Edinburgh is a famously green city, with its multitude of parks, hills and waterways.
From the air, its natural character is immediately striking. “The fabulous green city” was the theme of Keith Broomfield’s talk at the Central Library, drawing on his book Wild Edinburgh.
He opened with a provocative question: “What other city in the world has such an abundance of nature?” It was a claim he spent the rest of the evening making a compelling case for.
A childhood spent in the wild
Exploring Colinton Dell shaped Broomfield’s early memories of Edinburgh. When his family moved from Kingsknowe to Trinity, a new adventure beckoned – the railway lines that backed onto their home. He recalled playing on them despite 20 to 30 trains a day running to Granton and back. His parents, he admitted, were fairly relaxed about how he spent his time. Most vividly, he remembered “scarpering from the Trinity tunnel” as trains approached, experiences that gave him a lasting taste for wild places.
Another formative discovery was Warriston Cemetery. Broomfield considers it a “natural mausoleum”, its rich diversity of plant life a quiet tribute to the many buried there. Watching two foxes sun themselves in his garden also stayed with him. How, he wondered, could they possibly thrive in such a busy city? That sense of wonderment has never left him.
An amazing shoreline
A naturalist and self-confessed “geek”, Broomfield has made it his business to discover exactly what lives and grows in the city. Sea life holds a special fascination for him. He snorkels regularly (another of his books covers snorkelling in the Mediterranean) and his explorations reveal that Edinburgh’s shoreline “brims with invertebrate life”.
Species have changed markedly over the decades. Fishermen once harvested oysters in massive numbers at Newhaven, before pollution decimated the population. Nowhere did this hit harder than at Wardie Bay, Broomfield’s favourite spot in the city. Playing there in the 1970s, he witnessed raw sewage pumping regularly into the water. Despite the grim conditions, some hardy species clung on. Authorities have since “radically cleaned up” the Forth, though Broomfield acknowledged work remains. Better water quality now draws many wild swimmers to the bay, including Broomfield himself.
Beneath the surface, the Forth teems with life. He likened the kelp beds to “an underwater rainforest”. Above the water, bird life impresses equally: Peregrine Falcons nest on the Forth Bridge, and the islands and islets host seabirds, seals and eiders. Broomfield warmly recommended an RSPB boat trip to experience the variety firsthand. Dolphins and humpback whales pass through regularly too. Edinburgh, he concluded, had “an amazing coast”..
Rivers, lochs and hidden gems
Moving inland, Broomfield pointed to the growing number of otters on Edinburgh’s rivers as a heartening sign of improving water quality. The city is also well served by lochs and ponds. Duddingston Loch, and in particular the protected area of Bawsinch Woodland, accessible only by special permission, he regards as a true haven for wildlife.Less well known is the loch in Figgate Park, just outside Portobello. Its proximity to busy roads and a railway line means it is often overlooked, but Broomfield considers it something of a hidden gem.
Parks, hills and the resilience of nature
He highlighted several other “wonderful places to wander”: Corstorphine Hill, the Cammo Estate and, above all, Holyrood Park. Its scale and ecological richness struck him as something of a miracle within a city. Scotland records 35 butterfly species in total; the park alone hosts 25 of them.Broomfield spoke warmly about nature’s “resilience”, delighting even in the wildflowers pushing through Edinburgh’s sett-paved streets. On the proposals to route trams along the Roseburn Path, he was relaxed: whatever disruption occurred, local wildlife would soon bounce back.
A city worth celebrating
Wild Edinburgh is, at its heart, a love letter to a remarkable city. Broomfield’s talk gave the audience a renewed appreciation for the natural world on their doorstep. Edinburgh’s wildlife, his words suggested, does not merely survive alongside its human inhabitants but actively thrives. His message was uplifting: clean up the waterways, protect the habitats, stay alert to the wonders around you, and the city’s wild character will endure.
Wild Edinburgh is available to buy here.
