Edinburgh residents really cherish the Water of Leith. That’s the overriding outcome from a meeting held in Balerno about the river which snakes its way 22 miles from the Pentland Hills, through the centre of Scotland’s Capital city and into the River Forth at the Port of Leith.
Dr Scott Arthur, MP for South West Edinburgh, hosted the 90-minute session which highlighted issues between cyclists and walkers on the 12.75-mile, traffic-free Water of Leith Walkway.
Water quality as well as dog and horse poo were also discussed in the get-together which followed a recent survey sent out by the MP.
He wants to better understand local people’s experiences of the popular river which he said “sits at the heart of the constituency”.
Engagement with local residents, he stressed, encourages discussion about how this space is valued, how it is used, as well as where challenges currently exist.
It also encourages talk about how improvements could be potentially made to combat these challenges.
Dr Athur confirmed that over 400 people responded to his recent survey which indicated that the majority used the Water of Leith for exercise.
A significant number also enjoyed the nature, and attendees talked about seeing deer, herons, otters and badgers.
Personal wellbeing was another key factor along with socialising and family time with dog walking also mentioned, and around 100 respondents said they used the Water of Leith to commute.
A total of 33 per cent of responses valued nature, the proximity to wildlife, and the ease of being able to escape the city to a natural environment. They also cherished peace and quiet.
When asked about what issues users are concerned about, responses were split across problems including user conflict, litter, water quality and the condition of the walkway path.
The MP, who admitted to using the path to cycle to work when he was a professor of Urban Water Management at Heriot-Watt University, before he was elected to Westminster, was asked what he took from the meeting and he said: “People really cherish it.”
People attended, he added, because the love the Water of Leith and want to talk about how good it is.
He added: “They want to talk about the wildlife, but they also wanted to raise about concerns like litter and conflicts between different users, nothing that would really be a surprise to anyone. It is always good for people to come together and share their concerns.”
The former university lecturer described the meeting as being useful and like a “focus group” and, with the survey, that will allow him to try to think about what he wants to do next.
Dr Arthur said: “It could be that all we want to do is to celebrate the Water of Leith, but it looks like people are looking for a bit more guidance, particularly around cycling in the Water of Leith, what is good etiquette, just to make sure people feel safe and comfortable. That is the key thing.
“We also spoke about water quality and various concerns people have about that, but the problem is that a meeting like this is very subjective and we can share our concerns, but water quality is a serious issue and you have to put some numbers on it and quantify it.”
Cycling issues took up a large chunk of the chat and he said that there are some “excellent” cyclists who shared what they felt was good practice. He believes that people need to talk more about that and share what is needed and added that cyclists also have a duty to speak to other cyclists about their behaviour.
However, he feels that most cyclists are respectful, it is just a minority who aren’t.
Dr Arthur did not appreciate what he called “the scale of the problem” of horse poo and he said: “I can see the frustration and about people pushing buggies etc and how, in the summer time, the smell and the flies, but the great thing about the Water of Leith is that we do have walkers, dog walkers and cyclists all together.
“Nobody was really saying they do not want horse riders on the Water of Leith path, it was just about managing that problem and possibly getting horse riders to think more about the issue.”
Volunteers talked about the problems horse poo can cause them, including how it acts as “a fertiliser” for some weeds and the cost and expense of dealing with it. Possibly fine tuning is required here, he added.
Attendees revealed that dog owners have been seen throwing bags of dog poo in the river and the MP said there is something strange about what he called “a minority of dog walkers” thinking they can put dog poo in the bag and then thinking they can do what they want with it.
He added: “All of us have seen dog poo bags handing from trees, hanging from fences etc, and is completely unacceptable, and just like irresponsible cyclists give all cyclists a bad name, so do irresponsible dog walkers who give all dog walkers a bad name.
“Etiquette, perhaps that word again, and possibly responsible dog owners can think about having a quiet word with.”
Overall, the MP said the Water of Leith is an easy topic to talk about, because people love it and they want it to stay good. He concluded: “That was what the meeting was about.”
IN FOCUS: Dr Scott Arthur talks to the audience in the Ogston Hall at Balerno Parish Church. Picture by Nigel Duncan
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