Tag: Edinburgh World Heritage

Photography competition celebrates World Heritage Day

Photography enthusiasts are being encouraged to enter a competition running until October celebrating three decades of Edinburgh’s World Heritage Site.

The Old and New Towns of Edinburgh were first inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1995 making this World Heritage Day (Saturday, 18 April) so special as the competition is part of the Site’s 30th birthday celebrations.

This makes this weekend the perfect time to explore the Old and New Towns to capture images of one of the most extraordinary urban landscapes in the world.

The winner of the competition, which is run by Edinburgh World Heritage, Historic Environment Scotland, and the Council, will receive a year’s membership to Historic Scotland.

Entries will be grouped into twelve categories, each celebrating a particular value of Scotland’s capital city. The winning photograph in each category will become part of a year-long calendar, which will be sold on Historic Scotland sites and at Edinburgh World Heritage events to raise money for the Trust.

The over-all winner will take pride of place on the front cover of the calendar and will receive a one-year membership for Historic Scotland, who run top-rated visitor attractions all over the country.

The entries will be judged by Tom Duffin, a professional photographer who specialises in showcasing Edinburgh’s heritage; Neil Hanna, a multi-award-winning photographer with over 35 years of experience; and Jane Bradley, celebrated Arts and Culture Correspondent at the Scotsman.

This year’s World Heritage Day celebrations also include the following event:

DID JOHN BAYNE TAKE A SECRET TO HIS GRAVE?

TODAY (Saturday 18 April) as part of the Legacies in Stone project, Edinburgh World Heritage, the Friends of Greyfriars Kirkyard, and the Council (funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund) aim to lift the lid on a secret centuries in the making: does a broken gravestone in John Bayne’s mausoleum hide a forgotten burial vault?

By repairing a simple flat grave slab, the aim is to unlock the mystery of this unique tomb in Scotland’s most famous kirkyard.

How to join:

Cllr Joan Griffiths Planning Convener said: “This year World Heritage Day is so special as there is much to celebrate. The 30th birthday is a significant achievement and milestone to reach as looking after the Site with our partners takes a lot of care and has many challenges. Edinburgh is a living, breathing city and it needs to be well managed to balance the needs of our residents, businesses and visitors.

“This World Heritage Day is a great time to enter our photography competition as it’s a lovely time of year to capture the changing light, sunsets and skylines this part of our stunning capital city is so famous for.

“The beautiful spring flowers appearing in the many gardens and open spaces are also there for us all to enjoy. If you’re interested in photography, why not explore the area this weekend to capture what inspires you most about the Old and New Towns.

“You could combine your visit to find out if John Bayne took a secret to his grave by attending the event in Greyfriars Kirkyard – or if history is more your interest – just attend the event instead.”

George Findlater, Head of Community and Economic Development at Historic Environment Scotland, said: “After thirty years of being a World Heritage Site, Edinburgh continues to inspire admiration from visitors and locals alike.

“We are excited to offer a year’s membership to Historic Scotland as a prize in the photography competition, and World Heritage Day is a terrific opportunity to bring out your camera and capture what makes Edinburgh so unique across the competition categories.”

Douglas Brotherston, Chairman of Edinburgh World Heritage, said: “Thirty years as a World Heritage Site is quite a wonderful achievement and we are delighted at Edinburgh World Heritage, together with our partners at HES and the City of Edinburgh Council to mark the occasion by holding this photography competition.

“The unique appeal of Edinburgh’s streets and landscapes, skylines and special heritage is so varied, it lives up to its reputation as one of the most beautiful cities in the world. We hope that we will get many entries from locals and visitors alike who can capture the glorious views of our spectacular city.”

