The Library Blog

Edinburgh Napier University Library blog. Filled with useful and fun blog articles on using the Library, the University, Edinburgh and many other fun topics.

Category: Recreation

Edinburgh Beltane Fire Festival image of fire on top of a hill with people all around it

Edinburgh Beltane Fire Festival

30/04/2026 / / 0 Comments

Edinburgh Beltane Fire Festival

Your Complete Guide to Scotland’s Ancient Celtic Celebration

Every year since 1988, the Edinburgh Beltane Fire Festival draws up to 15,000 people to Calton Hill for a spectacular celebration marking the arrival of summer. The Beltane fire festival honours an ancient Celtic tradition that began on the evening before May 1st, featuring dramatic performances, sacred fire rituals, and mythological characters like the May Queen and the Green Man. What is Beltane, exactly? The Beltane holiday represents the transition from winter to summer through the powerful symbolism of death and rebirth. Over 300 volunteers now bring this ancient tradition to life, investing approximately 10,000 hours into rehearsals, costumes, and props. read on to explore the festival’s Celtic origins, key rituals and characters, and everything you need to attend.

What Is Beltane? The Ancient Celtic Fire Festival

Origins of the Beltane Holiday

Beltane translates to “bright fire,” referring to the bonfires central to this ancient celebration. The name derives from the Celtic god Bel (also known as Beli or Belinus), whose cult stretched from the Italic Peninsula across Europe into the British Isles. Historically observed in Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man, Beltane is one of four main Celtic seasonal festivals, alongside Samhain, Imbolc, and Lughnasadh.

The festival’s roots date back approximately 6,000 years, to when hunter-gatherers across Northern Europe transitioned to agricultural lifestyles. This ancient agrarian calendar predates the arrival of the Celts by millennia. Originally, Beltane was celebrated midway between the spring equinox and summer solstice, falling astronomically around May 5 or 6. Eventually, calendar codification fixed the celebration on May 1, aligning it with other European spring festivals like Floralia and Walpurgisnacht.

Traditional Beltane Celebrations Across Scotland

Communities gathered on hilltops where cattle pastured, cutting a round trench and leaving a central turf platform for the bonfire. The night before, villagers extinguished all hearth fires in their homes. On Beltane morning, priests or community leaders kindled the sacred “need-fire” using ritual methods, with traditional fires sparked from flint or friction.

Cattle were driven between two bonfires or made to leap over flames for purification and fertility blessings before being put to summer pastures. People themselves walked around or between the fires, jumping over flames for good luck, protection, and fertility. Following these rituals, the community relit their household fires from the Beltane bonfire, connecting everyone through the sacred flame.

The Meaning Behind the Sacred Fires

Fire served as purification, cleansing, and protection from supernatural harm, disease, and witchcraft. The flames symbolised the sun’s power, meant to ensure sunshine for people, animals, and plants while burning away harmful influences. These protective qualities extended to milk production, crops, and overall community well-being for the coming year.

Beltane’s Connection to Summer and Fertility

Beltane marked the beginning of the pastoral summer season, celebrated as “first of summer” when livestock moved to fresh pastures. The festival honoured the sacred union of masculine and feminine energies through figures like the May Queen and May King. Like Samhain, Beltane represented a liminal time when the veil between worlds grew thin, making it one of the two most sacred Celtic festivals.

The Edinburgh Beltane Fire Festival: How It All Began

The 1988 Revival on Calton Hill

On April 30, 1988, a small group of enthusiasts brought Beltane back to Edinburgh after centuries of dormancy. Angus Farquhar of the musical collective Test Dept led the revival alongside choreographer Lindsay John, dancers from Laban, and Gaelic ethnologist Margaret Bennett. The School of Scottish Studies at the University of Edinburgh provided academic support.

The revival emerged from political resistance during the Thatcher era. Farquhar sought something beyond the “black/white narrative” of political battles, researching Beltane to create a public ritual that flew in the face of the idea that “there is no such thing as society” (Margaret Thatcher). That first event faced harsh conditions with a £500 budget, pouring rain, and gale-force winds, yet roughly 30-40 volunteers created a procession around the hill that culminated in communal firelighting.

From Arthur’s Seat to Calton Hill

Arthur’s Seat historically hosted Edinburgh’s Beltane celebrations. Organisers originally intended the revival to take place there, but practical considerations prompted a location change. Calton Hill offered better accessibility and centrality while maintaining a connection with nature.

