Our main volunteering tasks involve an army of volunteers, tools (and tea breaks!) but there’s another volunteer role within the Trust that you probably wouldn’t notice unless you were paying close attention – and that’s the role of the River Patroller. Along the whole length (almost 13 miles) of the walkway we have regular volunteers that walk a mile section (or Zone) and report their observations back to us. Sometimes that’s the positives, like the numbers of users and wildlife they see; at other times it’s keeping an eye out for more negative aspects such of fly tipping, invasive species or pollution in the river.
These observations are vital to our work, as it allow us to us to plan our practical conservation sessions to maximise their impact. Tracking wildlife along the walkway gives us a picture of the health of the river valley and contributes towards national statistics. The observations also allow us to respond quickly to pollution doing damage, or the growth of invasive species such as giant hogweed. Recently one of our volunteers, Lucie Novoveska, turned all the data collected over the past eight years into a clear and fascinating snapshot of what’s changing, what’s working, and where we need to pay attention. Data from nearly 2500 patrols since 2018 was analysed.
Growing use of the Walkway: The data shows a clear increase in people using the walkway across several zones, with some areas seeing particularly strong growth. Zone 4 — running from St Bernard’s Bridge to Belford Bridge — has seen a 100% increase in users, making it one of the busiest sections. This is great news – more people are discovering and enjoying the river corridor and benefitting from the regular volunteering that helps keep the walkway accessible and welcoming. For context, Zone 1 covers Leith and Zone 12 covers Balerno, highlighting how usage is growing along the length of the river, not just in the city
A more inclusive path: There’s also been an increase in the number of mobility scooters, wheelchairs, and pushchairs recorded per hour. That’s a positive sign that the walkway is becoming more accessible and usable for a wider range of people. As ever, there is more work to be done to improve access points onto the walkway, but having this data it means we can share it with potential funders.
Four legs on the path
Dog numbers have increased markedly since the pandemic but use is evenly spread across the different zones, suggesting that usage is balancing out rather than concentrating in just one or two hotspots. This can help reduce pressure on sensitive areas where we have meadows or wildlife living. Zone 8 — the Dells upstream of the Centre remains the area with the most consistently high use.
Pressure points to watch
With success comes responsibility. Zone 4 now combines the highest number of users (of all types) with some of the richest wildlife presence, which raises important questions about the pressure on the environment. Potential risks could include water quality degradation, noise disturbance, habitat loss, and longer-term impacts on biodiversity — especially if visitor numbers continue to grow due to tourism and increased awareness of the route.
Thank you to our volunteers
None of this valuable data would exist without the dedication of our River Patrol volunteers. Every patrol log —whether it records 5 walkers or 50, a kingfisher flash or a quiet stretch of river — adds to a long-term picture that helps us care better for this special place.
In short, more people are enjoying the walkway, accessibility is improving, wildlife remains present, and we now have clear evidence to guide where further investment or management is needed. We’re delighted that City of Edinburgh Council has committed up to £1 million from the incoming Edinburgh Visitor Levy to invest in the walkway network and upgrade the Dean Valley — an outcome for which we’ve been actively advocating for. While the details are still being finalised, this funding is expected to unlock further path improvements from 2027 onwards.