The Lion of Scotland, St Andrews Square, Edinburgh

With time to spare before my meeting in the City Chambers I walked from Waverley Station to St Andrew's Square to photograph Edinburgh sculptor Ronald Rae's granite lion. In between the occasional sleety snow showers the sun came out and I ventured on to the somewhat soggy grass to take some shots. It is a massive piece, about 17 feet long, 8 feet high and 6 feet wide and is a lovely pinkish tone. However, to capture its gritty quality I transformed it into a black and white image in Photoshop and used the poster edges filter to bring out the definition of the sculptor's carving. It was relocated there after being the centrepiece of Rae's Open Air Exhibition in Holyrood Park (2006-2008). I've heard there is a move afoot to raise funds to ensure it stays in Edinburgh. It currently is on loan.