The choice carried symbolic weight. In the 1980s, Calton Hill had a reputation for sex, drugs, and served as a no-go area connected to queer counterculture. Organizers aimed to reclaim that space for the community through celebration.

The Beltane Fire Society and Community Involvement

The Beltane Fire Society was formed in 1988 for the second festival as a registered charity run by democratically elected volunteers. All performers volunteer, joining through word of mouth or advertised open meetings. Senior performers lead workshops covering event production, prop construction, character performance, percussion, and health and safety.

How the Festival Has Grown Over the Years

From a core of a dozen performers and a few hundred audience members, the Edinburgh Beltane Fire Festival grew to several hundred performers and over 10,000 spectators by 1999. The event now involves over 300 voluntary collaborators. Originally free and lightly stewarded, capacity constraints and funding requirements led to ticketing in recent years.

Key Characters, Rituals, and Performances

The May Queen: Mother Goddess of Summer

The May Queen embodies the maiden aspect of the Triple Goddess, presiding over the transition from spring to summer. The role passes to a performer for several years, with each May Queen crafting her own costume annually to reflect the festival’s theme. This goddess figure entices the Green Man during the ritual, uniting with him to rule over summer together.

The Green Man: Death and Rebirth

The Green Man represents life growing on earth, an archetypal figure appearing in folklore across Britain. During the ritual, he exposes his winter side to the May Queen in her maiden form, realising he must change to be with her. He surrenders his life, and the May Queen gives him life energy, bringing him back in his new summer form. This death and rebirth mirrors ancient fertility myths where spirits must die to ensure renewal.

The White Women and the Blues

The Blues serve as elder volunteers who hold knowledge and are respected within the community. They provide space for storytelling about the May Queen and Green Man’s narrative, acting as bridges between past and present traditions. The White Women protect the May Queen, representing order and discipline.

Fire Performances and Drumming

Performers, including acrobats, drummers, dancers, musicians, and puppeteers, create the striking display. The Processional drummers lay down beats that drive the march forward behind the May Queen, their rhythms carrying across Calton Hill. Torch Bearers dress head to foot in black with covered faces, trusted to carry purifying flames.

The Procession and Sacred Rituals

The May Queen leads the procession to the hilltop, with drummers alerting witnesses to their approach. The core narrative remains largely consistent, though additional elements emerge as new performers bring their own influences.

The Bonfire and Dawn Celebration

Fire plays the central role in the ritual, with torch bearers carrying flames and fire arches representing gateways between earthly and spirit worlds. The bonfire marks summer’s arrival, with celebrations continuing until dawn.

Attending the Festival

The festival occurs annually on April 30th on Calton Hill. The show begins at sundown and runs until late. Wear warm layers and sensible shoes or go in a full bright costume, but be careful to keep away from the flames. Be aware that the event features semi-nudity and uninhibited behaviour, body-painted characters, and fire.

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The Edinburgh Beltane Fire Festival connects us to 6,000 years of Celtic heritage while creating something entirely new each year. Equally important, over 300 volunteers transform ancient rituals into a living celebration that draws thousands to Calton Hill.

Whether you’re drawn to the mythological drama, the fire performances, or the communal energy, this festival offers an unforgettable experience. Book your tickets early, dress warmly, and prepare yourself for a night where ancient tradition meets modern spectacle under the Edinburgh sky.

The Library

We have lots of resources if you want to learn more about Beltain or Edinburgh. Check out Librarysearch.napier.ac.uk. You can read more about other Celtic festivals here on the blog too. Check out our post on lughnasa 

By Juliet Kinsey

Sources:.

World Theatre Day

World Theatre Day

27/03/2026 / / 0 Comments

World Theatre Day

Established by the International Theatre Institute (ITI) in 1962, World Theatre Day is a global celebration of the power of theatre in bringing people together.

Held in a different country every year, the ITI work with the major theatre association of the host country to stage a festival celebrating the traditional national theatre practices of the host country. This year’s celebrations will be held in Luxembourg from the 25th to the 27th of March, in collaboration with the Theatre Federatioun.

The ITI

As well as moving the celebrations between different countries, the ITI works with a different theatre professional every year to release a short recorded message wherein the professional gives their thoughts on the role theatre can play in society. Past spokespersons have included major figures from the theatre world such as actors Dame Judi Dench and Lawrence Olivier, and playwrights Arthur Miller and Jean Coctaeu.

