LANDSCAPING SERVICES
PLANS UNVEILED FOR EDINBURGH CITY CENTRE ’ S FIRST PUBLIC GARDEN IN 200 YEARS
World renowned landscape garden designer , Tom Stuart- Smith to support The Royal High School Preservation Trust ’ s ambitious garden project
Plans for the Royal High School Building on Calton Hill are well underway including an ambitious garden project which will see exciting new gardens with free public access , created in the grounds of the building .
Designed through a collaboration between award-winning landscape architect Tom Stuart-Smith OBE , and Edinburgh based landscape architects , OPEN ( part of SLR ), the area will provide the first major new city centre public garden since Princes Street Gardens opened more than 200 years ago in 1820 . The plans will give residents and visitors to Edinburgh access to a beautiful open space with outstanding views of both the capital and the surrounding landscape .
With an East and West Garden the aim is to provide an oasis of calm from the busy city centre while creating a contemporary setting that respects the neo-classical features of the former Royal High School building . Ensuring the area can be enjoyed by everyone has been a key principle of the design so the gardens will be open daily with free entry for all . The creation of a very green garden has also been a fundamental part of the plans to increase biodiversity and create nature networks in the area .
The gardens will create a dynamic ecosystem , providing diverse food sources and habitats for local wildlife to support biodiversity and combat species decline . Using local materials and native plants , the design integrates with Calton Hill ’ s surrounding landscape , reinforcing both visual and ecological connections between the cultivated gardens and the natural environment .
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