Kinneil Estate in Bo'ness on the Forth Estuary is a brilliant place to discover history from Romans to the present day.  With a Roman fortlet, a grand old tower house, the location of James Watt's original workshop, ruined villages, birdlife on the loch and much more, it's a great place for a day out discovering the area.   I met with Adrian Mahoney of the Bo'net group to find out all about the Estate and about it's tiny museum which is under threat.  Join me on a grand day out! You can find the Estate HERE The Roman fortlet is HERE The nature reserve is HERE Bo'net: https://bonet.org.uk/ Friends of Kinneil: https://kinneil.org.uk/friends/ For the audio trail of the estate visit Izzy Travel and/or download the app: https://izi.travel/en The Historic Environment Scotland site for Kinneil House: https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/kinneil-house/    

Lauriston Farm is an inspiring local collective that is transforming a former traditional farm into a biodiverse space that includes community allotments, woodland spaces and a market garden producing food for communities.  I had a wander round with Grower, Dav Shand to find out about their food poverty programme, discover what agroecology is and to understand more about their  food production, partnerships and vision.  We saw the thousands of trees planted on the side of the Forth and the many initiatives introduced by the workers' cooperative.  You can visit the community spaces and woodland and also attend workshops and open days at the Farm itself.   It's a terrific example of an inspired community of people working together for good.  To visit you can go HERE The farm and community have a website: https://www.lauristonfarm.scot/ To find out more about open days: https://www.lauristonfarm.scot/farm-news/ They are on Instagram too: https://www.instagram.com/eaclauristonfarm  

How often when walking round Edinburgh do you look up?  Podcast regular, Hetty Lancaster of Hetty's History Walks, took me on a walk around Stockbridge in the north of the city, to look at historic gems hidden in plain sight.  From the original Stockbridge Market and the history of market gardening to the ornate and bizarre gateposts around the original Inverleith Estate, we discovered things you may walk past every day, but never notice. We started out at Duncansland HERE We walked down the Water of Leith from HERE The Falshaw Bridge is HERE You can find the picture we discuss on the Capital Collections website HERE The gateposts with the strange lions are HERE Plant Alley and the boating pond is HERE The Sundial Garden is HERE The final gateposts are opposite the John Hope Gateway HERE Hetty's History Walks organises group and private walks around the city: https://www.hettyshistorywalks.co.uk/    

Find out about the brilliant Friends of Montgomery Street Park who have brought real joy to  volunteering.  I went along to see how a Council owned park between Leith Walk and Easter Road has been transformed into a wildlife spot and a haven for local residents.  A former bowling green, the site now has fruit trees, a wildflower meadow, spring bulbs and a rejuvenated playpark.  The team has also created a groundbreaking community magazine, Parklife, working with local artists, journalists, writers and designers to produce a stunning publication. My visit began finding out about Parklife and volunteering, then ended with a great conversation about "Ecotherapy", getting married on Calton Hill and as always, some favourite spots across the city.  Montgomery Street Park is HERE The artist who has transformed the helter skelter into artworks is Paul Meikle: https://paulypocket.com/about/ Follow or find out more about the Friends of Montgomery Street Park HERE They are also on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/montgomerystreetpark    

Siccar Point near Cockburnspath is a stunning viewpoint where Father of Geology James Hutton, found evidence to support his theories which influenced modern day geology.  It's a great walk with superb views and is going to be transformed through a project spearheaded by the Edinburgh Geological Society.    The project will bring improved access and interpretation for visitors and its launch will coincide with the James Hutton Tercentenary in 2026. I stepped out along the cliffs with podcast regular, geologist Angus Miller, to find out why Siccar Point is so significant and to learn more about the crowdfunding campaign for this important project.  To find out more about James Hutton, his influence and the Tercentenary, visit: https://james-hutton.org/ To read about the project, the crowdfunder, the Dynamic Earth event and how you can get hold of some of the 'rewards': https://edinburghgeolsoc.org/support-the-deep-time-trail/ The crowdfunder, including a film about the site, is HERE To learn about the James Hutton Insititute: https://www.hutton.ac.uk/ The Scottish Geology Trust is here: https://www.scottishgeologytrust.org/ Angus and I met HERE And the viewpoint is HERE  

