8.  Saughton Park

Saughton Park was once part of the lands of Stenhouse and had an elegant mansion of its own, Saughton House. Today it is difficult to imagine that in 1908 the park housed a massive Scottish National Exhibition, with all manner of shows, displays, a concert hall, bandstand and huge fairground with waterslide and roundabouts. Around 3 and a half million people visited during the 6 month of the exhibition. All that remains today are the white bridge into the site from Balgreen Road, the iron footbridge here at Ford’s Road and the rose gardens.

Today the area is a large park, run by City of Edinburgh Council. Home to playing fields, a children’s play park and a very popular skate park.

Once you have entered the park you have a choice of 2 routes. You can either choose to follow the river bank to your right through the gardens and past the impressive Gorgie Weir which bring you round in a loop, or alternatively you can proceed ahead past the walled garden to Ballgreen road when the two paths rejoin. The Winter gardens within the park are a pleasant diversion and include a Rose garden, Floral displays, Walled garden and Glasshouses.

The river bank skirting the park is rather beautiful with many fine trees. The area is also home to many water fowl including mallard duck families and in the winter months you can see Goosanders – a diving duck with a saw like bill for catching fish. They have impressive black and white plumage with the male sporting an emerald green head and the female, an orangey brown head.

Watch for the next audio point downstream in Roseburn Park on a false bridge past Murrayfield stadium.

Video created by Bryce Morrison, Edinburgh U3A Movie Makers Group

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