This year’s message was delivered by renowned actor Willem Dafoe, who many of you might know from his work in the Spider-Man films, or his recent work in films such as Nosferatu and Poor Things.  In this year’s message, Dafoe spoke about his belief in the power of theatre to be more than just a vehicle for entertainment, but believes that it can allow us to interrogate ideas about modern society. As he puts it, he believes in :

“Theatre as a total art form can make us see what was, what is, and what our world could be.”

You can watch Dafoe’s short message for yourself on the official ITI YouTube page.

Edinburgh and Theatre

Edinburgh has a long relationship with the theatre, most famously with the Edinburgh Fringe, the world’s largest performing arts festival. Held across the city every August since the 1940s.
However, live theatre is a year-round activity in Edinburgh, so let’s have a quick look at some of the theatres here in Edinburgh.

The Royal Lyceum Theatre

Let’s start with the Royal Lyceum Theatre on Grindlay Street, the oldest active theatre house in the city. The Lyceum was opened in 1883 and has seen only light refurbishment in the 143 years since, meaning that going inside really does feel like stepping back in time. Indeed, the Lyceum is so old that it’s even rumoured to be haunted by the ghosts of past performers throughout its history.

The Lyceum is perhaps most known for hosting productions of various theatrical dramas, as well as staging some of the first Scottish productions of many renowned operas such as Madam Butterfly. To this day, you can see a huge variety of productions at the Lyceum, from Scottish classics such as The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, new productions such as an adaption of 1984 that will run this autumn, as well as stand-up comedy acts (I’m personally very excited to see Glasgow comedian Christopher Macarthur-Boyd perform his show Howling at the Moon at the Lyceum this November)
Along with this, the Lyceum also host a youth theatre for young people under the age of 25 who are interested in getting involved with the theatre.

Festival Theatre

Another grand old theatre of Edinburgh is the Festival Theatre, famous for hosting large-scale dance and musical theatre acts. Like the Lyceum, the Festival Theatre dates back to the Victorian era, although it’s seen much renovation over the years, especially following a catastrophic fire in 1911, which resulted in several deaths of cast and crew members.  Originally built as an opera and ballet house, the Festival Theatre has changed over time to meet the changing tastes of audiences and the emergence of new forms of popular entertainment. Today, in addition to ballet and opera, you can also see productions of musical theatre, one-person shows, and musical tribute acts.

However, if you’re interested in more off-beat theatre in Edinburgh, you can check out the Bedlam Theatre, a student run theatre based out of an old church in the Old Town. The Bedlam host a variety of shows throughout the year, performed by students at Edinburgh University, with many shows even being original productions put on by the students themselves. The Bedlam can be a great venue if you want to see something unexpected and support student-run art.

Get Involved

If you’re curious about getting involved in live theatre yourself, then student-led theatre companies like the one at the Bedlam can be a great way for you to take your first steps in the theatre world. If you’re a student at Napier, then you should see about joining one of the performing arts societies we have here at the university, such as the Edinburgh Napier Drama Society or the Musical Theatre Society.

As Willem Dafoe talked about in his message this year, theatre can be a great way for us to make sense of the world around us, and it’s never too late to get involved.

By Matthew Ferrie

Read more on The Edinburgh Festival here.

 

Image of Blue mug with sad face for post Blue Monday and Happiness Hacks

Blue Monday and Happiness Hacks

19/01/2026 / / 0 Comments

Blue Monday and Happiness Hacks

With the festive season having come to a swift end, many of us are now returning to school, work or university. We may also be looking back fondly on memories made with family, friends and partners over Christmas and the New Year. With cold and dark weather, financial worries, and reduced motivation and productivity often experienced in January, many people may face a post-holiday slump. This can sometimes lead to a noticeable dip in physical and emotional wellbeing.

Blue Monday

Blue Monday originated as a PR stunt by Sky Travel to promote and sell holidays. It is recognised as the third Monday in January and now serves as an annual observance of mental health and wellbeing awareness, as well as a reminder to practise self-care. It is often described as the most depressing day of the year. However, mental health struggles and life challenges are not limited to a single day.

How to boost your mood this New Year

We are here to offer some tips and happiness hacks to hopefully help you not only beat the January blues, but also face and cope with any challenges or physical, mental or emotional struggles year-round.

