Our Friends Group were excited to sign an agreement with owners Waterfront Edinburgh Limited at the end of April giving the community access to the walled garden for the first time in over a decade.
May and June have been busy months with a whirlwind of activity and new visitors to North Edinburgh’s secret medieval garden. Everyone has shared the sense of surprise and wonder when they step through the little wooden door and wander inside the larger than expected hidden gem. It is 2 acres in size and mostly overgrown with tree saplings, brambles and other tenacious plants which can self seed and colonise fertile land if it is left to its own devices.
The garden is full of life, with lush vegetation everywhere compared to the dormant grey garden we viewed earlier this spring. ‘Birds Bees and Trees’ is the theme for this years Its Your Neighbourhood scheme by Keep Scotland Beautiful. Lots of birds currently nesting and singing their hearts out, flying constantly searching for food for their chicks. Best practice in managing habitats for wildlife and timing of works like clearance of scrub means most of the garden will remain overgrown for the rest of the summer, but great for birds! So far, wrens, goldfinches, blackbirds, songthrushes, chaffinches and a tawny owl. Lots of butterflies, bees and other critters too, beautiful flowers amongst the weeds like old roses and dames violet.
The walled garden is certainly off the beaten track but well worth a visit if you can find the little door: along a cycletrack hidden amongst the trees between the shore and the industrial landmark of the Granton Gasholder. 
Pleased get in touch if you haven’t visited before & would like to come along to one of our planned July and August Mini-sessions in the garden. Please note it isn’t quite open access as yet, with quite a few hazards and ongoing work on dangerous structures within the garden planned over the summer by the owners. Make sure you have read and signed the following. Visitor Induction form with health and safety warning
The Friends Group hope to continue restoring one area to cultivation this season, showing the potential for the rest of the garden in the longer term. Great ideas bubbling away for sustainable uses and regeneration of the heritage environment. Lots of chances this summer to add your ideas and thoughts on Friends Group plans, explore and dream of what could be…Quote below from a recent visitor.
There is something very special about this garden