Edinburgh Outdoors

Many people don't know that Edinburgh was once a walled city, so we set off to find traces of the old walls that still remain.   In the times when the extent of the city covered the area we now call the 'old town' it was enclosed to protect its residents from attack and also to control commercial activity.  Remnants of the wall remain today, some dating back to the fourteenth century, and many people walk past them unaware of these ancient relics.  There are also indications of walls dating as far back as the twelfth century.   Many of our road names are indicators of the location of the walls and gates - known as 'ports' - in and out of the city.
I headed out with podcast regular, Hetty Lancaster of Hetty's History Walks, to discover some bits of the wall and its history.  It was one of the most interesting podcasts I have recorded.  Listen in to join Hetty and me as we disappear into the closes of the Royal Mile to find original sections of the wall and learn when and why they were built.  There is a lot more of the original walls remaining than you might realise!
A useful map of Edinburgh city walls which is discussed on the podcast, can be found here:
https://www.trove.scot/image/1323636
 
Places we found parts of the wall include:
Tweedale Court, location of the oldest, King's Wall:  here
John Knox House, probable original site of the Netherbow Port: here
Wall based image of the original Netherbow Port (look up!): here
Brass markings on the roadway showing the later site of the Netherbow Port: here 
Long section of the Flodden Wall: here
You can find sections of the walls in Greyfriar's Kirkyard: here
Further sections of the Flodden and Telfer wall are in the Vennel: here
 
And to find out more, the Book of the Old Edinburgh Club has been publishing scholarly articles about Edinburgh's history since 1908. Enter what you are looking for (e.g. city walls) in the pages 'search' function:
https://oldedinburghclub.org.uk/boec/
 
Details of Hetty's History Walks can be found here: https://www.hettyshistorywalks.co.uk
 
 

Early in the year I met with Clare Stephen of Wild Workforce to talk about how getting out into our forests can help HR and employee wellbeing.  We discussed Clare's experiences around mental health at work and about her ambition to turn her relatively new business into a CIC so she can work with a wider range of organisations.  Since we met she has now succeeded and her CIC has launched.   Her work on mental wellbeing and the outdoors is going from strength to strength. 
We met on the shores of Loch Leven: HERE 
Clare's business can be found https://www.wildworkforce.com/
 
 

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/
 

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
 

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/
 
 
 
 
 

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 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
 

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

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/

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