The Meadows

The Meadows is a large public park in Edinburgh, south of the city centre. It spreads over open grassland with tree-lined paths and includes a children’s playground, croquet club, tennis courts and sports pitches. The park is bordered by the University of Edinburgh’s George Square campus, St Thomas of Aquin’s High School and the Quartermile development to the north. To the south lie Marchmont, Summerhall and Sciennes, and to the east is Newington. In the south-west it becomes Bruntsfield Links, where a free public short-hole golf course is found. The Meadows has a long history as common land used for grazing until at least 1920. It once held a loch called the South Loch, which supplied drinking water until Edinburgh’s piped supply began in 1621. In the 17th and 18th centuries the loch was drained and planted with lime trees, creating a park with paths and a summer house. The central Middle Meadow Walk remains a landmark, and the park was protected from building in 1827. It played a key role in early football, hosting the first derby between Heart of Midlothian and Hibernian in 1875. Visitors find wide grassy areas, tree-shaded walks and facilities for sport and play. Remnants of past events include the Prince Albert Sundial near the west entrance and the relocated Brass Founders’ Pillar. The park hosts annual events such as the Meadows Marathon and the Meadows Festival, organised by local volunteers. It also serves as a starting point for the Edinburgh Moon Walk and has hosted large public gatherings like the Make Poverty History march. Mature elms line the paths, though some have been lost to disease, and replanting with resistant hybrids continues.