About the Friends

The Friends of Easter Craiglockhart Hill were the first Friends Group in Edinburgh, and we are now one of many Friends Groups in the city that work to protect our green spaces.  It’s a big hill, with a big name, so we tend to abbreviate to FECH, known as ‘fetch’.

We are a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) registered with the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) – Scottish Charity Number SC049086. We are run by a committee of voluntary trustees in accordance with our constitution which can be viewed here.

We work in partnership with the Natural Heritage Service of the City of Edinburgh Council. We want people from the local community and further afield to visit Easter Craiglockhart Hill, learn about the natural world and enjoy spending time outdoors. We try to get the balance right between encouraging people to enjoy themselves on the hill and protecting the environment.

In 1998, we fought off a housing development proposal that would have destroyed much of the lower woods. In 2005, we supported the Council to designate Easter Craiglockhart Hill as a Local Nature Reserve. In 2008, Easter Craiglockhart Hill received a Green Flag Award – the quality standard for green spaces – and the award has been renewed every year since. In 2018, the Local Nature Reserve doubled in size when woodland areas were transferred from the Craighouse estate into Council ownership. In January 2019, Big Lottery funding made it possible for us to appoint a part-time Community Development Worker with a remit to recruit volunteers, build land management skills, improve inclusion and provide environmental education.

FECH volunteers spend hundreds of hours each year carrying out a wide range of tasks: planting trees and wildflowers; maintaining and enhancing the meadows; clearing up many tonnes of litter; collecting and recycling tonnes of scrap metal. We have also partnered with Edinburgh Council to ensure the paths and steps are kept safe to use.

We continue to improve the area by taking care of the trees we’ve planted, growing on plants using seeds collected from the hill, and engaging with local people of all ages who want to use, enjoy and support the biodiversity of the LNR.

You can support our work by:

• Becoming a member. It’s free! You will receive regular newsletters and invitations to events.
• Coming along to our guided walks and environmental classes.
• Volunteering to help us on the hill, or by joining our Management Committee.
• Contacting us and telling us what you think should be done on Easter Craiglockhart Hill – check out our Community Plan.

Easter Craiglockhart Hill is a lovely place. Enjoy spending time there. Help us to make it even lovelier.