Edinburgh locals urged to branch out as Scotmid offers fruity funding

A community focused, environmental and wellbeing initiative led by Scotmid, is giving Edinburgh locals the chance to nurture and grow their own fresh fruit for free. 

Scotmid is encouraging groups in Edinburgh to apply for £200 to purchase fruit trees or bushes to plant in a publicly accessible area, as part of its already highly successful, Scotland-wide Community Orchard campaign.

The campaign, created to encourage people to work together, increase physical activity and benefit the local environment, has spread its roots far and wide since launching earlier this year, with more than 70 orchards having been planted in sites up and down the country.

The retailer is now urging those in Edinburgh to apply, in a bid to complete Scotmid’s ambition to have a community orchard close to every Scotmid store.

Lynne Ogg, Communities Manager at Scotmid, said: “It has been so encouraging watching communities come together to plant a whole host of fruit trees and bushes.  Some of our groups have already spotted their first fruit and we can’t wait to hear how good they taste!

“Not only is this a fun way to get together with your local community but it’s also a really easy way to get outside and enjoy your local environment – we would love for more communities to benefit from this initiative.”

Seeding success: Scotmid’s Winchburgh Community Orchard – Case Study

Orchards offer volunteering opportunities throughout the year, as well as the chance to learn new skills, create habitats for wildlife and produce an array of edible produce.

Since securing the Scotmid Community Orchard grant, the Winchburgh Community Growing Group has extended its community growing space.

The West Lothian based group started in 2018, with 50 planters across the village. By 2022, it had grown and moved to a 1.5acre site in Auldcathie Park which includes trees, planters, a community cabin and a kids zone.

The community growing space used Scotmid’s Community Orchard funding to purchase and plant eight Braeburn apple trees. Community volunteers will grow fruit to eat, cook and turn into juices.

Students from SRUC Oatridge college and local volunteers have been responsible for the planting and maintenance of the orchard, which is an open community space that hosts regular free growing and community events.

The orchard trees were planted close to Winchburgh’s Scotmid store, in a zone designed for wildlife and growing. Over 80 people in the community have benefitted from the additional trees from the Community Orchard initiative, with volunteers grafting, pruning and taking care of them for the benefit of the wider community.

John West from Winchburgh Community Growing Group, said: “The funding from Scotmid has helped us to purchase and plant eight apple trees which will provide Winchburgh locals with apples for years to come.

“As much as we are all excited to see the apples grow, it’s also been really rewarding to see members of the community work together to care for the orchard – now we can’t wait to try our first apple crumble!”

Edinburgh groups close to the following Scotmid stores are encouraged to apply by visiting: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/communityorchard/

• Scotmid Polwarth (116 Polwarth Gardens, Edinburgh, EH11 1LH)
• Scotmid Gorgie (236 Gorgie Road, Edinburgh, EH11 2PL)
• Scotmid Carrick Knowe (87 Saughton Road North, Edinburgh, EH12 7JB)
• Scotmid Drumbrae (1 Drumbrae Avenue, Edinburgh, EH12 8TE)
• Scotmid Colinton (230 Oxgangs Road North, Colinton Mains, Edinburgh, EH13 9BQ)
• Scotmid Balerno 1 (6 Main Street, Balerno, Midlothian, EH14 7EH)
• Scotmid Balerno 2 (49-53 Bavelaw Road, Balerno, Edinburgh, EH14 7AA)
• Scotmid Portobello (6 Bath Street, Portobello, Edinburgh, EH15 1EY)
• Scotmid The Inch (94-98 Walter Scott Avenue, The Inch, Edinburgh, EH16 5RL)
• Scotmid Gracemount (21 Gracemount Drive, Edinburgh, EH16 6RP)
• Scotmid Moredun (80-88 Moredun Park Road, Edinburgh, EH17 7HG)
• Scotmid Hamilton Place (56-60 Hamilton Place, Edinburgh, EH3 5AZ)
• Scotmid Leven Street (5-19 Leven Street, Edinburgh, EH3 9LH)
• Scotmid Stockbridge (6-8 Comly Bank Road, Edinburgh, EH4 1HG)
• Scotmid Rannoch (1 Rannoch Terrace, Edinburgh, EH4 7ER)
• Scotmid Crewe Road (236-240 Crewe Road North, Edinburgh, EH5 1LW)
• Scotmid Boswall (37-41 Boswall Parkway, Edinbugh, EH5 2BR)
• Scotmid Granton Road (137 Granton Road, Edinburgh, EH5 3NJ)
• Scotmid Leith Walk (207 Leith Walk, Edinburgh, EH6 8NX)
• Scotmid Pilrig (370 Leith Walk, Pilrig, Edinburgh, EH7 4PE)
• Scotmid Easter Road (112-120 Easter Road, Edinburgh, EH7 5RH)
• Scotmid Marchmont (126 Marchmont Road, Edinburgh, EH9 1AQ)
• Scotmid Warrender (34 Warrender Park, Edinburgh, EH9 1HH)
• Scotmid Barnton (187 Whitehouse Road, Barnton, EH4 6BU)