Edinburgh Outdoors

Gorgie City Farm is remembered fondly by everyone.  Now remerged as Gorgie Community Farm, the location is being revitalised by a new team.  As trustees, gardeners and volunteers breathe life into the space, focusing initially on the community garden, it's packed full of potential to bring back an essential green space for the area. 

I went along to meet the people transforming it, to find out what they've been doing and to talk about the future.  As volunteers return and we head towards Spring, it was a great time to find out what's planned. 

The site is HERE

To find out more: https://gorgiecommunityfarm.co.uk/

The team has a Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/GorgieCommunityFarm/

And an Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gorgiecommunityfarm/

And if you are interested in gardener Johanna's journey through the garden, she has an Instagram too: https://www.instagram.com/gorgiefarmgarden

Easter and Wester Craiglockhart Hills are part of Edinburgh's Seven Hills.  In the south of the city, Easter Craiglockhart is a nature reserve and is teeming with wildlife, great views and a strong volunteer group.

Join me as I find out how the excellent volunteering team on Easter Craiglockhart Hill has been transforming the site with new trees, spring flowers and an island for the pond.  Listen to this first episode of Season 5 to hear about the work that's ongoing and to learn about the new island and the newly designated Iron Age hillfort.

Recorded last year, this episode brings you Spring just when you need it!  With birdsong, primoroses and ducklings the Hill was literally springing into life. 

The Hill can be accessed beside the pond on Lockarton Crescent HERE

You can find out more, see what wildlife has been spotted and learn about upcoming events, or join in with the team of volunteers here: https://www.eastercraiglockharthill.org/

The Friends have an active Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/EasterCraiglockhartHill/

Princes Street Gardens right in the centre of Edinburgh beneath the Castle is a public park with a long history.  It was formerly a loch and was drained to remove the stench of the city's sewage and to create a park for residents.   It's now a popular spot, so I headed into the Gardens with Hetty Lancaster of Hetty's History Walks to find out more about the park's history.

A regular guest expert on the podcast, Hetty turned the tables in the second half of the recording and asked me about why I set up Edinburgh Outdoors - something a bit different!

We met in Princes Street Gardens by the Ross Fountain

We discussed the Robert Louise Stevenson monument

and the Floral Clock 

You can find old pictures of Edinburgh and Princes Street Gardens on Capital Collections

There's one of the Nor Loch

Find out about Hetty's History Walks: https://www.hettyshistorywalks.co.uk/

Find out more on my social media including Instagram, Facebook and Substack

Edinburgh Sketcher is part of the fabric of the city.  He captures the everyday moments, events and views that represent Edinburgh life.  I met him on Calton Hill and watched as he created a journal sketch of our conversation and the views we were enjoying while talking.   He gave a great insight into how he thinks through a drawing and talks about career change and gives brilliant top tips for capturing every day events on paper.

If you want to see Mark's picture you can find it on the links below. 

We met HERE 

Mark's website is here: https://www.edinburghsketcher.com/

You can view the sketch on Substack: https://substack.com/@edinburghoutdoors

It's also on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edinburghoutdoors_

And on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/edinburghoutdoors

Join me as I head off foraging in the Hermitage of Braid woodlands with the brilliant Hana Koen.  Find out all about the fascinating funghi we found, their medicinal properties and culinary flavours and discover how many are hiding in plain sight.  We wandered through the very cold and sunny November sunshine and talked about mushrooms, dealing with an autism diagnosis and Hanna gave a great explanation of queer mycology theory before sharing her beautiful sketchbook.   

A fascinating and education episode! 

We met in the Hermitage HERE

We walked on the higher path to the north and then back by the Braid Burn from the Scout Bridge HERE

You can find Hana on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foraging.gardener/

She is also on Substack: https://foraginggardener.substack.com/about

You can see photographs from our foraging on my Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edinburghoutdoors_/

I also upload photography and background to Substack: https://substack.com/@edinburghoutdoors