Connection is key

Having strong social bonds and keeping in touch with loved ones has a significant range of health benefits. Most of these benefits are usually associated with mental and emotional health. Other benefits include lower anxiety and stress levels, as well as a reduced risk of depression and feelings of isolation. Our mental and emotional health can also have a profound effect on our physical health. In this sense, since community and social connection reduce stress levels, individuals also experience more enhanced immunity, lower blood pressure, reduced risk of heart problems and increased longevity. So whether you are feeling uplifted or down this blue Monday. Take the time to call, message or meet up with a loved one. It may just help them feel more connected with others and less isolated as well! Looking to meet new friends and make new connections? The City of Edinburgh hosts a wide range of social meetups and events such as walking groups, running clubs, sports and gym classes, book clubs and various other activities and events, where you can meet lots of new people locally.

Treasure some time-out and time to yourself

As important as it is to connect with loved ones and keep in touch with them, it is equally important to make time for some well-deserved ‘me-time’ now and again to recharge. Whether this involves learning a new skill, taking up a new hobby or factoring in some time to read a book or watch TV, making time for yourself is essential at times for your own mental, emotional and even physical wellbeing. Even taking the opportunity to catch up on some much-needed rest, relaxation and sleep when you can do wonders for your wellbeing and allow you to recharge, particularly if you have had a long and stressful day or week.

Movement is medicine (and mental health boosting)

It’s not just a saying as well. It is Science supports that physical activity and movement significantly benefit not only your physical health but also your mental health as well. In fact, it is essential in helping to maintain and improve these aspects of your health and wellbeing. While it is the time of year when many will be making New Year’s resolutions regarding their own personal fitness, there are many ways to incorporate more movement into your daily routine that don’t involve investing a lot of money in a gym membership or signing up to run a marathon. Taking the stairs instead of the lift when you can, getting off the bus at a stop earlier than you normally would and even factoring in some time for a morning or evening stroll are great and time-efficient ways to get your steps in and incorporate more movement into your daily routine. These small habits and changes do wonders for your physical and even mental health long term and help to preserve mobility and physical function later in life.

Treat yourself!

January doesn’t have to be about foregoing all pleasures – after all, balance is key. Rewarding yourself here and there, particularly after achieving a goal, no matter how big or small, is a great way to boost your dopamine and self-motivation, especially if you have anticipated that reward ahead of time. It could be your favourite chocolate bar, time to watch an episode of your favourite television show or playing your favourite game.

Edinburgh Napier University Resources

Want to move more? Try the University Running Club. Join the running club here

Recharge with downtime by borrowing a novel from the Library or watching some movies on Box of Broadcasts for free.

For more inspiration on Life Hacks, why not read our article on: How to achieve your New Year’s resolution

By Rachel Downie

Wimbledon

Wimbledon

01/07/2025 / / 0 Comments

Wimbledon

Wimbledon Championships is one of the 4 Grand Slam tennis tournaments, and this year it runs from 30th June until 13th July, making it the third in the series. Top tennis players from around the world will compete in the prestigious tournament in men’s and women’s singles and doubles, mixed doubles and wheelchair competitions. The tournament is organised by the All-England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in collaboration with the Lawn Tennis Association and has been held since 1877, play taking place on grass courts. The main court, or Centre Court, is surrounded by 17 other grass courts, but there are also practice courts and clay courts on site. The finals of each competition are on the Centre Court.

 

Background

The first championship was held in 1877 and played on grass courts. This is still the case today, and it is the only Grand Slam played on grass. Back then, the only event was the men’s singles competition, but in 188,4 women’s singles and men’s doubles were introduced.

The tournament was initially only open to top amateur players, but in 1968, Grand Slam tournaments agreed to open up to professional players, beginning what is known as the Open Era.

 

Traditions

Unlike other tennis tournaments, Wimbledon has a strict dress code for competitors. They must wear all white clothing, including undergarments, caps, socks, headbands, bandanas and wristbands.

Children from local schools provide ball girls and boys to collect fallen balls from the courts. Around 170 are chosen from hundreds of applicants. Training begins in February, and the children are organised into teams of 6 to cover all the courts. Until 1976, only ball boys were used, but the following year, 1977, ball girls were introduced.

The tradition of serving strawberries and cream goes all the way back to the first tournament in 1877 but it is not clear as to how it began. However, the tradition probably came about due to the seasonal availability of strawberries reaching its peak at the same time the tournament took place.

Slazenger has provided the balls for the tournament since 1902. This is the world’s longest-running sports sponsorship.

