The 1993 Fujifilm Photo Trail of Edinburgh, a walking route created in the 1990s to guide visitors to the city's most photogenic points, is making a resurgence on social media. Designed in collaboration with the Edinburgh Tourist Board, the trail was once promoted through leaflets highlighting photo opportunities, but has since been largely forgotten by locals and visitors alike.
Many people have stumbled across the trail's spots without realising it. Highlighted by @thriftingfrosty on TikTok, many of the photo spots are marked by little brass plaques located on the winding streets of Edinburgh. Featuring the words 'photo trail' and a camera, this symbol is placed to point in the direction to get the best photograph.
Discovery on TikTok
It was these plaques that initially sparked the curiosity of the online explorer. Replying to a viewer in the comments section of the video, she confessed it was a new finding for her: "I have been to Edinburgh twice and this is the first time! I literally just walked over one and Googled it and it made the trip so much more fun while exploring around the city."
Sadly, after 33 years, some of the plaques are no longer in their original places due to construction and restoration. However, this walk can still be a fun trail to follow that will guarantee visitors the best shots of the city.
Reactions from locals and visitors
Many people were left baffled by the trail discovery, as one person wrote: "I had no idea that was there! Hoping to go this year so saving this, thank you!!" With another adding: "I wish I knew this." Quite a few Edinburgh locals admitted that they were also unaware of the trail, with one person writing: "Wow I'm a local and have never noticed these before! Will need to have a look next time in town. Sad they're not all still there."
A third added: "I have walked past them many times and never noticed them." As another wrote: "I love this. I’ve had my camera for six months. I really want to do this." However, many viewers were left disappointed that not all of the plaques can be found today. One local grumbled: "I love this trail too! I used to live in the west end when all the cycle path construction was going on. I was bummed when they removed the plaque outside of the cathedral and never replaced it."
Someone else agreed, writing: "I can’t believe they’ve not removed it and placed it back where it would’ve been when they’ve put the new paving down, real disregard for history."
Routes of the trail
At the initial launch of the photo trail, two main routes were created - one for the old town and one for the new town. If visitors are wanting to find some of the spots, an updated online map has been created for some of the plaques that are still standing. However, if you would rather follow the original routes and try and determine the best picture spots, Edinburgh LoFi has detailed the main stops from an old leaflet found in the Central Library in 2010.
