100% Real Venues & POIs
Every landmark, hotel, restaurant, and shop profile features real photography. We never use AI to fabricate a business facade or dining room.
Strict Copyright & CC-BY-SA
We respect intellectual property. All Creative Commons imagery is credited with photographer names, license specifications, and direct links to original archives.
AI Atmospheric Disclosure
Where digital illustrations are created for mood or historical concept art, they are explicitly tagged as "AI Atmospheric" so readers are never misled.
Why Geograph Britain Is Our Primary Partner
To provide authentic visual documentation of Edinburgh beyond the usual stock photo angles, DiscoverEdinburgh prioritizes Geograph Britain and Ireland (geograph.org.uk) as our primary photographic source.
Geograph is a collaborative project recording every square kilometre of Great Britain. It brings three critical benefits to our readers:
- GPS-Verified Accuracy: Every Geograph photo is tied to an exact British National Grid reference (e.g. NT2573 for Edinburgh Castle, NT2474 for Stockbridge). There is zero risk of miscaptioned locations.
- Local Neighborhood Depth: While commercial image libraries only capture Princes Street and Calton Hill, Geograph features rich photography of residential quarters like Gorgie, Dalry, Morningside, and Portobello.
- Open Knowledge Support: Geograph powers the visual archive of Wikipedia. By utilizing and attributing under CC-BY-SA 2.0, we support the UK volunteer photography community.
Our Image Sources & Attribution Matrix
| Source Archive | Licensing Model | Usage Scope | Attribution Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geograph Britain (Primary) | CC-BY-SA 2.0 | POI profiles, closes, street scenes, village architecture | © [Name] / Geograph Britain, CC-BY-SA 2.0 |
| Unsplash (Secondary) | Unsplash License | High-dynamic-range hero banners, seasonal twilight vistas | Photo by [Name] on Unsplash |
| Wikimedia Commons | CC-BY-SA / CC0 | Historical archives, rare architectural elevations | [Name], CC-BY-SA, via Wikimedia Commons |
| AI Atmospheric Storytelling | Digital Concept | Editorial mood banners only (NEVER on POI or booking pages) | ✨ Atmospheric illustration digitally rendered |
Prohibited Photography Sources
To guarantee zero copyright ambiguity and preserve visual integrity, DiscoverEdinburgh strictly prohibits:
Are You a Scottish Photographer?
If you have high-quality, authentic photography of Edinburgh closes, festivals, architecture, or independent shops and would like your work featured on DiscoverEdinburgh with full attribution and backlinks, we would love to connect.