Uploaded July 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Joppa, Portobello, and Seafield are all interconnected coastal areas in Edinburgh, Scotland, with Portobello being the most prominent as a seaside resort. Joppa is a smaller area within Portobello, located to the east, while Seafield is a general term for the coastal area that includes both Joppa and Portobello
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Joppa, Portobello, and Seafield are all interconnected coastal areas in Edinburgh, Scotland, with Portobello being the most prominent as a seaside resort. Joppa is a smaller area within Portobello, located to the east, while Seafield is a general term for the coastal area that includes both Joppa and Portobello
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![St Stephens Church, Edinburgh Scotland Mini 5 Pro HDR
Saint Stephens Theatre is a former Church of Scotland church located in the Northern New Town of Edinburgh, Scotland, at the corner of Saint Stephen Street and Saint Vincent Street, now a theatre and event venue.
Use as a church
St Stephens Church was built in 1827–1828, on a vast scale, to a design by architect William Henry Playfair (1789–1857). It is described as Baroque power and Grecian severity ..., dominating the long vista from the lower end [of St Vincent Street] and ingeniously conforming to the oblique line of St Stephen Street. The church had an unusual plan, square with cut-off north and south corners, located diagonally.
The first minister of the church was William Muir, who opened an evening school in the large vaulted cellars of the church for the education of the illiterate.
Architectural Drawing of St. Stephens church by William Henry Playfair
Architectural Drawing of St. Stephens church by William Henry Playfair.
The interior was altered in 1956, the congregation having declined. A major fundraising effort was organised led by the then minister, the Revd A. Ian Dunlop. This was one of the first subdivisions of major buildings in Edinburgh, with the reconstructed church occupying effectively the gallery level accessed by the main staircase from St Vincent Street, and a number of halls (including a main hall with fully fitted stage etc.) and meeting rooms formed below. These halls have over the years hosted a number of events including Festival Fringe shows. During the reconstruction the church fittings by architect David Rhind (1808–1883) were kept, as was the organ by Willis, which was re-built on the gallery level.
Later uses
On 27 June 2014, Leslie Benzies, a video game producer and at the time president of Rockstar North, announced a deal to purchase the church for over 500 thousand pounds.He planned to preserve the building and create a trust composed of members of the community to manage it. However, in 2017, Philip Johnston, trustee for the Benzies Foundation announced, We now believe we have taken this as far as we can.
On 12 July 2017, Peter Schaufuss, ballet dancer legend and founder of the English National Ballet School purchased the church from the Benzies Foundation, stating I plan to make the Great Hall a world-class theatre, one that will attract productions from leading companies from around the world. Ground and basement areas, meanwhile, would be intended to find mixed commercial, cultural and community usage. St Stephens has since his takeover gone through much refurbishment latest the main hall now named Ashton Hall with one of the largest performing spaces in Scotland. The building is the home of newly founded Edinburgh Festival Ballet and its School and Scottish theatre school MGA Academy, as well many other cultural activities. It plays an important role in the community as well as its role as a venue at the annual Festival.[citation needed]
Clock
The 162 feet (49 m)-high tower has the longest clock pendulum in Europe at 60 feet (18 m) with a period of 8.6 seconds. The clock was installed in 1828 by James Ritchie & Son.
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![Mavic 4 Pro, Kelpies at night, Scotland.
The Kelpies are a pair of monumental steel horse-heads between the Scottish towns of Falkirk and Grangemouth. They stand next to the M9 motorway and form the eastern gateway of the Forth and Clyde Canal, which meets the River Carron here. Each head is 30 metres (98 ft) high.
The sculptures, which represent kelpies, were designed by sculptor Andy Scott and were completed in October 2013.] An unveiling ceremony took place in April 2014.] Around the sculptures is an area of parkland known as The Helix.
History
Kelpies under construction in 2013
The name was chosen by Scottish Canals at the inception of The Helix project in 2005 to reflect the mythological transforming beasts possessing the strength and endurance of ten horses. The Kelpies represent the lineage of the heavy horse of Scottish industry and economy, pulling the wagons, ploughs, barges, and coalships that shaped the geographical layout of the Falkirk area.
According to sculptor Andy Scott, The original concept of mythical water horses was a valid starting point for the artistic development of the structures. He also said that he took that concept and moved with it towards a more equine and contemporary response, shifting from any mythological references towards a socio-historical monument intended to celebrate the horses role in industry and agriculture as well as the obvious association with the canals as tow horses. In 2008 Scott created three-metre (10) high miniature versions in his Glasgow studio. These were then scanned by lasers to help the steel fabricators create accurate full-scale components.
According to Scott the result would be [w]ater-borne, towering gateways into The Helix, the Forth and Clyde Canal and Scotland, translating the legacy of the area into proud equine guardians.
During the first year following the opening, nearly one million people visited the sculptures.
The first routine maintenance and cleaning was carried out by a high-wire team in the summer of 2017.
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