The twelve categories for which applicants can submit their photographs are:

  1. Medieval Old Town
  2. Neo-classical New Town
  3. Gardens and open spaces
  4. Urban planning/street layout
  5. Topography and skyline
  6. Public and commercial monuments
  7. Conservation
  8. Layering of heritage
  9. Architectural detail
  10. Graveyards
  11. Juxtaposition
  12.  The Living City

Celebrating 30 years of Edinburgh’s World Heritage Site

Planning Convener Cllr Joan Griffiths writes about birthday celebrations for Edinburgh’s World Heritage Site ahead of World Heritage Day on Saturday:

It’s three decades since Edinburgh’s Old and New Towns were inscribed on the UNESCO world heritage list in 1995, recognising the city’s diverse and iconic buildings and landmarks –  thirty years on and we have a lot to celebrate this World Heritage Day,  Saturday 18 April.

The status recognises the Towns (collectively) as one of the most extraordinary urban landscapes in the world and helps us along with our partners, Historic Environment Scotland and Edinburgh World Heritage, to make sure its value and beauty is preserved for generations to come.

As partners we’re tasked with preserving the organic medieval Old Town and the planned Georgian New Town including the city’s iconic skyline. The Site offers a rich contrast of styles between the Old Town’s narrow, winding closes and the broad, elegant streets of the New Town. Along with our partners we look after around 4,500 individual buildings and for around 30,000 Edinburgh residents the Site is their home.

UNESCO’s values include working with communities and young people. Celebrating this big birthday is giving us a fantastic opportunity to engage residents and visitors in activities to help them find out more about this historically important and internationally renowned area of our beautiful Capital city.

If you’re a photography enthusiast, we’re running a competition with our partners to help celebrate this milestone. We’re asking you to share an image with us before the end of October that captures what inspires you most about the World Heritage Site and makes Edinburgh so special in your eyes. There are 12 categories to choose from, ranging from the Medieval Old Town to the Living City.

Winning images in each category will become part of a year-long calendar and you will be able to buy one in our Museums and Galleries shops, at Historic Scotland sites and at Edinburgh World Heritage events to raise money to help manage the Site going forward.

For our young residents we’ve asked a class of primary four Granton Primary pupils to work with a freelance artist over the summer term. The children will visit the Museum of Edinburgh and be given a special educational tour of the World Heritage Site.

The artist will carry out a number of sessions with the pupils in their classroom guiding them to paint their impressions of what they found interesting and memorable during their trip around this historic area of our city. When complete the work will be exhibited in the Museum of Edinburgh from 5 October to 10 January for everyone to enjoy.

Why not use this week to find out more about the Old and New Towns World Heritage Site and enter any special images of the area you are proud of into our photography competition. Good luck and happy snapping!

Photography competition to kick off 30th birthday celebrations for Edinburgh’s World Heritage Site

Residents and visitors are invited to enter a photography competition, launched to celebrate Edinburgh’s 30 years on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The competition is being run by the partners who look after the site: Edinburgh World Heritage (EWH), Historic Environment Scotland (HES), and the City of Edinburgh Council.

Entries will be grouped into twelve categories, each celebrating a particular value of Scotland’s capital city. The winning photograph in each category will become part of a year-long calendar, which will be sold on Historic Scotland sites and at Edinburgh World Heritage events to raise money for the Trust.

The over-all winner will take price of place on the front cover of the calendar and will receive a one-year membership for Historic Scotland, who run top-rated visitor attractions all over the country.

The Old and New Towns of Edinburgh were first inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1995, where they were recognised as one of the most extraordinary urban landscapes in the world. With its division into Old and New Town, Edinburgh is a remarkable example of urban growth, showcasing two distinct but equally significant styles of city planning.

Photography enthusiasts will have until October 2026 to submit their work showcasing Edinburgh in all its glory across the seasons. The competition is open to both amateur and professional photographers, using any camera or device.

The entries will be judged by Tom Duffin, a professional photographer who specialises in showcasing Edinburgh’s heritage; Neil Hanna, a multi-award-winning photographer with over 35 years of experience; and Jane Bradley, celebrated Arts and Culture Correspondent at the Scotsman.

Terry Levinthal, Director of Edinburgh World Heritage, said: “Edinburgh is a city of matchless qualities.  It is a city of contrasts; of distant prospects and intimate details; a city of old and new; a place to be admired and be lived in.  

