Scotland's capital is famous for its stone tenements and they come in all kinds of different styles, sizes and even colours - and in some areas of the city, the contrast is quite spectacular.
Take the foot of Montpelier Park, just off Bruntsfield Place, for example, where blonde sandstone tenements rub shoulders with vibrant 'redheads'. The reason behind this architectural quirk is rather fascinating.
The first sandstone tenements in Edinburgh rose in the early 1800s to accommodate a population that was growing fast and to unprecedented levels.
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Typically built to between three and five storeys in height, the first tenements provided low cost housing for the masses, but later became more elaborate in their design as the century wore on.
At first, Edinburgh's tenements were constructed using locally quarried stone from the likes of Craigleith, Ravelstone and Hailes quarries, which were known for their pale yellows and greys.
Edinburgh's indigenous stone colours prevailed for generations, but all this changed in the late 19th century, when an exotic newcomer arrived on the scene in the form of Locharbriggs red sandstone.
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In the 1880s, aided by the Caledonian Railway Company's Carlisle to Glasgow line, which now extended into Edinburgh, the capital witnessed a boom in Dumfriesshire sandstone, which became highly sought after among architects.
By 1899, Locharbriggs Quarry was employing almost 300 men working long shifts to quarry out an astonishing 20,000 tonnes of the red stuff for the export market every single year.
Many of Edinburgh's new buildings constructed during these years featured the red of Locharbriggs and other South Scotland quarries, including the Caledonian Hotel, the King's Theatre, the Sick Kid's hospital and the Scottish National Portrait Gallery. A great number of tenements in the city would boast the attractive new colour too.
Red sandstone also proved incredibly popular in Glasgow, where there are still hundreds of tenement homes dressed in the distinct stone.
The stone even made it as far as New York City, with the steps of the Statue of Liberty originating from the famous Locharbriggs Quarry.
Today, Locharbriggs Quarry remains active and is still used in the production of high-quality sandstone for new construction, decorative work, and remedial works on existing buildings.
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