Queen Street Gardens East

Gardens - Lost & Found

noreply@blogger.com (wizardmerlin) — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0100

Lost and Found

We do come across items left in the gardens and wish to return them to their owners...

Anyone wishing to claim the items, please send an email to QSGE at royalscotsclub.co.uk.

LOST - 3rd August, 2026 - We are on the search for an item. A key holder has lost a valuable earing and would appreciate if anyone finds it, for it to be returned. It is set in gold and is a real pearl.

If found please hand it in to the Royal Scots Club reception for the attention of Morag Martin. Thanks

Found 10th July, 2026 - Yellow Butternut Box poo bag holder. Text Joe, a Commissioner of the Gardens for return. 07725089635.

Found 22nd June, 2026 (approx.) - Red child's jacket on the bench at the top of the hill.

Found 5th June, 2026 - Pair of black glasses on the bench at the top of the hill on the East side. Will be left for the weekend then taken to the club.

Found 9th April, 2026 - North Face Blue Hat, on the green bench up on the old tennis court.

Found 5th December, 2026 - This was found on the top level near the green metal bench. The mystery starts...

Found 10th February, 2026 - An orange light ball on the bench up at the old tennis court.

🌞🌞Summer Drinks Party - 18th June 2026🍷🍻🍹

noreply@blogger.com (wizardmerlin) — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 14:01:03 +0100

Invite

Dear Proprietors and Keyholders

The commissioners of Queen Street Gardens East invite you to the Summer Drinks Party.

Please do RSVP to the email address so that we can organise accordingly.

Kind Regards.

Morag Martin

Clerk to the Commissioners of Queen Street Gardens East

Sad story of the removal of an old Elm Tree 🌳

noreply@blogger.com (wizardmerlin) — Mon, 4 May 2026 18:30:00 +0100

After the City of Edinburgh inspected the trees in the garden as part of the council's efforts to reduce the impact of Elm Disease in the city, we were advised of three trees which needed to be removed. You will have seen them marked in your walks around the gardens.

This is the story of the Wych Elm marked No.1, the large tree in the lower lawns.

Day One - 09:00am

The gentlemen getting setup for work, safety gear and ropes out for climbing the tree. Also checking chainsaws, and the the small tractor and trailer for taking the branches away. Max & Idris were the main people climbing the tree to cut branches.

Max initially climbed the tree and set up the safety ropes, spending most of the morning up there with snacks and drinks all on the harness. Hard work...

Moving about the tree from branch to branch where needed to cut the next limb....

Max hanging about...

Cutting bigger branches...

Idris taking over in the afternoon..

The cutting was getting lower and lower. With some big limbs coming down...HARD!! [see video]

In this shot it looks like the limb is coming down on the worker....but all safe.

After many hours of felling and then cutting up the branches both large and small, then transporting them away to the chipper or the back of the van for removal.

The last large portion of the main trunk was then prepped and cut with much ado! [see video]

Coming down for the end of day.

Then when all was cleared away and finished this was all that was left for the day.

Day One - 15:01pm

I hope to have more video of the last part of the trunk being felled.

All pictures copyright to ©️Joe McAdam, Commissioner.

Is a summer coming our way...

noreply@blogger.com (wizardmerlin) — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 18:34:55 +0100

Some pictures from the garden this evening. Birds a singing, and dogs running about in the late evening sun on the end of a lovely day. About 25 to 30 keyholders sitting in the last rays of the sun, some enjoying a cool drink and or snacks. Well worth the effort.🙂☀️

Signs of Spring

noreply@blogger.com (wizardmerlin) — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 17:48:00 GMT

Walking through and enjoying the gardens we can start to see the beginnings of new life and Spring.

Here are some pictures of new flowers and buds. I you have seen new signs of spring do send in your photos to be added to the record.

Send your photos via email to:- qsge (at) royalscotsclub (dot co.uk)

Unusual Bird Calls - Car Alarm

noreply@blogger.com (wizardmerlin) — Wed, 28 Jan 2026 16:44:00 GMT

A lucky key holder managed to record a very "unusual" bird call while in the gardens. Check your volume and play the video to hear this alarming bird. 😕

Blackbird - Turdus Merula Further information c/o RSPB

Wildlife in the Gardens

noreply@blogger.com (wizardmerlin) — Sun, 18 Jan 2026 14:49:00 GMT

Key holders visiting the gardens will appreciate the calming atmosphere while walking through the gardens. Perhaps wondering about the changes in the trees and shrubs through the different seasons in the year.

We were shown by a key holder, who with permission, put up a couple of new bird feeders in the gardens and quickly found the usual birds coming to feed, but surprisingly captured a lovely picture of a perhaps less frequent visitor.

This is a picture of a Nuthatch (Sitta Europaea). Occurrence - breeds in most of Europe except Iceland, northern UK, northern Scandinavia, and southern Spain. Occupies mixed and deciduous woodland, parkland and large gardens, with big old trees all year round. and rarely moving far. Hopefully this will mean it will be seen more regularly in the gardens.

