Edinburgh Outdoors

Hugging Trees on the Water of Leith

Over 12 miles long, the Water of Leith snakes through Edinburgh from Balerno to the Forth Estuary.  Formerly a working river and home to over 70 mills, it is now a nature reserve with a walkway along its length, which makes for a great walk. 
I met with Senior Ranger, Johnny Wells, to find out how the Water of Leith Conservation Trust manages the space and all its challenges.  Johnny was a terrific interviewee and entertained me thoughout my visit with tales of his past, his current role and how volunteers support the work of the Trust.   Johnny is a tree hugger and has had a surprising and fascinating career.   
We met at the Water of Leith visitor centre in Slateford and then walked towards Colinton. 
The Water of Leith visitor centre: here
The Water of Leith Conservation Trust website: https://www.waterofleith.org.uk/
 

Enjoying the Sunshine on Leith garden

Sunshine on Leith garden is a community space which is supported by Edible Estates.  Set in an old drying green behind tenements, the garden is a great example of community spirit.   Residents are each allocated a small plot for their own growing and the hidden gem of a garden also offers a place of tranquility and escape for flat dwellers.
While you can't just drop by to enjoy the garden yourself, you can find out more about them on Facebook and they are also interested in partnering with like minded groups.  They also have a turnover of beds, so it's worth getting in touch if you are keen to do some gardening on a smaller and less scary scale than taking on an allotment. 
While this was recorded a while back now, you can still enjoy the sounds of birdsong and the joy of a garden in the sunshine. 
The garden is here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/h4FjARqepk8q4o6v9
Website: https://www.edibleestates.co.uk/project/sunshine-on-leith-garden/
Facebook Group: here
 

Discovering Gracemount Walled Garden

Gracemount Walled Garden is in the south of Edinburgh and is run by the excellent team from Transition Edinburgh South for and by the local community. 
There's so much going on there, including: events, school programmes, volunteering, free Friday lunches and tons of veg.   The team is unfailingly positive and an inspiration in how to work with a community and create a space that is open to all.   I went along to chat to them and find out more about the garden, its role and how people can support the great things Transition Edinburgh South is doing.
You can find the garden on Google Maps here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/T3sojwT4eeFFAn6Q8
The long email address to get in touch  which we discus on the podcast, is this: contact@transitionedinburghsouth.org.uk
The TES website is here: https://www.transitionedinburghsouth.org.uk/
To find out more about the Gracemount Mansion and it's redevelopment: https://www.gracemountmansion.com/
 
 
 
 
 

The Geology of Blackford Hill, Glen and Hermitage

I joined the always interesting, Angus Miller of GeoWalks for another exploration of Edinburgh's geology.  We headed up to Blackford Hill and into the Hermitage to discover how our hills were formed by volcanic activity and then shaped through glaciation.  Many of us walk around our local greenspace without knowing where to spot fascinating glimpses of how the city was formed millions of years ago. 
We started out by Agassiz Rock, a SSSI and site of glaciation discovery; explored the Hermitage ravine which was formed by a dramatic flood of glacial meltwater; and then discovered the layers of different rock that form Blackford Hill after multiple volcanic eruptions.   Check out the links below to find the spots we visited and discover more about this brilliant history for yourself. 
Agassiz Rock is in Blackford Glen: HERE
You can read more about it on the Edinburgh Geological Society website: HERE  
The "Scout Bridge" is where the glens merge: HERE
The Hermitage can be accessed from either Braid Road, Morningside or Blackford Glen Road, Liberton (on foot once you enter the reserve from the entrance points): HERE
Blackford Hill has great views of the city: HERE
The wall with the different rocks along its top: HERE
The site of the three layers of volcanic rock is beside the Duck Pond: HERE
And if you want to know more about Angus Miller and GeoWalks: https://geowalks.scot/
 

Bonaly Country Park with the Green Team

Bonaly Country Park is on the edge of the Pentland Hills and was the location for a kids’ Green Explorers day run by the impressive Green Team charity.  As I go round meeting people through the Edinburgh outdoors community, the name of the Green Team comes up time and again because they work with so many organisations.
The Green Team inspires kids and young people to find enjoyment and support from the outdoors.  From a fun day foraging and playing games to volunteering on conservation projects, there are activities for all ages.  I met some of the team including Co Chief Executive, Penny Radway, and some exuberant and joyful 8-12 year olds to find out more about the charity.  Our location was here
To find the Green Team and sign up for Green Explorers or other programmes: https://www.Green team.org.uk
 

