It’s early on a Tuesday morning in Edinburgh and I’m sitting by the window in Princes Street's Waterstones, just cracking open my laptop to begin work, when I realise I’ve made a grave error sitting by the window.

Throughout the half hour that I sat at my table, more than 30 people stood behind me and took photos of Edinburgh Castle. I understand the appeal, I understand wanting photos to preserve the memory. It’s a beautiful view; that’s why I chose to sit and drink my coffee there. But a quick snap is not comparable to the way in which people stood for prolonged periods taking videos of the street, dipping and leaning around me for the perfect shot; and it’s about time we stop pretending it is.

One couple proceeded to place a tripod with a camera on top of the table in front of us in order to video themselves eating their lunch. ‘Is it okay if we put this here?’ They tentatively ask the woman sitting at the table adjacent from us. She agrees, probably without even realising it’s a tripod about to live stream the café. They never approach me to ask if I’m okay with being in the edge of their video.

I stared at the tiny camera, knowing it not only videoed its intended audience, but also took my entire table in its view. I felt uneasy, watched, and began to wonder how many others feel this way simply existing in the heart of Scotland’s capital.

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