On 8th June, World Ocean Day, 7pm-late, please come and celebrate the Wardie Bay Bathing Water designation.
Bring a costume, friends and something to drink or nibble and we’ll hopefully sing to the sea with gratitude to everyone involved in making this finally happen.
THANK YOU !!!
#WardieBay4BathingWater
The Royal Forth Yacht Club is gearing up now with a good number of boats and volunteers for our annual RYA Scotland #DiscoverSailing day at #GrantonHarbour on the #Edinburgh shoreline.
On Sunday 21st May, 1-5pm, we will throw open our doors and offer short sailing trips to all. Many thanks to our members who have volunteered for this valuable event.
We also welcome the following organisations who will be taking stalls on the day:
• British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR)
• Marine Conservation Society (MCSUK)
Off the water there will be a BBQ, hot and cold drinks available.
If you have any questions at all about Discover Sailing, please contact discoversailing@royalforth.org
If you’re not sure what to expect, take a look at our photo album from last year’s lovely event here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/…
or check out our RYA listing for details: https://www.rya.org.uk/…/discover…/search/listing…
We very much look forward to seeing you!
We are having our AGM on Monday 30 Jan at 6.30 – all residents of Lower Granton Road, Wardie, Victoria, Granton and Trinity Squares are welcome.
Don’t miss out on this major Royal Forth Yacht Club event this weekend … the Platinum Jubilee Parade of Sail 
On the afternoon of Saturday 4th June, Wardie Bay will be filled with the Royal Forth armada of boats. To those members who haven’t signed up so far, don’t miss out on this unique occasion. To all our neighbours, do join in for what will be a fun afternoon both on the water and shore side.
RFYC seeks to create a colourful spectacle, inviting all boat owners to sail a short downwind course across Wardie Bay flying either a spinnaker or goose winged. For motor boats, the flying of flags is encouraged.
Depending on the wind direction, it involves sailing a short course from near the mouth of the harbour to Newhaven or the opposite direction.
We start from 2.30pm, when the launch commences, and the Parade begins at 4.00pm.
Throughout, within the club, our new BBQ will be fired up and the bar will be open. So, whether taking part or spectating, don’t miss out! We will be capturing the event with drone footage.
Every boat taking part will be entered into a Jubilee prize draw with a chance to win a sought after prize!
Follow the link below for more event info and it would be helpful if members could register your boat to take part:
Wardie Bay in Edinburgh has not been designated as one of Scotland’s designated bathing waters following a decision by Minister for Environment and Land Reform, Mairi McAllan MSP.
However, Scotland’s environmental regulator will take water samples and publish them online, reflecting the high number of users during the season, which runs from 1 June to 15 September.
Application for designation
The application for bathing water status was submitted by Wardie Bay Beachwatch.
The submission was considered by the Bathing Water Review Panel and recommendations based on the criteria for designation were passed to the Minister for Environment and Land Reform.
Evidence provided confirmed that Wardie Bay had a large number of bathers, and there was community support for the designation. The third requirement, around beach management, has not yet been met.
Given the level of community use and the commitment from City of Edinburgh Council to continue to work towards accepting beach management responsibilities, SEPA will sample Wardie Bay from May to September 2022 and results will be publicly available on a dedicated section of SEPA’s website.
Nathan Critchlow-Watton, SEPA’s Interim Head of Water and Planning, said: “Scotland’s natural environment is world renowned. Our waters are at their best status on record and the best in the UK, including 99% of bathing waters meeting strict environmental standards in 2021.
“As well as the physical and mental health benefits that being outdoors can provide, bathing waters can support local economies by encouraging visitors.
“Due to the high level of community use, and the ongoing work by City of Edinburgh Council. SEPA’s specialist teams will take samples throughout the bathing water season, providing water quality information for the local community and visitors.”
Help improve our beaches and coastlines
Communities and visitors to Scotland’s beaches can also help to protect our water environment, even when they’re not there.
It’s important that people understand the impact what they flush away can have on the environment – and their local bathing water. Every year Scottish Water teams deal with around 36,000 blockages, costing customers about £7 million annually, and around 80% of those are caused by people flushing the wrong items down the toilet, or pouring fats, oil and grease down the sink. These blockages in the sewer system can result in spills of pollution into the environment.
Whether you are at home, at work or on holiday, Scottish Water provides advice on how to protect the network, and Scotland’s water environment, at scottishwater.co.uk/naturecalls
Protecting our bathing waters while at the beach is also vital. Waste from animals or litter is not just unsightly, it can have a negative impact on the environment. So, visitors are encouraged to take litter home, clean up after their dogs and avoid feeding the gulls, ensuring a good beach experience for everyone who visits.
Find out more at keepscotlandbeautiful.org/mybeachyourbeach
FRIDAY 21 JANUARY at 7pm
FREE – All Welcome
Come and join us for a relaxing walk and lunch by the sea
When: Thursday 21st October – 11am – 12:30noon
Where: Wardie Bay/Granton Pier
If you would like to join please email: JennaCorker@pchp.org.uk
Following a Freedom of Information request the Scottish Government has released the following submission from Forth Ports:
Wardie Bay was not included on the list of Scotland’s designated bathing waters when it was published on 1st July.
