Calton Hill: 'Erosion emergency' declared on much-loved Edinburgh Unesco landmark

Images taken earlier this month at Calton Hill show large sections of exposed earth.

The Calton Hill Conservation Trust has described the condition of the ground at the Unesco World Heritage Site as “severe”, claiming about 2,000sqm of turf on the 10.5 hectare hill had been lost.

The organisation has blamed the erosion on the over cutting of grass by council workers and large numbers of visitors.

A post on the Calton Hill Conservation Trust’s site described the situation as an “erosion emergency”.

A report by the trust said: “This summer, the erosion of the top soil on Calton Hill has been the worst for many years. Erosion is the biggest problem we face.

“We can pick up litter in a moment, contractors can move portaloos in a day, volunteers can unblock all the drainage channels within in a week or two — but erosion takes time and money to remedy.”

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Edinburgh City Council said there were plans to re-turf parts of the landmark and “periodically” rest areas to prevent further damage.

Trust chairman Simon Holledge told BBC Scotland the dry summer had also contributed to the ground’s degradation. He said the grass on the hill had been “over-cut by the council".

READ MORE: Calton Hill’s 'erosion emergency', in pictures

"The normal rule is you should never cut more than one third of the blade of grass because if you cut more than that, it doesn't photosynthesise properly,” he said.

"They have cut 90 per cent of the grass blades. They cut it very low on the assumption there is going to be rain and when there isn't rain, then we lose the grass."

Mr Holledge added of the erosion: "It is a combination of over-cutting the grass, the dryness and then very large numbers of visitors. The areas where the grass has not been cut short, there is no erosion.

"We are unhappy at them cutting it too low and too frequently."

Calton Hill is a drawcard for visitors, boasting panoramic views across the city as well as structures including the City Observatory and Nelson Monument. The National Monument - a distinctive structure that was designed as a replica of the Parthenon in Athens - is also situated on the landmark.

Margaret Graham, the council’s culture and communities convener, said: “We’re aware of the erosion on Calton Hill and are making plans to re-turf, re-seed and improve the formal path network to control footfall.

“We’re also looking to rest areas periodically to reduce any further erosion.”

This year’s summer was officially the hottest on record in the UK, the Met Office has confirmed.

In a sign of the dry weather, Scots were recently urged to save water, with reservoir levels remaining up to 28 per cent below average earlier this month despite recent heavy rain.

Scottish Water said following the driest spring in Scotland in 70 years, and a drier than average August in the east, many reservoirs had been below normal levels.