Marble steps

There is a flight of stairs in Edinburgh that has always been a great short-cut from Waverly station to North Bridge. If you exit the station by the Fruitmarket Gallery, the Scotsman steps are almost opposite. The trouble is, they were always a place to sleep for the un-housed. And a run up them was always accompanied by the heady stench of urine. To the extent that I would often see how many steps I could climb whilst holding my breath.

The homeless have had a dramatic upgrade to their quarters. I'm sure they would have preferred a duvet or a mattress, but as consolation, their steps are now cased in an array of the most brilliant, luxurious marble.

Every step is a different shade and hue, there are deepest blues and sparkling greens, royal cream and palatial red. The city has paved a toilet in gold and it is fantastic.

Read the Scotsman article here.