I’ve blogged about Blackford Hill before, most recently here. A short (if steep in places) walk from my house, it’s become as important to me in its own way as the more iconic Arthur’s Seat. The latter symbolises Edinburgh, with all its legends and myths, and towers above the town in a way that says, ‘I’m the Daddy hill around here. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.’

Well, that’s as may be, AS, but Blackford Hill is much closer, and frankly a much less perilous climb. It’s my local hill of Edinburgh’s classic Seven, and as such going up and standing on its summit actually means something more profound to me. It’s where I stand and look out over the city I call home and, if you’ll allow me, feel an almost spiritual connection with it.

In my previous blogs I’ve given you Blackford Hill in its spring and summer plumages. On 20th December, however, just one day short of the shortest day in the Northern Hemisphere, I decided to go up in time for sunset, which at this latitude meant in time for 15:39. I don’t know about you, by the way, but I increasingly see the equinox as the important date in the calendar, more so than 25th December or 1st January. Just knowing that the days are squeezing in more daylight feels like a victory over darkness of all kinds.

Of course I left it to the last minute, and it was only when I was coming back down I realised just how quickly I’d ascended. Some of the pictures give you an idea of what awaited me – not the best sunset ever, but it still gives you a sense of perspective, standing in the gathering dark on the next-to-shortest day of the year and reflecting on what’s been, and what’s to come.

Needless to say I wasn’t the only one who had the idea. Runners ran past with that self-satisfied spring in their step that runners always seem to have; a younger couple trailed behind me with a proper old-fashioned camera. At the summit, a scrum of parents slap bang in the middle of life bustled about with kids and dogs all called things like Oscar and Molly (yeah, the kids or the dogs: difficult to tell who they were trying to round up).

Ah, well. So much for poetic reflections on landscape and life with just twilight birdsong for company. I mean, it is a city after all. I retreated to a side slope and took some last pictures as the crepuscular light faded.

Somewhere in the distance, Oscar was launching his drone.

Incidentally, if you’re inclined to listen to some instrumental music, here’s something I’ve been working on with a pal. It’s a bit different from my usual plangent singer-songwritery stuff. Happy holidays, whatever date you consider significant!