'Birds' Guided Walk. Saturday 2rd May. A bird walk lead by Keith Donnelly. Meet at Clermiston Road North car park at 10.00am. Binoculars will be useful but not essential.
'Natives, Naturlised and Nasties' Guided Walk. Sunday 24th May. Botanist Brian Moffat will lead a walk introducing the great variety of plants on the Hill. Meet in the Walled Garden at 2pm.
'Medicinal Plants' Guided Walk. Sunday 21st June. Local herbalist Sarah Clarkson will lead a walk looking at the many useful herbs which grow on the Hill. This is part of National Herbal Medicine week. Meet in the Walled Garden at 2pm.
'Badger Watch' Guided Walk. Tuesday 7th July. Led by Edinburgh and Lothians Badger Group, starting at 7.30 pm in the evening. Numbers are restricted and participants must follow certain guidelines so attendance is by booking only.
'Story Tellling' in the Walled Garden. Sunday 19th July. Kirsty Straughan will lead a storytelling session on themes related to the Hill. The stories are aimed at 4 - 8 year olds, and their parents, of course. Meet in the Walled Garden at 2pm. This event is proving very popular so please phone
about the stories and the availability.
'Butterflies, Bees and Other Beasties' Guided Walk. Sunday 9th Augusty. Led by Gordon Swann. Meet at the Walled Garden at 2pm. Nets and bug bottles provided, children, young and old, especially welcome.
Due to popular demand another badger watch has been organised. 'Badger Watch' Guided Walk. Tuesday 25th August. Led by Edinburgh and Lothians Badger Group, starting at 7.30 pm in the evening. Numbers are restricted and participants must follow certain guidelines so attendance is by booking only.
'Fungal Foray' Guided Walk. Sunday 20th September. Led by David Adamson. Start at the Kaimes/Cairnmuir Road car park at 2pm. An example of what you might find can be seen in this photo of an Earth Star fungus.

Summer programme of guided walks, year 2008

'Birds' Guided Walk. Saturday 3rd May. A bird walk lead by Keith Donnelly. Meet at Clermiston Road North car park at 10.00am. Binoculars will be useful but not essential. The walk will follow an anticlockwise route past the tower and the main path to return to the car park. There will be an option for those so inclined to drop out at the Kaimes Road exit.
'Wildflowers' Guided Walk. Saturday 14th June. Introduction to the Plantlife Common Plants Survey Project by Su Cooper of Plantlife. Meet in the Walled Garden at 2pm for a briefing on the Plant Survey, then a walk at about 3pm.
'Butterflies, Bees and Other Beasties' Guided Walk. Sunday 27th July. Led by Gordon Swann. Meet at the Walled Garden at 2pm. We should have nets etc. to catch some beasties so bring the kids to the hunt!
'Trees and Woodland' Guided Walk. Sunday 17th August. David Kyles the Ranger for Corstorphine Hill will lead a walk to look at the interesting and varied trees of Corstorphine Woods and also some of the history of the woodland. Meet at the Walled Garden at 10am (walk lasting 2 hours).
'Fungal Foray' Guided Walk. Sunday 21st September. The ever popular Fungal Foray led as last year by David Adamson. Start at the Kaimes Road car park at 2pm.

Summer programme of guided walks, year 2007

'Birds' Guided Walk. Sunday 13th May. A bird walk lead by Martin Craven. Meet in the Walled Garden at 10.00am. Binoculars will be useful but not essential.
'Wild Flowers' Guided Walk. Sunday 1st July. Lead by Mary Robertson, starting in the Walled Garden at 2.00 pm.
'Trees' Guided Walk. Sunday 29th July. Lead by Mary Robertson, starting in the Walled Garden at 2.00pm.
'Fungi' Guided Walk. Sunday 23rd September. Lead by David Adamson, meeting at Kaimes Road car park at 2.00pm.

Summer programme of guided walks, year 2006

'Birds' Guided Walk. Sunday 28th May. A bird walk lead by Martin Craven. Meet in the Walled Garden at 10.00am (and the walk will last about 2 hours). Binoculars will be useful but not essential.
'Wild Flowers' Guided Walk. Sunday 11th June. Led by Mary Robertson. Meet in the Walled Garden. Mary is a real expert and you will see flowers you never noticed before.
'Trees' Guide Walk. Sunday 9th July. Led by Max Coleman. Meet in the Walled Garden. Max is Trees and Woodlands Project Officer, Natural Heritage Section of City of Edinburgh Council. He essentially runs the Tree Warden Scheme for Edinburgh. He can tell us about the tree wardens in general and about specific trees at Corstorphine.
'Fungi' Guided Walk. Sunday 17th September. Led by David Adamson. Meet at Kaimes Road car park. David is a well known fungi expert and has pointed out the details of this strange life form growing on the Hill before.