Scotland's Women Writers with Ruth Boreham

Ruth Boreham is a local provider of women's history walks.   We met in the Old Town to enjoy a chat about Scotland's often overlooked, but hugely talented, women writers.  We started out in Lady Stair's Close which is home to a beautiful building that houses the Writers' Museum.  The Museum focuses on just three writers:  Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson, but we talked women instead!
We also enjoyed studying the paving stones of Makar's Court which are covered in quotations from Scottish writers through the years.  
Lady Stair's Close is between the Mound and the Lawnmarket: https://maps.app.goo.gl/LVMx12gPuPYWVYzU7
If you want to find out more about the women writers we talked about you can find links below:
Mairi Mhor nan Oran: https://www.thebottleimp.org.uk/2017/06/a-sense-of-place-in-the-poetry-of-mairi-mhor-nan-oran/
Susan Ferrier: https://www.nls.uk/learning-zone/literature-and-language/themes-in-focus/women-novelists/susan-ferrier/
DE Stevenson: https://dalyght.ca/DEStevenson/index.html
Mary Somerville: https://www.nls.uk/collections/john-murray/authors/mary-somerville/
Ruth Boreham's website is here: http://ruthboreham.com/
The Scottish Poetry Library is a great resource: https://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/
For the Scottish Women Writers book published by the National Museums of Scotland: here

Tea with Edinburgh Union Canal Society

The Edinburgh Union Canal opened in 1822 to transport coal and other goods into the city.  It closed to commercial traffic in the 1960s, but is now busy with rowers, canal boats and wildlife. Ford Buchanan is treasurer of the Edinburgh Union Canal Society, and he welcomed me for tea beside the well loved boathouse on Ashley Terrace, and we talked about how the society manages the age old tradition of Sunday afternoon boating and its role in supporting activities on the canal. We also talked about plans to build a new boathouse on the site and how people can come along and enjoy the society's events, which seem to involve quite a lot of cake, as well as its role in hiring out their own boats on a Sunday afternoon. 
So listen into our chat and  you'll hear school rowing boats and friends passing by and how Edinburgh's notorious Burke & Hare started out working on the canal. 
To view the Boathouse on Ashley Terrace and rent rowing boats go here
To find out more about EUCS: https://www.eucs.org.uk/

Tandem Cycling with VIE Velo

VIE Velo is an Edinburgh cycling community that pairs sighted and sight impaired cyclists who head out on tandems together.  This club is an example of how a passion for cycling transcends the usual volunteer/participant set-up, with all members of the club simply being there because they love cycling.   You'll also hear how much they love stopping for cake and chat too. 
I was blown away by the positivity and welcome I received from the members of VIE Velo and enjoyed talking to them about cycling, wearing bright pink, sight impairment and how this club is just an example of excellence.   
We talked in Abercorn Park in Portobello and then I met up with the cyclists heading out the following day from their base in Saughton Park. 
To find Abercorn Park: https://maps.app.goo.gl/VtaahqQ82XHBCfcQ6
To find Saughton Park https://maps.app.goo.gl/5nQj5KNs98HUrxA17
And for more about VIE Velo visit their website: https://www.cyclinguk.org/group/vie-velo
 

The Lochend Park Mystery with Hetty's History Walks

Could Lochend Park be the actual location of the famous Skating Minister painting by Henry Raeburn called: 'Skating on Duddingston Loch'?  Regular contributor, Hetty Lancaster, offers listeners an artistic challenge as she reveals the clues within the painting's background which indicate the loch where he skates may not be Duddingston, but might actually be at Lochend. 
Hetty takes us on a tour of Lochend Park to the North East of the City Centre.  The Park contains one of only two remaining ancient, glacial lochs in the city and is crammed full of history and heritage.  Originally the grounds of an old tower house, then the water source for Leith and the site of many years of industry, Lochend Park is now a wildlife haven in the middle of a built-up area.  It retains many indicators of its fascinating past.  
And enjoy listening out for Edinburgh Outdoor's first "pod-bomb" from a lifelong local resident who shared her family photos with us!
Find Lochend Park here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/Gv9tor8bwpvNAeGRA
To view the Skating Minister, here: https://www.nationalgalleries.org/art-and-artists/5327
You can find the pictures we discussed which I have found are also on the excellent Threadinburgh site: here 
(and on Edinburgh Outdoors Instagram you can see Hetty's industry map showing the 'Lochend Butterfly')
To find out more about Hetty's History Walks: https://www.hettyshistorywalks.co.uk/
 
 

Dry Stone Walling with Richard Love

Richard Love changed career in his mid forties to become a dry stone waller and has enjoyed a long career in the outdoors creating everything from Pentland walls to works of art for artists. 
Richard and I met in the Royal Botanic Gardens of Edinburgh to view the Nepalese prayer gate, a project he worked on some years ago.  We rang the bell on the gate and talked about how it was constructed and how it stays standing, his career as a dry stone waller, his teaching of the craft, his previous role chairing the Drystone Walling Association, and his lifelong love of the outdoors. 
If you want to visit the Nepalese prayer gate you can find it here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/3Ywu743kN9czYtym8
For more information about the Drystone Walling Association: https://www.dswa.org.uk/
You can read about the construction of the prayer gate and view pictures on the RBGE website: https://stories.rbge.org.uk/archives/29979
To find out more about storm Eowyn damage and donate to the RBGE recovery fund: https://www.rbge.org.uk/news/storm-eowyn/
 
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