{"id":639551,"date":"2025-12-18T04:22:38","date_gmt":"2025-12-18T04:22:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/639551\/"},"modified":"2025-12-18T04:22:38","modified_gmt":"2025-12-18T04:22:38","slug":"plans-detailed-for-reopening-of-edinburghs-radical-road","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/639551\/","title":{"rendered":"Plans detailed for reopening of Edinburgh\u2019s Radical Road"},"content":{"rendered":"

THE Radical Road\u00a0in Holyrood Park<\/a> is set to see a series of safety measures installed to ensure the route can reopen by June next year.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Historic Environment Scotland (HES)<\/a>, which manages Holyrood Park and the Radical Road<\/a>, confirmed earlier this year that the route, which has been closed since 50 tonnes of rock fell from a cliff in September 2018, would be reopened next year.\u00a0<\/p>\n

HES says it is\u00a0still committed to a 2026 reopening, but said that new signage,\u00a0relocating\u00a0and installing\u00a0barriers\u00a0and vegetation management is essential to ensure safety on the path.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It aims\u00a0to have the path reopened by June next year so that people can visit Hutton\u2019s Section and Hutton\u2019s Rock, during the 300th\u00a0anniversary of the eponymous James Hutton\u2019s<\/a> birth during that month.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>The Radical Road is aptly named for its stunning vistas and looming cliff faces (C) Iain Russell \/ Wikimedia Commons<\/p>\n

The Radical Road is one of the most famous routes in Edinburgh\u2019s Holyrood Park and\u00a0the city\u00a0in general.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The path is set against the cliffs at Salisbury Crags, perched high above the capital, and\u00a0provides\u00a0jaw-dropping views\u00a0of the city below.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The two-century old path was named after the Radical War, also known as the Scottish Insurrection of 1820, a wave of strikes and protests demanding electoral reform in the UK.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Since\u00a0its\u00a0closure in 2018, an array of walking groups and locals have campaigned for the paths to be reopened, but HES has\u00a0said that continued rockfall risk from Salisbury Crags has made this impossible.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Now, signage\u00a0indicating\u00a0where rockfall may be\u00a0most likely, barriers\u00a0at high-risk points, and fencing is being proposed at two sections along two sections of the path.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Under new plans the section of the road around South Quarry and Hutton\u2019s Rock, which is particularly close to the Salisbury Crags rock slope faces will have mesh panels over\u00a0two\u00a0metres tall installed to indicate rockfall risk and protect walkers.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The section of road surrounding Hutton\u2019s Section will have new signage, warning of rockfall risk, installed\u00a0while 210 metres of chain fencing would be installed to protect the path from rockfall near the Crags.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Two<\/a>Two sections of the Radical Road will see alterations, with a new temporary erected at the South Quarry section (see left) (C) Historic Environment Scotland<\/p>\n

A spokesperson for HES said: \u201cWork has taken place throughout 2025 as part of our commitment to reopen part of the Radical Road next year.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThis includes inspection and descaling works, vital rock trajectory modelling and analysis, and necessary ecological surveys and\u00a0ecological\u00a0impact\u00a0assessments.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe risk of rockfall and the impact of the wildfire in August, as well as unforeseen public safety works to\u00a0Duddingston\u00a0Low Road and the High Road have, unfortunately, caused a slight delay in our programme as our limited resources within the\u00a0park\u00a0had to be reviewed and diverted.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cDue to the immediate public safety risk, works to enable safe public access to these areas were prioritised, however, work on the Radical Road has continued to progress.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

HES has\u00a0also assured that the alterations to the path will have minimal ecological or visual impact and will be designed to blend into the surrounding area.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It\u00a0continued: \u201cApplications for scheduled monument consent and planning permission have been\u00a0submitted\u00a0to allow the essential works\u00a0required\u00a0to\u00a0facilitate\u00a0the partial reopening of the Radical Road to be carried out.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThis includes the relocation and installation of barriers, the installation of interpretation and safety signage, and vegetation management to the path area, and we have been working closely with NatureScot and local stakeholders as part of this process.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt remains our commitment to partially reopen the Radical Road, from the Hawse to the\u00a0northern\u00a0end of the South Quarry, once it is safe to do so next year to allow visitors to access both Hutton\u2019s Section and Hutton\u2019s Rock during the 300th anniversary of James Hutton\u2019s birth in June 2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the meantime,\u00a0park users can continue to pre-book ranger guided access to this area.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Planned<\/a>Planned safety measures signage warning of rockfall, a fence separating the cliff face from the path, and a green chain link fence and gate (C) Historic Environment Scotland<\/p>\n

Hutton\u2019s\u00a0Section is named after James Hutton, a Scottish geologist who has been coined the \u201cfather of modern geology\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n

HES commissioned an ecological assessment of the sections, but due to the small footprint of the features, habitat clearances can be avoided.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Further assessments into the impact on the Arthur\u2019s Seat volcan, a\u00a0Site of Special Scientific Interest will be carried out, however.\u00a0<\/p>\n

HES did not outline an official start date for works and\u00a0is\u00a0awaiting statutory approval from Edinburgh city planners.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The plans were\u00a0submitted\u00a0on 3 December by HES and will be decided upon by 11 February next year.<\/p>\n

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