Summer programme of guided walks, year 2005

'Badgers' Guided Walk. Sunday 5th June. A badger walk lead by Tricia Allderson. Meet at the Clermiston Road North car park 10am. Will finish about 12 noon.
'Birds' Guided Walk. Sunday 19th June. A bird walk lead by Martin Craven. Meet in the Walled Garden at 10.00 am. Will finish about 12 noon. Binoculars will be useful but not essential.
'Wildflowers' Guided Walk. Sunday 14th August. A wild flower walk lead by Mary Robertson. Meet at the Clermiston Road North car park at 10.00am. Will finish about 12 noon.
'Badgers' Guided Walk. Sunday evening, 11th September. A badger walk lead by Fiona the Ranger. Meet at the Clermiston Road North car park at 7.00 pm. Will finish about 9.00pm.

Summer programme of guided walks, year 2004

'Birds of Corstorphine Hill' Guided Walk. 9 May 2004. The walk will be led by Martin Craven, keen ornithologist and member of the Friends committee. Meet in the Walled Garden, on the road up to the Tower from Clermiston Road, at 2 p.m.
'Flowers' Guide Walk. 18th July. Meet in the Walled Garden. Starts at 2 pm and last approximately two hours.
'Badgers' Guide Walk. 1st August 2004. Meet in the Clermiston Rd North car park. Starts at 2 pm and last approximately two hours.
'Trees' Guide Walk. 15th August 2004. Meet in the Walled Garden. Starts at 2 pm and last approximately two hours.
'Fungi' Guide Walk. 29th August 2004. Meet in the Walled Garden. Starts at 2 pm and last approximately two hours.

Summer programme of guided walks, year 2003

'Geology' Guided Walk, Sunday 4th May 2003, led by local geologist David McAdam.
'Flowers and Birds' Guided Walk, 27th July 2003, led by David McAdam and Martin Craven. Meet in the Walled Garden.
'Geology' Guided Walk, 10th August 2003, led by David McAdam. Starting from the Clermiston Road North car park.
'Badgers' Guided Walk, 24th August 2003, led by Tricia Alderson. Starting from the Clermiston Road North car park.
'Trees' Guided Walk, 7th September 2003, led by Mary Robertson. Starting from the Clermiston Road North car park.
'Fungi' Guided Walk 21st September 2003, led by David Adamson. Starting from Cairnmuir car park.

Summer programme of guided walks, year 2002

Topics included: Badgers; Botany; Flowers; Fungi; Geology; Mosses and a Rangers walk.

Evening Talks

Winter programme of evening talks, year 2009/2010

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.

History of Cramond, by Doris Duncanson: Tuesday 27th October, 2009.

Visit to Beechwood House, at the Spire Murrayfield Hospital: Monday 9th November, 2009.
Please note that this is at the Spire Hospital at 6.30pm and NOT the Capital Hotel at 7.30pm as are most of the evening meeings. Numbers are limited therefore those wishing to attend must book places.

Houses of Corstorphine Hill, by Alison Mackintosh: Wednesday 24th February, 2010.

Medicinal Herbs, by Sarah Clarkson: Tuesday 23rd March, 2010.
Talk on Medicinal Herbs and where to find them, by Sarah Clarkson, local herbalist.

Winter programme of evening talks, year 2008/2009

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.

Badgers and the Badger Group, by Trish Alderson: Tuesday 18th November, 2008.
Trish Alderson, of Edinburgh and Lothian Badger Group, will talk to us about our local badgers and the work of the badger group in studying and protecting them.
Corstorphine Heritage Centre, pre-Christmas social evening at the Dower House: Tuesday 16th December, 2008
The Corstorphine Heritage Centre will be holding a pre-Christmas social evening, as last year, to which all Friends, especially our many volunteer helpers, are invited. This is an opportunity to get together in the festive season and to say thank you to all the Friends who help us on the Hill, in the Garden, in the Tower, and with the Newsletter.
Railways of West Edinburgh, by Mr William Yuill: Wednesday 11th February, 2009.
Mr William Yuill, a local railway enthusiast will give an illustrated talk on the ‘Railways of West Edinburgh’.
Edinburgh Tramways Project, by Mr Alf Orriel: Tuesday 10th March, 2009.
Mr Alf Orriel, the Community Engagement Officer for the Edinburgh Tramways Project, will talk about the Project and answer your questions.

