Lauriston Castle is in danger from it’s Trustees who have mismanaged Lauriston Castle over many years, say Friends campaigners.
The castle and grounds were left to the Nation in 1926 by Mr & Mrs Reid. There are rooms in the Castle that the public have not been allowed to see contrary to Mr & Mrs Reid’s Will and Trust Deed.
There are treasures that the Trustees have allowed to significantly deteriorate/be damaged and not restored.
· why there is only £42,000 in the endowment fund when the Trustees were left the equivalent of over £2,000,000 and the potential to increase that amount?
· why over £190,000 of Council Taxpayers money is not recorded in the Lauriston Castle Trust Accounts?
· when are the Trustees going to restore Lauriston Castle Glasshouse (above) and other historic monuments?
· when are the Trustees going to restore the grounds to their former glory envisaged by the donors, Mr & Mrs Reid?
A stand needs to be made to restore Lauriston Castle to it’s rightful glory.
To this end you may wish to join Friends of Lauriston Castle where you can have your say and hear of action that needs to be taken:
A report will be published by the City of Edinburgh Council today outlining plans for councillors to consider reopening more public toilets.
The Policy and Sustainability Committee will consider the report next Thursday (6 August) following a city-wide review and a proposal to reopen public toilets in ‘hot spot’ areas near busy parks and beaches, which was approved by the Committee earlier this month.
With warm weather forecast from today and lockdown restrictions having eased considerably in recent weeks, people are reminded to use the nearest open public toilet if they are caught short in areas such as the Meadows and Portobello Beach as these have become increasingly popular.
The council’s street cleansing teams are also working extremely hard to keep the city clean and tidy under pressure and we need everyone to help us keep Edinburgh beautiful by binning their litter or taking it home with them to put in their own bin.
Adam McVey, Council Leader, said: It’s fantastic that people will have the chance to enjoy some lovely weather in our beautiful parks and beaches in the coming days as restrictions have eased considerably but if you are, please remember to follow Scottish Government social distancing guidance.
“People should also remember to plan ahead and take any rubbish home with you or use bins provided. Please also be respectful if caught short and use a public toilet or your own at home if no other facilities are open nearby.
“It’s really important that we protect public health at the moment and we will open more public toilets when we can. I would ask everyone in the meantime to plan ahead to minimise use of public toilets where they are open and keep our parks and beaches clean and tidy for everyone to enjoy.”
Depute Leader, Cammy Day, said: “It’s great that we have so many beautiful spaces across the city where people can enjoy the sunshine but we need your help to keep them clean and tidy.
To try to stop people from littering in the city we’ve teamed up with Keep Scotland Beautiful and Zero Waste Scotland this summer as more and more people are now enjoying our parks, beaches and other open spaces.
“We’re supporting Keep Scotland Beautiful, who have wrapped our bins at Portobello with anti-littering and dog fouling messages to help to keep the water clean and we’re putting Zero Waste Scotland anti-littering messaging on some of our bins in other hot spot areas. We’ve also put around 40 extra bins out at the Meadows/Bruntsfield links and Newhaven.
You can still catch the Jurassic Kingdom event at Lauriston Castle, but only until next Sunday – the dinosaurs are moving on to pastures new after 15th April.
The event is open from 10am to 6pm daily with last entry at 5pm. For further info visit
Edinburgh’s incredible volunteers were among the hundreds of people recognised for their crucial contribution to local life at the Lord and Lady Provost’s Community Garden Party, which was held at Lauriston Castle recently.Continue reading Unsung heroes celebrated at Lauriston Castle
Families will be invited to get sketching this summer with lessons from the Capital’s finest when the Edinburgh Sketcher takes residence at Lauriston Castle.
Mark Kirkham, who regularly entertains readers of his blog with his drawings of the city, will offer two sketching masterclasses in the beautiful grounds of the 16th century castle situated on the banks of Cramond.
As part of Lauriston Castle’s packed Spring/Summer programme of arts and crafts, lectures, theatre and events, budding artists of all ages and levels will get the chance to learn Mark’s trademark ‘speed sketching’ skills. This quick method of doodling allows artists to capture images almost as quickly as a photograph. Visitors will sketch in and around the Castle grounds, including the tranquil Japanese Gardens and inside the old castle kitchen, using pens and watercolour before working on a final sketch to take home.Councillor Richard Lewis, Edinburgh’s Culture and Sport Convener, said: “From popular Edinburgh cityscapes to modes of transport, it is difficult to think of an iconic place or object in the city that hasn’t been captured by Mark’s keen eye for detail.
“These classes will be an opportunity to get sketching in one of Edinburgh’s most beautiful settings and get working with a local artist. What a fantastic family day out this summer.”
Originally from Lancashire and the son of a painter father and photographer mother, Mark has called Edinburgh home for the last 15 years. He gives his top three pieces of advice to budding sketchers: “First is get sketching! You can plan and plan but in the end you just need to get out there and do it. Hopefully these workshops at Lauriston Castle will tempt you to do just that.
“Tip two is don’t be shy. You can feel very self aware pulling out a pen and pad in a busy street but don’t let that put you off. Once I begin I get into the zone and usually forget people are passing by.
“My third piece of advice is to be prepared. I always carry the bare essentials, but sometimes I have resorted to sketching on napkins and receipts. I promise these classes at Lauriston Castle will be well stocked, all visitors need to do is book their ticket and turn up on the day.”
An unusual troupe of well-travelled travelling players will perform Shakespeare at Lauriston Castle this weekend. On Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 July The HandleBards, a four-strong, all-male troupe of travelling players, will perform Romeo and Juliet and Twelfth Night as part of a cycling tour of Britain that will see the group pass through 25 venues across Scotland and England.
Beginning at Glasgow’s Riverside Museum and finishing up at the Royal Hospital in Chelsea, which recently hosted its 100th Chelsea Flower Show, The HandleBards will also perform at The Dell in Stratford-upon-Avon (the Royal Shakespeare Company’s outdoor playing space) Bolton and Newark castles and Rufford Old Hall in Lancashire, where Shakespeare himself performed in 1585.
As part the challenge, The HandleBards, who are supported by the Old Vic Theatre, will carry all the required set, props, costumes and camping equipment necessary for the 926 mile journey on their bikes, with no back-up vehicle in support – covering a distance equivalent to that between Land’s End and John o’ Groats.
The four HandleBards will play multiple characters in each 1930s-set play, fully engaging showgoers with some unusually energetic audience interaction. So grab your picnic blanket and head down to Lauriston Castle to enjoy this enthusiastic and engaging show, with some special music thrown in too!
Tickets are £10 (£8 concessions) – find more details on how to book on the Edinburgh Museums website.
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