 

Changes

Wimbledon has seen many changes since the first championship. One of the biggest has been the introduction of the retractable roof over the Centre Court in 2009. The British weather is always unpredictable, and even in summer, there can be a lot of rain. In the past, this delayed play forced matches to be played late into the evening. Covers were rolled out over the courts, and play would be suspended until the rain stopped. Now the roof can be closed, and play can continue no matter what the weather. A second retractable roof was installed over No. 1 court in 2019.

In 2025, after 147 years, Wimbledon will replace all line judges with automated electronic line calling (ELC). The technology will be in place for all qualifying and main draw matches and will replace the judges who were responsible for calling shots “out” and “fault” on a serve.

In 1973, the US Open became the first of the Grand Slams to award equal prize money to men and women. Previously, the prize money for women was less. It was only in 2007 that the Wimbledon Championships awarded equal payments to both. They had previously argued that the men’s game drew bigger tv audiences and played best three-of-five sets instead of two-of-three, as the women did. By 200,7, the difference in prize money was so small that it made sense to create parity.

In 1997 a giant tv screen was erected for people without show court tickets to watch the tennis matches live on a giant screen at the side of No.1 Court. Fans sat on the grassy slope nearby, and at the time, Tim Henman was the British No. 1 ,and the slope became known as Henman Hill.

Wimbledon heroes

Over the years, Wimbledon has seen many tense and hard-fought matches between some giants of tennis.

In the 1970s and 80s fans were excited to watch men such as Jimmy Connors, Bjorn Borg, Boris Becker and the fiery-tempered John McEnroe and women such as Billie Jean King, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova and Stefi Graf.

In the 1990s, we cheered on Pete Sampras, Stefan Edberg, Andre Agassi, Martina Hingis and Jana Novotna.

The 2000s saw Venus and Serena Williams dominate the women’s game, whilst the men’s game saw Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic,c and of course Britain’s very own Andy Murray dominate.

 

British Successes

Many British players didn’t quite make it all the way at Wimbledon – think Sue Barker, Annabel Croft, Andrew Castle, Heather Watson and Tim Henman, there are too many to mention. Year on year the crowds got behind them, but they couldn’t make the final push to win at the championships. A few British players have managed to do so.

In 1936, Fred Perry won the men’s singles title, and it took until 2013 before Andy Murray claimed the title, a gap of 77 years.

Since the Open Era began, the women’s singles title has been won twice by British women – Ann Jones in 1969 and Virginia Wade in 1977.

For the past 2 year,s a British man has been one of the winning finalists in the men’s doubles, but you have to go all the way back to 1956 to find a British winner of the women’s doubles final. In 2021 and 2022 there was a British win in the mixed doubles final for Neal Skupski and his partner Desirae Marie Krawczyk.

Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid are 2 of our most successful male wheelchair tennis players, racking up several wins in recent years in singles and doubles finals. Jordanne Whiley is the only British female wheelchair tennis champion, being a women’s doubles winner from 2014 to 2017 and again in 2021.

This year we can dream again of another British win, but if it doesn’t happen, the players will at least know that the crowd and tv audience is right behind them. Best of luck to Emma Raducanu, Katie Boulter, Jack Draper and Cameron Norrie!

 

You can find books and articles on sport and fitness using Library Search.

By Vivienne Hamilton

 

 

photo by Shep McAllister

Get Sporty

picture of brightly coloured records for blog post Into the Groove Christmas Lecture

Into the Groove Christmas Lecture

14/12/2023 / / 0 Comments

Into the Groove Christmas Lecture

If you enjoyed our post for Record Store Day in April, you may be interested in a free event taking place on 14th December. Set in the Lindsay Stewart lecture theatre at Craiglockhart campus from 13.30 to 15.00.

Into the Groove will see music industry names help ENU tell the story of vinyl records and explore the resurgence of vinyl in the digital age. As Lecturer Derek Livesey noted ‘Into The Groove aims to help people understand a bit more about this resurgence. And it’s not just the music: it’s the artwork, the smells, the liner notes, the track ordering, the ritual and the theatre of vinyl – and of course the crackles and scratches.”

Contributors to the event include broadcasters, a dj, academics and music producers. They will use a range of media such as interviews, films and demonstrations to deliver the event. And it  will be live-streamed to the US and Europe. And will be found on University’s Youtube channel.

So why not come along to this fun and informative Christmas Lecture. If you’d like any more information or would like to book tickets check out the webpage.

