned - be it adjusting the springs on cantilever brakes or tricks for tweaking gears. And some interesting technical terminology. Flange didn't even get a chuckle compared to some of the jargon.
Now I just need all the tools. And a stand. And patience.

I like weaving between back streets in a city - as well as seeing how the place is serviced they are also a calm within the madness. Atholl crescent lane sits behind Shandwick place and the road mimics the curve of the more grand frontage. The lane looks a lot more like how the city would have looked a hundred years ago - few cars, few signs, little noise - at one point during rush hour all I could hear was a church bell. visually, the down pipes are just as prominent as the repetition of the gable ends - cobbles camber down to large stones which act like a gutter - I like the function.

"Their bodies were obliterated. but the spirit held firm!"
I dare you not to laugh.

I think the reason Edinburgh is such a good place to live in is because it isn't really a city. Now the nights are drawing in, the 3 mile loop around Arthurs seat is becoming more and more of a useful route after work. 4 times round including getting to and from home allows for a good wind down. When you reach the top of the short, but sharp, climb you feel completely out of the city despite being at its centre. The views from the top are cracking - The city sits behind you as you climb - the moon was rising over the North sea and Denmark to my east tonight - beyond the Pentland hills to the south lies England and finally as you finish the plateau the ever present castle with sunset faces you to the west. There's greenery everywhere - or sea. It's why Edinburgh is known as a town despite being the capital city. At the weekends it only takes 20 minutes to be surrounded by fields and cattle. It's not a bad gaff.

Have a bowl every morning!

I'm beginning to put together a list of things I want to buy in Japan. Eye glasses were what started the list and now I seem to be thinking of anything vaguely needing updating. I've always bought cyber-shots as my camera of choice but they're really only good for short distance and macro especially. I've been thinking about switching brand. And then I saw the new design released in Japan. Aye Chawawa!

Magic weather the last few days. With snow up in the Highlands it's been pretty much winter clothes even in the central belt - out on the bike. No gloves today though and it was pretty warm with the gilet on. I left my camera at the folks - thus the lack of photos recently - this landscape is not bad from my cheap phone. Trying to get into West Lothian a bit more - I need to extend my ride options and leaving west would cut out a lot of the city.

Bang on the first of October we hit Autumn. I sat out drawing this with a coffee and jacket / jumper / cap but still walked away with the feeling a cold was coming my way. I have escaped so far. George street is a typically middle-class shopping area - I listened to the incredible diction of 4 year olds with mothers in pink shirts with upturned collars. I think if I'd put my cap on the pavement I would have got offerings.

Most people moan about the roadworks in Edinburgh at the moment. It's quite tiring. It must be tough for bus users, taxi drivers and the emergency services - not to mention business suppliers. I really don't mind them though - I actually found myself wallowing in the glory of passing a huge tailback on Laurietson place the other day on the way home from work........

Shieldaig - Applecross - Bealach na ba - Shieldaig
50 miles

Despite the weather getting better as we neared our destination, it would have had to have improved considerably to shake off the wet and mirky conditions which hung over us from the Forth bridges to north Perthshire. In the end we settled for what was not an unpleasant September day on the Applecross peninsula. The views started to take over from conversation and Gregor was keen to swap accelarator for the other, rotating type of pedal. Shieldaig is a lovely wee village with its houses hugging the shore overlooking the nearby island in the cove.

sparrow and the workshop are very good. They played Edinburgh last night to prove it!