Edinburgh awaits the Pope
Edinburgh is bathed in autumnal sunshine this morning.
This is good for commuters who are having their journey to work disrupted by preparations for the Papal visit today. Princes Street is closed to most traffic from one end to the other. Buses are still crossing over to go up The Mound until later in the morning. Then all traffic must cease to allow the Papal procession to pass along from the East End en route for Glasgow.
The Reporter was out and about to show you what Princes Street and the surrounding area looks like this morning, when traffic cones have been put just about everywhere.
There are helicopters regularly passing overhead, presumably filming some cutaway shots in preparation for later in the day when they will follow the procession.
There are photographers and film crews out on the streets. BBC Radio and TV crews are interviewing people who are taking part in the St Ninian’s Day Parade, and there are others like Radio Forth who are out interviewing those already pressing against the barriers in Princes Street.
The street vendor we met up with said he had not slept all night. He had come from Birmingham and was off to London tomorrow to sell his rosary beads and commemorative scarves.
We met up with Head of Corporate Services at Essential Edinburgh, Shona Davidson, who with her colleagues had cycled to work today. They were in the garden in St Andrew Square at the Bike Station getting a wee bit of TLC for their bikes to ensure they can get home again. They said it was a good way of getting to work today when traffic is sure to be disrupted.