Latest news

Water of Leith Initiative - Closing Statement

Tuesday, 16 June, 2020 - 23:17
Our charitable company, Dean Valley Regeneration Limited, was incorporated in September 2015, and since then we have been working steadily towards making an application to the National Lottery Heritage Fund (formerly the Heritage Lottery Fund). With an estimated project cost of over £1.9m, Lottery Fund support would always have been essential, and it was always intended that the City of Edinburgh Council would make the application and carry the project forward. We have worked closely with the Council to that end, and our formal Expression of Interest was submitted to the Fund by the Council in December. The response from...
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Grey heron’s banquet

Monday, 4 May, 2020 - 01:37
Every morning the grey heron (Ardea cinerea) flies in to the Dean Valley for a tasty meal at the bottom of the weir on the Water of Leith. Probably little fish and frogs. It is easy to wade about in the shallows and its sharp eyes spot the flickering movement of its dinner under the surface. It will need a lot of food to bring back to at least 3 chicks in its nest which is high up in trees back at the Heronrie. Sometimes it wades around the Gormley statue at Stockbridge before flying out again in the evening.
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Invasive wild garlic dominating riverside flora

Thursday, 23 April, 2020 - 10:32
Water of Leith is overcome with the three cornered leek (Allium triquetrum) a kind of wild garlic. In the last five years it has come to dominate the riverbanks in April and May. Though pretty it is highly invasive and very difficult to eradicate. It was brought over to the UK from the Mediterranean, and it is an offence under Schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act in England and Wales to plant or otherwise cause to grow this species in the wild. It is not clear what the rules are in Scotland. It can be used for cooking...
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Poorly maintained footbridge in the Dean Village closed

Sunday, 19 April, 2020 - 18:22
The footbridge in the Dean Village at Damside and Hawthornbank Lane, within Edinburgh’s World Heritage site, has been closed for Health and Safety reasons. You can see from the picture that the steps are badly eroded. A survey which was carried out by our surveyor in 2018 has said that the metal structure appears to be sound (see second feasibility study, section 4.45) . It is worrying and clear that CEC have not been investing in general ongoing maintenance of the bridge and its walkway, thus allowing it to get into such poor condition. Many people taking their daily Covid-19...
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