The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is probably the last user of stone
from the quarry.
During the mid 1990's the area now growing the Chinese plant collection was
developing. The south facing grassed hillside was to be developed
and planted to represent a mountainside in south west China. A pathway through
the hillside would take visitors from the Gardens' centre path, dissecting the
area and gradually increasing in altitude to the top of the hill.
Materials were to be sourced to surface the pathways.
At the lower elevation we used monoblock paving. This provided a smooth transition into the area. To give the impression
of the track deteriorating as it does the higher you climb on a mountainside we
looked around for a material that would be durable and provide a safe surface under
foot.
At this time The Craigleith quarry was metamorphosing into the Craigleith Retail
Park. Quantities of stone were left on the perimeters of the development.
The Garden became involved with the development through the sponsorship of the
International Conifer Conservation Project by the Sainsbury Trust.
It was through this connection that in April 1995 the Garden was fortunate to obtain
in excess of 100 tonnes of this sandstone. This provided the ideal material to
surface two of the bridges over the stream, giving a naturally worn look which
leads visitors from the formality of the block paving over a tumbling mountain stream
into dense vegetation.
The Chinese plant collection was opened to the public in
May 1997. The surface has carried approximately 600,000 visitors, annually
since then.
Submitted by Tony Garn Member of RBGE staff
|
Craigleith Stone pathway and waterfall
Craigleith Stone Pathway
Photos by Alan Ross with permission from RBGE
|