“These very picturesque qualities make it the perfect subject for photography.  To mark 30 years since inscription, we hope that everyone will be inspired to share their favourite views, details, buildings and places with us, so that we can share them with others.”

James Bruhn, Head of World Heritage and Heritage Policy at HES, said: “When a place is inscribed on the World Heritage List, that is by no means the end of the story.

“Edinburgh is a living, breathing place, and we are excited to support this competition and give local photographers the chance to capture Edinburgh’s unique beauty and win a membership to visit historic sites across the country.”

Cllr Joan Griffiths Planning Convener said: “I’d encourage everyone with an interest in photography to help us celebrate this significant milestone for the Old and New Towns World Heritage Site by entering the competition for a chance to be part of this exciting calendar.  I’m really looking forward to seeing the results.

“It’s a huge accolade to hold World Heritage Status and it’s extra challenging for a living, breathing city. We look after the Site with our partners and it’s important to us to make sure our residents from across the city feel a sense of ownership and belonging to the Site.

“The competition and resulting calendar is a great opportunity for people to reflect on what the Site means for them through their art as well as what they find special or feel proud of in this internationally renowned part of the Capital.”

The twelve categories for which applicants can submit their photographs are:

  1. Medieval Old Town
  2. Neo-classical New Town
  3. Gardens and open spaces
  4. Urban planning/street layout
  5. Topography and skyline
  6. Public and commercial monuments
  7. Conservation
  8. Layering of heritage
  9. Architectural detail
  10. Graveyards
  11. Juxtaposition
  12. The Living City

To learn more about the competition and prepare to take the perfect shot, visit this document.

Edinburgh World Heritage: Funding Opportunity

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY ALERT!

You still have time to apply for this cycle of our Conservation Funding Programme!

Does your historic building require major exterior repair? If you’re a property owner, commercial business or community group, with a property within the World Heritage Site or adjacent Conservation Areas, you might be eligible for funding.

Head to our website for more information about applying, eligibility and FAQs:

https://ewh.org.uk/the-unesco-world-heritage-site/grants/

PICTURE: Tom Duffin

Exploring Cultural Heritage: Granton at the Seaside

Cultural heritage: Granton at the seaside

14th December from 10am – 1:30pm

Book here: https://eventbrite.co.uk/e/cultural-heritage-granton-at-the-seaside-tickets-1101784339619?aff=oddtdtcreator

Cultural heritage: Granton at the seaside

14th December – 10am – 1:30pm

This project, a collaboration between Universities in Edinburgh, Paris, and Madrid, in addition to granton:hub and Edinburgh World Heritage, explores:

-How we can balance new development with the protection of cultural heritage.

-How local people make cultural heritage.

-How this making can improve lives.

-How the edges of cities hold them together.

The days leading up to the event, a wide range of community representatives will share views on why and how these ‘elements’ are valuable – as heritage in Granton, but also to the city of Edinburgh and the world beyond.

In addition, school teachers, after-school providers, and workers in further and lifelong education, will also explore their contribution to local learning.

On Saturday 14th December, we shall be sharing our discussions with the general public through an exhibition.

We would like to invite anyone to come along and share their views.

Book here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/…/cultural-heritage…

Consultation continues to protect Edinburgh’s World Heritage Site

THE climate emergency, creating a sustainable visitor experience and the conservation and maintenance of buildings and public spaces. These are some of the actions included in the proposed new management plan for the capital’s Old and New Towns’ World Heritage Site.

The plan, shaped by a programme of public and stakeholder engagement, was approved by councillors on the City of Edinburgh Council’s Planning Committee last month.

A further consultation has begun for eight weeks to give the public the opportunity to comment on the proposed plan before final partners’ approval by summer 2024.

The Site is managed by the City of Edinburgh Council in partnership with Historic Environment Scotland and Edinburgh World Heritage. All three partners work together to ensure that their actions protect the authenticity and integrity of the World Heritage Site while at the same time making sure it can operate as a thriving city centre.