The Treecreepers is a fairly new birdwatching and nature group for 18-35 year olds organised by conservationist and bird expert, El.  I headed up Corstorphine Hill with El to see if we could spot any birds and listen to their sounds.  While there she told me about the group, why she set it up and its popularity.  We also talked about roles for young people in conservation, her love of the outdoors and why Corstorphine Hill is a great place to visit. The birds we heard/saw: buzzard; nuthatch; long tailed tit; blue tit; goldcrest; chiffchaff; chaffinch; goldfinch. We met at the entrance on Corstorphine Road: HERE  The Treecreepers on Instagram: @the_treecreepers The Treecreepers on Substack: https://thetreecreepers.substack.com/ Please email El if you have any secondhand binoculars you are happy to gift to her groups: mailto:thetreecreepers@outlook.com You can read my occasional Substack thoughts and view pictures of the recordings here: https://edinburghoutdoors.substack.com/ Edinburgh Outdoors is also on Instagram and Facebook     

Join me for an interesting afternoon with Tamsin Grainger discovering all about Granton's history.  As I become more fascinated by the area and it's special character, it was good to find out more about its past.  Join us as we head out to walk along the shore seeing seals, brick beaches and quirky statues while we delve into stories of the area and what draws Tamsin to the outdoors.  And find the history behind 'walking like a tortoise'. We met at Wardie Bay HERE We visited the Pianodrome HERE The sailor statues are HERE The 'brick beach' is HERE The Pitt and sauna is HERE You can read Tamsin's material on the links below: www.tamsingrainger.com and walkingwithoutadonkey.com She was winner of the Walk•Listen•Create Marŝarto Award 2024 LINK And Tamsin is author of 'Working with Death and Loss in Shiatsu Practice, a guide to holistic bodywork in palliative care' (Singing Dragon, 2020).  LINK Bluesky: @walknodonkey.bsky.social Instagram: tamsinshiatsu  

Join Euan Baxter of the Save the Roseburn Path campaign and me as we walk the Telford and Roseburn paths on his morning commute.  Once a railway line, the Paths were opened in the eighties by cycling campaigners and the route is now teeming with cyclists, walkers and runners either commuting or just enjoying their local stretch of nature.  With trees, birds and other wildlife it's a valuable part of Edinburgh's parklands.  Join our chat about the path, listening to birds, spotting plant life and finding out about the campaign to save the Path from becoming a major tram route from Granton to the City centre.  The City Council is launching a consultation on the tram route during August for 12 weeks, so listen in, visit and enjoy this special place, then have your say.  You can find out more about the campaign here: https://www.savetheroseburnpath.com/ You can find the consultation details HERE We met at the Red Bridge HERE And walked to HERE Read my Substack HERE

Edinburgh is a beautiful city and of course, many of its views make great photographs.  I headed up Salisbury Crags in Holyrood Park with photographer Jason Baxter to find out how to get that killer shot of my home town.  We talked careers, the beauty of Holyrood Park and Arthurs Seat and the frustration of an easterly wind which brings Edinburgh's haar. Jason has photographed Edinburgh and Scotland for many years and his pictures grace the walls of the Airport, so take a look next time you're there. To find out more about Jason: https://www.jasonbaxter.media/ We were photographing up the Crags: HERE And then after a circuit of the Crags we walked back to the Palace via Hunters Bog which is HERE  

Cramond Island is a tidal island in the Forth Estuary which has a long and varied history and is  really worth a visit.  The area was an important port during Roman times and remains of a large fort can still be seen beside the church.  The island was once a farm, a popular holiday destination and then was occupied during the first and second world wars as a strategic defence site.  Many WW2 remains can still be visited including gun emplacements, armouries, lookout posts and traces of an old railway on the beach.  I crossed the causeway with Ian Rodger of the Cramond Heritage Trust to discover the history of this fascinating place.  The Cramond Heritage Trust offers tours of the island via their website and also has a great museum in the Maltings on shore at Cramond itself.  To visit the island you should first checkout the safe crossing times on the South Queensferry RNLI website: https://www.queensferrylifeboat.co.uk/cramond-tides The Cramond Heritage Trust website is here: https://cramondheritage.org.uk/    

IMany people don't know that Edinburgh was once a walled city- so we set off to find them.   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 Community 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