We wonder what other wildlife keyholders and friends have seen? If you have managed to capture any pictures, do not hesitate to share at email address - qsge (at) royalscotsclub (dotcom).

Garden Winter Night Pictures

noreply@blogger.com (wizardmerlin) — Mon, 8 Dec 2025 09:00:00 GMT

As the winter nights draw in, getting colder and wetter.

Here are some pictures showing the gardens in twilight and in the dark.

Wildflower meadow

noreply@blogger.com (Queen Street Gardens East) — Sun, 8 Jun 2025 17:06:00 +0100

Image: Rhinanthus minor, from Icones Florae Germanicae et Helveticae (1862), Reichenbach

To increase biodiversity in the Gardens, the Commissioners are attempting to cultivate the area in front of the gas regulator station as a wildflower meadow.

Last year it was returfed using turfs that had been impregnated with flower seeds. The results were quite disappointing - the range of flowers was limited and grass dominated.

Last autumn the area was sown with yellow rattle seeds which require winter cold to stimulate germination. Yellow rattle (which has dead-nettle-like flowers) is a semi-parasite on grass.

Next spring, when there should be much less grass, the area will be scarified and sown with a seed mixture of colourful wild flowers.

FIRE RISK! PLEASE, NO MORE PORTABLE BARBECUES

noreply@blogger.com (QSGE Admin) — Mon, 19 Jul 2021 15:23:00 +0100

On the morning of Friday 16 July the fire brigade had to be called to a tree stump fire started by a disposable barbecue, which had been burning slowly but steadily for about 12 hours.

The potential for a major and devastating incident, should the surrounding grass catch fire or the fire spread to a nearby tree, must surely be obvious to all garden users.

For this reason, the Commissioners would like to ask that disposable barbecues should no longer be used, under any circumstances, in the gardens.

The Commissioners would also like to discourage the use of all other types of barbecue, no matter how high the cooking area is raised off the ground, no matter that water is brought to stop the fire after cooking, and even though the coals are taken home afterwards and disposed of responsibly.

Arrangements for lock change, from 8 July 2021

noreply@blogger.com (QSGE Admin) — Sat, 19 Jun 2021 22:00:00 +0100

As you will be aware, every few years, the Commissioners arrange for the change of locks and keys.

You will recently have received a letter from the Clerk, which is reproduced below, and which advises of the arrangements for obtaining your new key or keys.

Please ensure that the annual subscription, together with any arrears, is settled by 5 July 2021. If payment in full is not made by that date, we will be unable to let you have a new key.

Once payment has been made, please bring your old key or keys to the Royal Scots Club at 29 - 31 Abercromby Place at one of the following times:

Thursday 8 July 09:00 - 16:00

Friday 9 July 16:00 - 20:00

Tuesday 13 July 13:00 - 17:00

Beating the Retreat, Royal Scots Club 18 - 19 June 2021

noreply@blogger.com (QSGE Admin) — Sat, 19 Jun 2021 20:00:00 +0100

The marquee erected in the Gardens this week was part of the Royal Scots Club's annual Beating Retreat ceremony and Waterloo commemorations.

Fungus of the week

noreply@blogger.com (QSGE Admin) — Sun, 23 May 2021 18:38:00 +0100

Can any reader hazard an identification of this unappetising clump of mushrooms, located near the end of the muddy path down from the SE gate?

Sulphur Tuft, perhaps?

Bud of the week: fagus silvatica 2

noreply@blogger.com (QSGE Admin) — Thu, 6 May 2021 18:47:00 +0100

ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON ANTHOLOGY

noreply@blogger.com (QSGE Admin) — Thu, 22 Apr 2021 11:33:00 +0100

FORTUNATE VOYAGER
A CELEBRATION OF ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON

Residents of the New Town are well acquainted with Robert Louis Stevenson, who famously spent much of his childhood living at 17 Heriot Row. Indeed, it was behind the gates of the central Queen Street gardens that Stevenson played as a child, and where, according to folklore, he first imagined what would ultimately become Treasure Island.

Readers may be interested to learn that a new anthology, Fortunate Voyager: A Celebration of Robert Louis Stevenson, is to be published later this year. A collection of personal and academic essays celebrating Stevenson’s enduring influence, and with over 60 authors, including Ian Rankin and Val McDermid, the anthology explores a number of important themes including travel, Stevenson’s relationship with Scotland, and the breadth and scope of his literary contributions.

The anthology is being produced by Merchiston Publishing in collaboration with the RLS Club, which is dedicated to fostering interest in Stevenson and his work world-wide. Merchiston Publishing is the imprint of the Scottish Centre for the Book based at Edinburgh Napier University, run by students on the MSc in Publishing.

The anthology is expected to be available for purchase later this year. In the meantime, those interested can follow the team behind the anthology on Twitter (@RLSAnthology) or the project website.

Queries should be directed to Stevenson.anthology@gmail.com.

