Saughton Park Restoration Project
The Friends have been involved with every stage of the restoration of Saughton Park, working with The City of Edinburgh Council and the Heritage Lottery Fund among other partners to bring to fruition the £6.7 million scheme to restore Saughton Park. Apparently, this was the largest project of its kind in Scotland!
It was vital that a project of such scale and importance had the input and guidance of the local community and the Friends have worked to ensure that the needs of the community and the wider city were front and centre in the design, planning and implementation of the project.
Projects
Below is a list of just some of the improvements to be seen at Saughton Park:
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Refurbishing and replanting of the Winter Garden and conservatory
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Reinstating the bandstand within the Walled Garden.
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Developing the new plaza in the footprint of the original Saughtonhall House, with chess tables, a Pétanque and boccia terrain.
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Restoring the original stables as a new community venue and base for Council garden staff and partner, the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society.
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Building a new cafe and public toilet facilities.
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Creating teaching and demonstration gardens, and a new courtyard where markets and events can be held.
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The Bothy, a base for volunteers and community groups to use, which has a kitchen and a wood burning stove.
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Upgrade of current play park with the installation of a Playground for All.
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FoSP Input:
See below for a few of the specific activities FoSP carried out for the restoration project:
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Working with partners to identify and secure funding and resources for the project and its components, such as the gift of free trees from The Woodland Trust and raising the funding for the new stone carving at the new Water of Leith viewpoint.
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Design, creation and planting of a physic garden, used for growing medicinal plants and for educational purposes.
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Design, creation and planting of a fruit orchard, wild orchard and park border orchard.
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Design and creation alongside partners of the new interpretation panels in situ in the park, telling its story and history.
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Planting of the new playpark area.
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Investigating the possibility of restoring the iconic bandstand and kick-starting the project.
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The FoSP history group were instrumental in informing aspects of the new planning and design of the park ensuring the project was sympathetic to and represented the varied and interesting history of the park.
More in depth information on the orchards, gardens, the bandstand, the history of the park and the role the Friends play can be found here.
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The project has revitalised a much loved green space!
