Thursday October 30th 2025
Turfing on Calton Hill in May by the Calton Hill Conservation Trust
Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Liam Eunson
After calling an ‘erosion emergency’ on Calton Hill in September, Calton Hill Conservation Trust have taken action into their own hands after the City of Edinburgh Council are not willing to provide any funds.
Announcing that the UNESCO World Heritage Site’s top soil has ‘been the worst for many years’, the trust urged the council to help as the blame was put on them for ‘cutting the grass too short’ but the trust only received recognition of the emergency.
Blaming this issue on the grass being too frequently cut, they explained that ‘there is no erosion where the grass has been left uncut by local authority’ and that ‘all the erosion is on the top of the hill, not the surrounding slopes’, partly blaming the City of Edinburgh Council.
More than a month on since calling the emergency, the trust alongside Cafe Calton and the Collective Gallery have come together to launch a ‘community action’ to returf 240 square metres in front of the hills National Monument.
Despite the council providing no initial help or funds, they have agreed to supply the community with top soil with the trust explaining that ‘they are grateful for their cooperation’.
Simon Holledge, Chair of Calton Conservation Trust, said:
“When we called the Erosion Emergency, we got recognition from the Council that there was erosion — which is great — but no recognition of an emergency! Perhaps the Council are so used to calling climate, nature, and housing emergencies etc. that they don’t take them seriously?
“Anyway we felt we needed to take any action within our power to address the situation. Fortunately the Café Calton and the Collective Gallery came on-side to help and we’ve now got a credible community project in operation.”
Explaining when they announced the emergency that erosion is the biggest problem they face, the collective community effort is hoping to prevent further erosion and return the hill to its previous standard, with the turf planned to be layed on the 12th and 13th of November.
Despite the plan for the returf, the trust and wider community are urging the public to help with a desperate need for more assistance.
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