The Wardie Bay Beachwatch environmental group appealed the decision and received the following response from the Scottish Government’s Environmental Quality Unit last month:
Thank you for your letter to Mairi Gougeon, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands, about the application for Bathing Waters designation at Wardie Bay, Edinburgh. Bathing Waters fall under the remit of Mairi McAllan, Minister for Environment, Biodiversity and Land Reform, and I have been asked to reply.
The Bathing Waters Review Panel is multi-stakeholder group, chaired by SEPA, that considers and reviews the list of bathing waters, including new applications for designation and provides recommendations to Scottish Ministers. The Panel met on 8 December 2020 and made recommendations to the Minister for Wardie Bay bathing water designation application in May 2021.
The panel recognised numerous positive aspects of the Wardie Bay application and agreed that user number criteria was met in 2020 and seemed sustainable. However, Forth Ports provided a submission which mentioned swimmer safety in relation to offshore vessel/harbour activity, and this would have to be managed by clear beach management and bather information.
The relevant local authority, City of Edinburgh Council, indicated overall support in principle for the application. However, despite the Transport and Environment committee outcomes you mention in your letter, there are still on-going discussions at Committee level on their current roles and resource to perform beach management functions.
As beach management is a key criteria for designation, until such times as the City of Edinburgh Council concludes its deliberations on these matters, the Panel was unable to recommend designation.
Having considered the Panel’s advice on the circumstances at Wardie Bay, the Minister accepted the Panel’s recommendation that Wardie Bay is not designated as a bathing water at this time, noting that the outcome of the Council’s current deliberations on beach management will inform the Panel’s future recommendation regarding this location.
I hope you find this information helpful.
The group’s petition to have Wardie Bay included on the list of designated bathing waters remains live on Change.org – over 1730 people have signed so far.
Forth and Inverleith Voluntary Sector Forum will meet on Tuesday 20 July at 1pm via Zoom
Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84802007045?pwd=WmU3REQrL2ZNa3NEVDg4Zlp3TkVGdz09
Meeting ID: 848 0200 7045
Passcode: 991758
We will use this following agenda to guide our discussion:
1 Welcome and Introductions
2 Pilton Community Health Project and ASH Scotland present on new work addressing smoking rates in areas of deprivation (see below)
3 Evaluating Third Sector contribution to LIP priority 3 – tackling poverty and inequality
4 LOG Update
5 Training Opportunities for third sector (EVOC)
6 Member update
Hope to see you there,
KATE BARRETT
EVOC Development Worker – Community Planning
Museums & Galleries Edinburgh have launched ‘Life on the Forth’, a new digital exhibition which celebrates the city’s coastal communities.
The exhibition is the latest strand of activity as part of the ongoing Auld Reekie Retold inventory project, and explores the range and depth of the history of the area of Edinburgh on the shores of the Firth of Forth. Using map-based technology, it shows stories in the context of the very streets and places they originally came from.
Edinburgh’s coastline is rich in history. Drawing on objects from across the museum service, Life on the Forth celebrates stories and histories from across Edinburgh’s coastline. Some of these might be familiar, others perhaps unexpected.
The exhibition includes personal stories and individual lives, as well as tales of an industrial past. Uncovered stories, such as the life of Barbara Seaton, or the dangerous work of Edward McRobbie, help us understand the city that little bit better.
Whether tales of fishwives, fishermen, incredible feats of engineering or more modest lives and businesses, these communities past and present make the collections of Museums & Galleries Edinburgh what they are. The exhibition features the outdoor bathing pool at Portobello, which would have celebrated its 85th birthday this May.
Culture and Communities Convener, Cllr Donald Wilson said: This fascinating exhibition is set to impress maritime history and Edinburgh enthusiasts alike.
“‘Life on the Forth‘ allows visitors to browse the exhibition at their own pace and without any time limit or physical restrictions. We’re proud to have expanded the reach of our exhibitions throughout the pandemic, not only to residents, but to those further afield who, due to distance, cost, disabilities or lack of opportunity, may have found it difficult to visit even in normal times.
“This is a wonderful opportunity to get a glimpse inside these fascinating stories and remember everyone who lived their ‘Life on the Forth‘.”
Culture and Communities Vice Convener, Cllr Amy McNeese-Mechan said: “Museums & Galleries Edinburgh have been exploring new ways to engage with our audiences and this latest exhibition is a fantastic example of the service adapting what we do during these unprecedented times.
“2021 is the Year of Coasts and Waters, so what better time to discover new stories of life on the Forth? It’s truly fascinating and I can’t wait to revisit some of the areas highlighted in the exhibition.”
Auld Reekie Retold Project Manager Nico Tyack said: “This exhibition is the result of going through the coastal collections as part of the Auld Reekie Retold collections project.
“Many of these stories have never been heard before, and the virtual format has really helped us get the most out of these objects. ‘Life on the Forth’ is a truly team effort from the Auld Reekie Retold team, and much of the research has been carried out during lockdown.
“We are delighted to be able to share this new exhibition with you, and encourage you to explore the exhibition.”