Winter programme of evening talks, year 2007-2008

Please note that the venue for the talks has changed to the Best Western Capitol Hotel on Clermiston Road. As usual the talks are free and start at 7.30 pm.

Plantlife Project, by Suzanne Cooper: Monday 22nd October, 2007.
Suzanne Cooper of Plantlife Scotland will talk about the work of this UK charity, which seeks to conserve and record plantlife, particularly monitoring rare and declining species, but also common well known plants. Plantlife wish to involve everyone interested in wildlife to help in recording the decline or increase in wild plants to inform conservation measures. People who walk Nature Reserves such as Corstorphine Hill can help by reporting their observations to Plantlife.
Pentlands Regional Park, by Susan Falconer: Tuesday 6th November, 2007.
Susan Falconer, senior Ranger for Pentland Hills Regional Park, will talk about the Park, the work of the Rangers, and the work of voluntary rangers (similar to FOCH).
Wildlife Crime Officer, by PC Charles Everitt: Monday 4th February, 2008.
Charles Everitt gave us an excellent talk last year concerning his role and the type of cases he handles. An update promises to be most interesting.
RSPB in Scotland, by Aileen Fox: Tuesday 11th March, 2008.

Winter programme of evening talks, year 2006-2007

All the talks are free and have all been arranged to take place at 7.30 pm in lecture theatre B at Queen Margaret College.

Composting, by Thomas Turnball (Home Composting Advisor): Tuesday 3rd October, 2006.
The Role of the Wildlife Crime Office, by PC Charles Everitt: Thursday 23rd November, 2006.
'Say a Prayer, Health and Safety', by Mr Robb Kidd (Fire Health & Safety Officer, BUPA Murrayfield Hospital): Tuesday 20th February, 2007.
Butterflies, by Richard Buckland: Thursday 15th March, 2007.

Winter programme of evening talks, year 2005-2006

The Talks Programme has been arranged by Cecilia McPherson. The talks are free, but please note that numbers are strictly limited for the visit to Beechwood House and you must book your place. .

A History and Tour of Beechwood House, by Julie Campbell (Marketing Manager). Tuesday 25th October, 2005. Meet at Beechwood House, BUPA Murrayfield Hospital Edinburgh at 7.00pm.
The History of Corstorphine and The Trust, including a visit to the museum archives rooms, by Frances MacRae (Assistant Archivist). Thursday 24th November, 2005. Meet at The Dower House at 7.30pm.
The History of Brewing, by Les Hutcheon (Retired Brewer). Tuesday 7th February, 2006. Meet at Queen Margaret University College at 7.30pm.
The Rocky Foundations of Corstorphine Hill, by David McAdam (Geologist). Thursday 2nd March, 2006. Meet at Queen Margaret University College at 7.30pm.

Winter programme of evening talks, year 2003-2004

The Friends Winter talks are held in Queen Margaret University College, Lecture Theatre B, starting at 7.30 p.m.

Thursday 20 November 2003 Birds of Corstorphine Hill
Martin Craven, keen ornithologist and member of the Friends committee.

Thursday 15 January 2004 History of Cramond
Doris Duncanson, Cramond Heritage Trust.

Thursday 19 February 2004 The Lowland Canals and the Falkirk Wheel
Helen Rowbotham, British Waterways Scotland.

If you have any questions about talks, would like to suggest a topic, contact Margie Dobson (tel: 0131 466 0216)

Winter programme of evening talks, year 2002-2003

All talks take place in Queen Margaret University College, Lecture Theatre B, starting at 7.30 p.m.

Thursday 20 February 2003 Edinburgh Biodiversity Partnership
Susan Steel (City of Edinburgh Biodiversity Officer)
Talking about her experience of working for the Edinburgh Biodiversity Partnership over the last four years, including work related to animal and plant life on Corstorphine Hill.

Thursday 20 March 2003 Countryside Ranger Talk
Fiona Smith (City of Edinburgh Countryside Ranger)
Talking about her first year with responsibility for Corstorphine Hill, and about her own special interests as a Ranger.

Thursday 24 April 2003 2003 AGM and Educational use of hill
Information on what is being done to promote use of Corstorphine Hill by primary schools and other groups.

Friends of Corstorphine Hill

Events Archive

Summer 2009 to Winter 2009/2010

Summer 2008 to Winter 2008/2009

Summer 2007 to Winter 2007/2008

Summer 2006 to Winter 2006/2007

Summer 2005 to Winter 2005/2006

Summer 2004 to Winter 2004/2005

Summer 2003 to Winter 2003/2004

Summer 2002 to Winter 2002/2003

Guided Walks

Evening Talks