Keyholders' photo competition winner: a typical lunchtime scene in QSGE

noreply@blogger.com (Queen Street Gardens East) — Thu, 1 Apr 2021 18:53:00 +0100

Image via wikipedia, public domain

Historic elms

noreply@blogger.com (QSGE Admin) — Mon, 15 Mar 2021 12:24:00 GMT

AN EVENTFUL AND SAD YEAR FOR HISTORIC ELMS

The original planting scheme of the Queen Street Gardens involved an avenue of elms evenly spaced along the southern boundary, Queen Street. On Queen Street in particular, the trees overhang busy public thoroughfares, which makes the monitoring of the risk to the public, via the monitoring of the condition of the trees themselves, an important part of the management of the Gardens.

The trees are inspected annually by a qualified arboriculturist with whom there is a long-standing relationship, and any recommended works are addressed thereafter, whether by the gardener or, for major pruning and felling, a tree surgeon.

2020 has been an eventful, and sad, year for the management of the Gardens’ historic trees.

On two windy Sundays in May and then June, significant branches from trees bordering Queen Street and then Abercromby Place, crashed to the ground, damaging cars which were stopped at a traffic light or parked, respectively. Thankfully nobody was injured in either incident.

These tree weaknesses had not been picked up on regular inspections and so the Commissioners approved a drone inspection of all of the remaining historic elms. The recommendation of this report, in order to manage the risk, was that a further 4 elms should be felled and 7 more undergo ‘major pruning’.

These works were carried out from late December to late February and are now complete.

The sadness of these decisions really cannot be overstated.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

Our arboriculturist’s tree planting scheme for the future has been ‘on hold’ for a number of years, due to the lack of a water supply to the Gardens. To date it has not been possible to secure a connection to the public water network at a reasonable cost.

Following remarks and suggestions made by a keyholder at the 2020 AGM, the Commissioners are currently taking forward a feasibility study regarding the installation of a rainwater harvesting system involving the diversion of rainwater from a neighbouring roof, into storage tanks in a suitable location.

They look forward to being able to update you with more news on this project, in due course.

Keyholder correspondence received

noreply@blogger.com (Queen Street Gardens East) — Sun, 21 Feb 2021 04:41:00 GMT

Dear Chairman

I am writing to vent my frustration at the loud arbiters of taste amongst us who bang on incessantly about ugly modern architecture and overgrown sick and dying trees. In short: the greying Barbour-clad reactionary mass who wish to drag Edinburgh down to a lacklustre same-old, same-old banality.

We are blessed in Edinburgh with mesmeric views and vistas, all too often obscured by absurdly overgrown huge trees. This cult fetish for trees gets my goat. Queen Street Gardens East is so much improved by the recent judicious cutting back and pruning of shrubs and trees: space and distance opened up.

We need to inject theatre and taste into our capital city as it is crumbly and rundown in many areas.

Take a look at the brown-furnished rancid interiors of these objectors, and their anger at progress, and ask yourself: Why do they get to shout so loud when their aesthetic is so poor?

You should travel and see beautiful modern urban design all over Europe, and please try to be less provincial and dull.

Yours

Henry Root, EH3

QSGE: a Psychogeography

noreply@blogger.com (Queen Street Gardens East) — Sun, 21 Feb 2021 03:49:00 GMT

[page under construction]

Image via wikipedia, public domain

Fungus of the week

noreply@blogger.com (QSGE Admin) — Wed, 13 Jan 2021 12:41:00 GMT

An unidentified fungal species, glistening lusciously on an old tree stump in January.

Queen Street Gardens East

Gardens - Lost & Found

Lost and Found

🌞🌞Summer Drinks Party - 18th June 2026🍷🍻🍹

Sad story of the removal of an old Elm Tree 🌳

Is a summer coming our way...

Signs of Spring

Unusual Bird Calls - Car Alarm

Wildlife in the Gardens

We wonder what other wildlife keyholders and friends have seen? If you have managed to capture any pictures, do not hesitate to share at email address - qsge (at) royalscotsclub (dotcom).

Garden Winter Night Pictures

As the winter nights draw in, getting colder and wetter.

Here are some pictures showing the gardens in twilight and in the dark.

Wildflower meadow

To increase biodiversity in the Gardens, the Commissioners are attempting to cultivate the area in front of the gas regulator station as a wildflower meadow.

FIRE RISK! PLEASE, NO MORE PORTABLE BARBECUES

Arrangements for lock change, from 8 July 2021

Beating the Retreat, Royal Scots Club 18 - 19 June 2021

Fungus of the week

Bud of the week: fagus silvatica 2

ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON ANTHOLOGY

FORTUNATE VOYAGERA CELEBRATION OF ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON

Keyholders' photo competition winner: a typical lunchtime scene in QSGE

Historic elms

Keyholder correspondence received

QSGE: a Psychogeography

Fungus of the week

FORTUNATE VOYAGER
A CELEBRATION OF ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON