Tucked away in Silverknowes, the 100-acre Lauriston Agroecology Farm is a location packed with ambition.
It could be initially dismissed as “merely” a community garden or a modest allotment project, but it is only by exploring the full site that the true scale, range, and professionalism of this multifaceted venture reveal themselves.
The project is underpinned by a highly qualified group with a clear, professional vision for the land’s future. Lisa Houston is one of the key figures in getting the project off the ground, and Kate McDougal leads the project’s communications.
From the site there are fantastic views of the Firth of Forth. Lisa noted that the scenery and the variety of weather makes it “a fantastic and inspiring place to work”. The entire project is founded upon the core values of “food, community, and biodiversity”, which underpin its four main activities: The Community Allotment, The Market Garden, Agro-Forestry, and The Community Orchard. The site is full of surprises, too, including the “Unexpected Garden” – an intriguing, quirky section produced in collaboration with North Edinburgh Arts.
A legacy and a transformation
This site has a long history of food production, though in recent times it was only used intermittently for grazing and silage. In reviving agriculture here, Lauriston Farm is paying respects to this heritage. Since taking over in 2021, the Edinburgh Agroecology Co-operative has begun a transformative process, working to discover and unlock the land’s full potential.
The journey started in 2019 when a small group approached the council, urging them to hand the site over for community use. After setting up a workers’ cooperative in 2020 and securing a positive public consultation (with about 1,000 local residents responding), they were granted a 25-year lease – enough time to truly embed the project. The fact that the site has not been built on is something of a historical accident, supposedly related to the neighbouring Lauriston Castle. Legend holds that it was decreed back in the 16th century that “the Lord’s view” from the castle should not be impeded. This stroke of luck helped preserve the site, which is now an outlier in a section of the city developing fast with new housing.
Despite its past use, the land is “pretty good”, though slightly compacted by generations of sheep and with a high clay content. This makes wet weather – like in 2024, when produce was lost to rot and slugs – more of an issue than dry periods, as the soil tends to clog. More broadly, climate change is impacting the site, and what they grow will have to evolve to cope. Will we see orange groves on this land in decades to come?
Principles of agroecology
The farm’s methods are a blend of cutting-edge sustainability and “lost arts”, consciously moving away from industrial agricultural norms.
The commitment to sustainability extends to the project’s goal of minimal waste and circularity.
Lisa cites Rhyze Mushrooms Coop, one of the organisations involved, as an example of a “loop system”, with their waste products used for a wormery, which in turn creates compost, ensuring nothing is wasted. Ryze grow mushrooms after moving to Lauriston Farm in 2024. The coop designed and built a custom polytunnel to harness Scotland’s unique climate to dramatically reduce the impact of their mushroom cultivation. With the help of volunteers Rhyze grow their mushrooms on 100% local business and agricultural waste.
Another vital element is seed saving, one of Lisa’s specialisms. She notes that this “lost art” of habitually keeping some crop aside for seeds helps ensure organic growth and maintain less common varieties. She relates that the lack of this habit has resulted in a situation where most commercial seeds are provided by a small number of big players, often agro-chemical firms. By saving seeds like pumpkins, beetroot, and kale, Lauriston Farm is helping to maintain the diversity currently lacking in supermarket offerings.
Reviving heritage techniques
In many ways, the modes of agriculture being practiced here represent ways that have been lost, and reviving them can help enrich the environment. For example, Kate is excited about the wheatfields they have started. Using Granton Rouge d’Ecosse, a variety indigenous to Granton, they hope to eventually see bread that is from local wheat and locally baked by Granton Garden Bakery, another community organisation. Some might see such modes as archaic, but Kate feels there is wisdom in some of these old techniques. For instance, growing trees between the crops, a practice lost in large-scale wheat farming, has multiple benefits. The trees help regulate moisture in the soil and add stability, as well as providing much-needed shelter; a benefit that was evident on a morning with 45 mph gusts sweeping across the site!
Agro-forestry and tree planting
A key focus has also been agro-forestry and planting trees, as the site is slightly exposed. In all, about 12,000 trees have been planted, while several hundred metres of hedgerow have also been added. The growth of the trees, many now extending beyond their protective tubes, has pleased Lisa, who recalled that ‘for a time it just looked like we were just planting tubes’. Many of these trees serve a crucial function as part of the agro-forestry model: planting takes place between the rows of trees, deliberately moving away from agricultural monoculture to promote greater biodiversity and soil enrichment. The other trees are part of the Community Orchard; the fruit will be used to make juices and ciders, and the variety of trees will create a ‘mosaic of habitats,’ encouraging a rich wildlife community to flourish.
A destination and its layout
The sloping site offers glorious views down towards Cramond Island and across the Firth of Forth to Fife, retaining a distinct rural feel despite being well-connected by public transport. Lauriston Farm is already an established destination for urban walks, and maintaining public access remains an integral part of the project’s identity. Visitors are encouraged to ‘Wander, Wander, Wilder’ along a network of well-marked routes, seeking fresh air. Only the regular planes overhead remind you that you are actually within an international city. The site is also designed for respite. Not far from the allotments are a range of lovely wooden ‘sitooteries’- perfect spots to shelter from inclement weather or simply sit and take in the view.
A challenge of public access
While the public is generally welcomed, a notice regarding an excess of dog mess highlights challenges in managing a public space. Many mistakenly think that dog mess is a natural, biodegradable product, when in truth it contains biochemicals. Small quantities would not be a huge issue but, as Kate puts it, “in such quantities” it is a real issue—”the land can’t cope”. Kate outlines that the dog mess issue is a manifestation of a more general “loss of connection” with nature. The farm is happy to sign up to The Scottish Outdoor Access Code, but they would love for all public users to follow it.
Functional design
The layout of the site results from functional and practical reasons. The Community Allotment section is at the top, as it is closest to residential areas (Silverknowes and Muirhouse) and key bus routes. The Market Garden is in the north west corner, closest to Cramond, where it is located because the ground is relatively flat and the surrounding trees offer good windbreaks. This segment demonstrates the scale of the commercial operation, complete with multiple poly tunnels, outbuildings, and a range of machinery, making it a central pillar of the farm’s success. Kate drew attention to the variety of projects based in the market garden section, all with potential for mutually beneficial crossover.
Community, education, and equity
Lauriston Farm sits in a fascinating geographical position, wedged between the Silverknowes Golf Course, its more exclusive twin, Bruntsfield, and the nearby Muirhouse housing scheme. Surrounded by new residential developments, the project is perfectly positioned to tap into a diverse local population.
Outreach and support
The Community Allotment section is particularly well-utilised, with raised beds still impressively populated even as December approaches. This participatory focus is evident in the diverse groups using the space, including a partnership with a homelessness charity. As Lisa notes, not everyone has enough knowledge or experience to use an allotment straight away, so “we hold their hands”, helping them gain knowledge and confidence. Spreading knowledge and understanding is a key aspect of the project, with sessions, such as a ‘Seed Saving’ workshop, emphasizing that “no previous experience” is necessary. For Kate, the community allotments are the key outreach aspect of the project. Hence, they have a specific “community navigator”, Hannah King, focused on this work. A core goal is “increased access to affordable locally grown food” and, recognising that access to green space is an element of inequality, they give priority to those who do not have gardens.
The sliding scale model
The Market Garden addresses the affordable food goal through the sale of its organic produce, primarily via veg boxes. Lisa outlines that their veg boxes have a core price of £16. Reflecting the variety of the nearby areas, they operate on a sliding scale: those buying the boxes are encouraged to pay what they can, either more or less than the recommended retail price. While there is a need to keep the project financially sustainable through self-generated income from the sale of produce, this community service aspect will never be neglected. It must, Lisa emphasises, remain “a mix,” not one or the other. This focus on community service demonstrates that, while the team has a good range of expertise in agronomy, the project is highly ambitious yet firmly rooted in the day-to-day lives of those who live locally.
Addressing global challenges, locally
Though its current work involves relatively small-scale projects, this initiative is fundamentally connected to major societal issues: climate change, inequality, social isolation, and a deep disconnection from nature and food production. Through the combined efforts of the Market Garden, the Allotments, and the Agro-Forestry programme, Lauriston Agroecology Farm is successfully embedding sustainability, access, and community into the soil of Edinburgh.
In just a few short years, the Farm has already made impressive strides in both highlighting and beginning to address these complex, global challenges. Kate concluded with a note of humility and hope: While they aspire to inspire similar projects elsewhere, they do not arrogantly believe that theirs is “the only way” to achieve these goals – only that, with the right expertise and dedicated funding, success is absolutely achievable.
