Friends of Corstorphine Hill

Programme of Events

The current programme of events includes the following listed below. Previous years programmes of walks and talks are available at this archive page link.

• Opening times for the Walled Garden.

• Opening times for the Tower, affording fabulous views of Corstorphine Hill and environs.

• Summer programme of guided walks on Corstorphine Hill.

• Winter programme of evening talks in the 'Best Western Capital Hotel' on Clermiston Road.

• Self-guided walks around features of interest on Corstorphine Hill (Local Nature Reserve).

• Coach Trip to Kailzie Gardens. Tuesday 28th May, 2013. The coach will leave from the Capital Hotel, Clermiston Road at 10.30am and will leave Peebles at 3.30pm (approx) for return. Open to members and their friends. Seats will be allocated on a first come basis and notified by telephone to confirm. The trip requires booking and will cost £14 per person. Further details and booking form on this link (or also in Newsletter No. 45 or No.46).

Summer programme of guided walks, year 2013

These informal walks are suitable for all ages and are designed to introduce the varied plant and animal life of the Hill to local people. The walks take about two hours and anyone interested should turn up on the day to join in.  

• ‘Bird Watch and Walk’ guided walk. Saturday 4th May. Guided Birdwatching walk on Corstorphine Hill. This will start at 11am at the Clermiston Road North car park, and will be led by Keith Donnelly of the RSPB. This is a good time to see and hear the summer migrants beginning their nesting , while the limited leaf cover allows us to see them. 
• Wild Plants Walk: ‘Natives, Naturalized & Nasties’ guided walk. Sunday 16th June. Local Botanist and FoCH committee member, Dr. Brian Moffat will lead a walk showing the great variety of common and uncommon plants on the Hill, starting at 2pm, in the Walled garden. 
• ‘Storytelling for Children’ in the Walled Garden. Sunday 22nd July. Alette Willis, a well known local children’s author, will be reading stories for children aged 4-8. Children must be accompanied by parents/carers. Starts at 2pm in the Walled Garden.
• ‘Butterflies,  Bees, and other Beasties’ guided walk. Sunday 21st July. Gordon Swann and David Adamson will lead a hunt, with nets etc for the smaller inhabitants of the Hill. Nets and bug bottles provided. Children, old and young, especially those good at catching things especially welcome! Meet at the Walled Garden at 2pm.
• ‘Trees of Corstorphine Hill’ guided walk. Sunday 4th August. Dr Brian Moffat will show us the variety of trees, common and uncommon, including the famous Corstophine Sycamore, in a ramble over the Hill. Meet at the Walled Garden at 2pm.    
  
• ‘Fungus  Foray’ guided walk. Sunday 22nd September. David Adamson will lead another of his very popular searches for interesting fungi on the Hill.  Suitable for all the family. Meet at the Kaimes/Cairnmuir Road car Park at 2pm.

Winter programme of evening talks, year 2012/2013

The venue for the talks is the Best Western Capital Hotel on Clermiston Road. As usual the talks are free and start at 7.30 pm.

• Wildlife of St Kilda. By Dr Richard Luxmoore, Senior Nature Conservation Adviser, National Trust for Scotland. Tuesday 23rd October, 2012.  
• Water of Leith. By Helen Brown, Water of Leith Conservation Trust. Tuesday 20th November, 2012. 
• The Bartholomew Archive – A Cartographic Window into Edinburgh’s Past. By Christopher Fleet, National Library Scotland. Tuesday 12th March, 2013.

Walled Garden opening

The walled garden is open every day. A team of volunteers open up in the morning and lock up at night in order to minimise any vandalism and generally keep a eye on the garden. The work teams open on a Tuesday and close on a Thursday since they are there anyway. Therefore the garden is open from 11.00 am till 4.00 pm as a core time. In fact it is open for much longer hours especially in the summer, depending on how it fits in for the volunteers.

Tower opening

The Friends are pleased to announce that for the year 2013 the Tower will be opened by our volunteers for viewing every Sunday afternoon from 2pm - 4pm throughout the summer; starting on Sunday 5th May, until Sunday 29th September. 

• START DATE: Sunday 5th May
• at weekly intervals until...
• FINISH DATE: Sunday 29th September
• and also on Saturday 28th September for the Edinburgh Open Doors Day

For anyone wanting to know more about the Tower opening or offering to help, contact a committee member or email tower@corstorphinehill.org.uk.