Read about our celebration of World Record Day 

photo of people outside during The Edinburgh Festival

The Edinburgh Festival

10/07/2023 / / 0 Comments

The Edinburgh Festival

Everything you should know about The Edinburgh Festival

The Edinburgh Festival is one of the most famous and internationally loved festivals in the world. It boasts multiple festivals within the festival, as well as art shows and street performances around every corner.

Here’s a list of the main festivals:

There is something for everyone no matter your interest. Us Librarians of course get very excited by the Book festival and a chance to hear our favourite authors read from their work is a rare privilege. All the big names appear in our tiny city and the excitement and energy on the streets is invigorating.

History

Incredibly The first ‘International Festival of Music and Drama’ took place between 22 August and 11 September 1947 (Wikipedia). The ethos behind the creation of the festival was  “provide a platform for the flowering of the human spirit” (Source) after the horrors of the Second World War.

Beginning with the high arts of Ballet, Opera, Classical music and the Visual Arts. It has grown to encompass so much more. The Edinburgh Fringe is a place to hear some of the greatest up-and-coming comedians, as well as standard favourites from around the Globe. The Jazz and Blues festival boasts some of the best musicians in the world. Not to mention the street performances that are free for everyone. Although you will need plenty of time to get between shows as it’s hard to resist stopping constantly to see them all.

Library Resources for Edinburgh Napier members

Whether it’s Jazz musicians or film criticism you are interested in, check out librarysearch.napier.ac.uk for all our resources

Read more about different festivals here on our blog. Check out: The Cherry Festival 

By Juliet Kinsey

View of Edinburgh Places to Visit in Lesser Known Edinburgh

Places to Visit in Lesser Known Edinburgh

17/10/2022 / / 0 Comments

Places to Visit in Lesser Known Edinburgh

Edinburgh Castle, the Palace of Holyrood and Greyfriar’s Bobby statue are some of the most popular attractions for visitors to Edinburgh.  However, there are lots of other attractions which are less well-known but just as interesting and pleasant to visit. Here are a few of them:

Museum of Childhood

This can be found on the Royal Mile but is often overlooked by guidebooks. A treasure trove of old children’s toys, games, clothes and playthings.

The People’s Story

Housed in the Canongate Tolbooth at the bottom of the Royal Mile it houses collections which tell the stories of the working-class people of Edinburgh from the late 18th century to the present day using oral history, reminiscence and written sources.

The Pentland Hills Regional Park

Just south of Edinburgh these hills are the highest points around the city and are often covered in snow in the winter. There are many walks over the hills with an abundance of wildlife. There is also a dry ski slope should you want to try out a new pastime. Easily accessible on public transport.

Dean Village

Situated five minutes away from Princes Street, visitors can find the Dean Village, a beautiful oasis right by the Water of Leith. In the past the village housed mills of various kinds, and the remnants of the industry can still be seen today. Look out for mill stones and carved stone plaques with baked bread and pies. Follow the walkway along the Water of Leith and you will come to the impressive Dean Bridge designed by Thomas Telford, and the classical temple of St Bernard’s Well.

Places to visit in Edinburgh Dean Village

Surgeon’s Hall Museums

Just a short walk from the Royal Mile, the Surgeon’s Hall Museums are a unique collection. Full of surgical tools, fascinating paintings and more than a few body parts in jars. Learn about the evolution of surgery throughout the ages and find how great Scottish minds brought us some of the medical breakthroughs we take for granted today. The present Surgeon’s Hall was designed by William Henry Playfair and completed in 1832. It is a category A listed building.

Gardens – Dr. Neil’s Garden

This is located beside Duddingston Kirk on the lower slopes of Arthur’s Seat. Created from a wilderness by Drs Nancy and Andrew Neil. Two features of particular interest are the physic garden, which grows medicinal plants, and Thomson’s Tower. It was constructed in 1825 and was originally built for the Duddingston Curling Society. This was back when frozen lochs were the grounds for curling and other winter sports.

Kyoto Friendship Garden

This Japanese garden can be found in the grounds of Lauriston Castle in the Edinburgh suburb of Cramond. With bamboo shelters to picnic in, breath-taking views over Cramond Island to the Firth of Forth, avenues of blossom trees and calming water features. It’s no surprise that it is rated one of the top three Japanese gardens in Britain. The garden was created to celebrate the twinning of the towns of Edinburgh and the prefecture of Kyoto in Japan. It was opened in 2002. Its official name is ‘Castle Garden to Water and Beyond’. Continue reading

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