The proposed management plan, which will sit alongside a two year action plan to ensure improvements continue to be made in the Site going forward, is a forward-looking strategic document which sets out the framework for the preservation and enhancement of the Site’s cultural heritage.

World Heritage Sites must have robust management systems in place to make sure their Outstanding Universal Value (what makes them of worldwide importance) is preserved and enhanced. This latest version of the management plan highlights five key themes taken from the public engagement to focus on.   

These are awareness, appreciation and activity around WHS status; climate emergency; conservation and maintenance of buildings and public spaces; control, guidance, and contribution of new developments to city centre and sustainable visitor management. 

Cllr James Dalgleish, Convener of the Planning Committee, the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “Our World Heritage Site is of crucial importance to the future vision and development of the city.

“It has many iconic buildings and the Council works hard with partners to make sure any new development is appropriate and fitting with the rest of the site. In doing this work a wide range of issues are covered including the needs of residents, tourism, culture and climate change.

“The plan highlights actions under five themes to ensure that the Site continues to be a thriving built environment balancing heritage and the people living in it with any proposed development and changes to it.

“The more people who get involved with the proposed management plan, the better the protection we can provide for our incredible World Heritage Site. Residents’ views will help us to ensure that it continues to be well managed and of universal importance.

“I’d encourage everyone to take a look at the new draft plan and let us know what you think as Edinburgh’s World Heritage site belongs to everyone.”

Christina Sinclair, Director of Edinburgh World Heritage, said: “Edinburgh is a stunningly beautiful place that is dear to millions of people from all walks of life.

“Its World Heritage Status recognises its outstanding significance beyond international and generational boundaries, as well as being at the heart of our identity, wellbeing, economy, environmental goals and a powerful agent for challenging our past for a better future.

“The World Heritage Site Management Plan is vital to its conservation, as it is the agreed way by which Outstanding Universal Value needs to be looked after.

“As the independent, expert charity dedicated to the active conservation of the World Heritage Site, Edinburgh World Heritage fully supports the draft World Heritage Site Management Plan.

“As part of our long-standing and impactful model, we are committed to working closely with our partners Historic Environment Scotland and the City of Edinburgh Council to realise the vision and actions of this important plan.

“Edinburgh’s conservation has always been due to the amazing work of its people, and it is so important your views are heard.”

Dr James Bruhn, Head of World Heritage and Heritage Policy at Historic Environment Scotland, said: “World Heritage Sites are global treasures that need to be protected for future generations, and the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh is such a treasure.

“These parts of Edinburgh have retained their historic urban form remarkably, even as the city has modernised and technology has advanced. The Old Town is an ancient capital with medieval closes and wynds, and New Town is the best-preserved example of eighteenth-century town planning in the United Kingdom.

“The management plan consultation presents an opportunity for people to have their say on how these unique sites are protected, whether they are Edinburgh residents or visitors who care about the towns’ future. The new 10-year management plan builds on the strengths of the existing plan, and it has been prepared alongside a two-year action plan that sets out immediate priorities.

“We are proud to have worked alongside City of Edinburgh Council and Edinburgh World Heritage to develop this management plan, which aims to be inclusive and broad while addressing concerns such as the climate emergency, and hope that anyone with a stake in Edinburgh’s future takes part in the consultation.”

Local democracy under threat?

Concerns have been expressed in Edinburgh that politicians and city leaders may be cutting corners as crucial decisions are made about our city – all during a time when the press is under increased strain due to falling revenue.
In this conversation with four leading Edinburgh journalists we will explore the threats to local democracy and press reporting during the coronavirus outbreak.

Joining us for this conversation will be Euan McGrory (The Scotsman), Mure Dickie (Financial Times), Phyllis Stephen (The Edinburgh Reporter) and David Bol (The Herald).

Date: Thursday 25 June 2020
Start time: 6pm
Venue: Zoom online (how to join info will be sent to you via email)

Book your free ticket now

We look forward to seeing you on the evening. If you have any questions, please contact us on the details below.

Edinburgh World Heritage
5 Bakehouse Close
146 Canongate
EH8 8DD

members@ewht.org.uk