This month we have been busy taking our canal education programme out to a wider audience beyond our schools work. Our Cultural Heritage Officer Gemma teamed up with Chris O’Connell, Heritage Officer at Scottish Canals, to lead a guided walk in Edinburgh for the Scottish Industrial Heritage Society. 10 members of the society enjoyed a tour around the Fountainbridge area to explore the history of the Union Canal and the industrial heritage of the local area, including stops at the original terminus of the canal (now filled in), Leamington Lift Bridge, the former North British Rubber Works and a look at discoveries made by archaeologists during the building of recent canal-side developments. The landscape of the area has been completely transformed in recent years, so it was interesting to see the old alongside the new.
We’ve also been out talking to other groups in Edinburgh about our work along the canal, including Newington Library and National Trust for Scotland Edinburgh Members Centre.
In June we are hoping to get started on this year’s bumblebee and wildflower surveys along the canal in Edinburgh. This is an important piece of work that allows us to monitor numbers and feeds into the national database. We’ll be looking for willing volunteers to help us out throughout the summer and will advertise dates through our social media.
