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The top of Calton hill is an excellent place to come on any day, with its grassy slopes and panoramic views of the city, including down the length of Princes street (the main shopping thoroughfare) and Edinburgh castle. The Hill is easily accessed. It takes about five minutes to get to the top from a steepish staircase at Waterloo Place, or you can drive up and park. There is a path right round the edge of the hill with fine views and there is a jumble of historic buildings and structures on top including two observatories: the Old Observatory, designed by New Town architect James Craig in 1792; and the City Observatory, built in 1818, which has exhibitions and viewings of the night sky. There are good view to the cliffs of Salisbury Crags and the undulating slopes of Holyrood Park as well as over New Town to the Firth of Forth, and to the more distant Pentland Hills. Above: looking south to the Pentland Hills