A clip showing the incredible work of steeplejacks as they scale a spire on the Royal Mile to reach one of the highest points in Edinburgh's city centre has been posted online.
The video, which was added to the Strange Places in Scotland Facebook group, shows expert Dave Ritchie climbing the roof of the Hub at the Capital's Tolbooth Kirk.
Dave,33, and his colleague were pictured 250 feet up at the cross at the top of the spire.
A mix of traditional steeple jacking and modern access roles, Dave, who runs his own company Airtex Structural Height Specialists and has been a steeple jack for 15 years, confirmed that they use only ropes and ladders.
He added that the work involves things like removal and replacement of loose or damaged stonework and adding French lime pointing to the spire.
The ex-parachute regiment specialist joked that the spire is actually the smallest thing he's worked on "in about 10 years", pointing out that he regularly works on structures over 700 feet, with the highest being a power station in Spain, which reached a whopping 1250 feet.
Taking just 10 to 15 minutes to get to the top on the initial climb, Dave joked that though he loves his job, he's become used to the thrill of working so high up.
He said: "It's one of those jobs, you either love it right away, or you hate it.
"I wouldn't say I get a thrill like jumping out of a plane but you get used to it."
The Edinburgh-based steeplejack stated that he's very passionate about the work, and this particular job felt quite special, he added: "It's definitely a passion of mine working with an iconic building like this.
"I've worked on some beautiful buildings around the world and this is definitely one of the nicest I've done."
So what does he do for thrills in his spare time?
"I've got a young family, so they definitely keep me busy, and being ex parachute regiment, I still love to keep fit and do a lot of running and training."
The post on Facebook has quickly racked up the likes, with more than a few users marveling at the height of the climb.
For a few, it reminded them of TV presenters Fred Dibnah's legendary climb up Nelson's Column.
While another joked: "Definitely a job with its fair share of ups and downs."
