Walk 309 - Portobello - 24 March 2026

Fifteen Strollers met up for an historic walk at Portobello led by our guides Karen and Helen. Starting at Harry Lauders birthplace, we made our way down to the prom learning about the harbour that was used for the movement of pottery from the large works that existed there. The Portobello Heritage Trust is rebuilding the kilns.

There was also the large open air swimming pool with its artificial waves now long gone. Moving along past the brightly painted public toilets and past the amusement arcade we looked at the tower built in the late 18th century using stones salvaged from demolished buildings in Edinburgh, allegedly including the Mercat cross, as well as gargoyles from the cathedral in St Andrews. Passing Windsor Mansions, where Ned Barnie who swam the English Channel 3 times lived, we came back down to the prom passing the swimming baths and Turkish baths to learn about the pier that used to be here at the turn of the 19th/20th century but was demolished in 1917.

On then to the Coade stone pillars which used to stand in the gardens of Argyle House in Portobello High Street. They are the same design as the chimneys on Dalmeny House. From here it was back to the High Street to finish the walk.

This is just a quick summary of what we heard and saw on the walk. Too much to write here!

Our thanks to Karen and Helen for a very interesting walk on what turned out to be a nice day contrary to the forecast. 

Walk 308 - Historic Walk - Mound to the Caley Hotel - February 2026

Twenty-six strollers met up at the National Art Gallery to walk through the West Princes Street Gardens and finish at the Caley Hotel. With a subtitle of “Histories, Mysteries and the Gap between the Old and the New” Karen and Helen had lots of interesting information to pass on.

They reminded us that the ‘Old’ and ‘New’ Towns are Unesco World Heritage sites and why this side of Princes Street only has the art galleries on it. Into the gardens we went over the history of the Nor Loch, including the testing of witches, and when it was drained and made into gardens. We timed it to see the engineer from Ritchies, who installed the clock in 1903, and are still maintaining today. It is the oldest floral clock and takes 35,000 flowers to make it.

What was the gardener’s cottage has been used in various television programmes over the years. We also saw the The Royal Scots Monument and the nearby stone to commemorate the liberation of Belsen, the Genius of Architecture Statue, the Elephant Statue to remember the babies involved in the Mortonhall Scandal appropriately covered in ‘Forget Me Nots’. From here we passed the Ross bandstand and then the stone from Norway with its thank you message to Scotland for support during WWII. Onto the Ross fountain, not the same Ross, and then out via St Cuthbert’s churchyard we passed the statue of ‘Bum’ the dog which was a present from San Diego.

We went round via the Usher Hall to see the place where McCrae’s Battalion was raised in the First World War. It was made up of many sporting volunteers including sixteen from Hearts as well as Hibs, Dunfermline, Falkirk and Raith Rovers players and fans. There were also athletes and rugby players, golfers, and swimmers. Unfortunately, very few of them returned.

From here we crossed over past the Sheraton and over the footbridge into Rutland Square and then finished at the Caley Hotel.

I’ve just given a potted version of what we saw and heard on the walk, it’s best to attend if you want to hear more. 

Next walk is a historic walk round Portobello.

Our thanks to Karen and Helen.

Walk 307 - Charlotte Square to Tollcross - January 2026

Seventeen Strollers met up on a dry and fairly mild day to walk from Charlotte Square to Tollcross.

Meeting in front of the West Register House which holds archive data and records for Scotland, we then headed off down Bells Brae passing the site of what had been the training centre for many years.

Fighting our way through the tourists in Dean Village we made our way on to the Water of Leith Path, watching as we walked along the path as the edge was a bit broken away in places we passed below the first of the Modern Art galleries and then on past the Britannia Hotel. Most of us remembered this as the Dragonara Hotel, scene of office nights out and location for external training courses.

Passing the Edinburgh Sports Club on the other bank we came to the Aids Memorial Park and the first of the Anthony Gormley statues situated in the river. There are 5 more on the way to Leith. We continued up the slope into Wester Coates and then onto the cycle path taking us to Russell Road.

We then went onto the new path taking us back up and over the new bridges over Dalry and then on to Dundee Street. From here we went up on to the canal path and finished the walk at canal basin.

A slow amble of a walk but still enough for people to have built up an appetite! 

Thanks to Drew for arranging both the walk and the reasonable weather.