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Title
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Hermitage of Braid & Blackford Hill Local Nature Reserve
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Address
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Braid Road
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Postcode
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EH10 6JF
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Telephone
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0131 529 2401
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Email
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naturalheritageservice@edinburgh.gov.uk
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Opening hours
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Monday to Friday: 9am - 4pm.
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Facilities
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Natural Heritage Officer, Orienteering courses, QR Trail, Interpretation panels, Pond, Woodland walks, Wildlife, Car park (Midmar Drive), Toilets, Visitor centre, Seating
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Background
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Hermitage of Braid is home to Old Hermitage House and its Visitor Centre. Other attractions include the Ice House, the Doocot within the walled garden and a pump system along the burn which was used to provide running water to the House. The reserve has held a Green Flag since 2011 in recognition of it being a quality greenspace. It is one of the largest - and one of the finest - open spaces controlled by the Council. The views across the city in all directions can hold visitors and locals spellbound as the Blackford panoramas extend over the Forth to the distant Lomond Hills.
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History and heritage
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The area is steeped in history - some of which is told in the old Hermitage House where the Headquarter of the City of Edinburgh Countryside Natural Heritage Service provides a charming Visitor Centre full of displays, activities and information. You can also explore the surroundings to discover the Ice House, the Doocot in the Walled Garden and even a clever water pump system along the burn that provided running water to the Hermitage House in the past! The first recorded owner of this area was the son of a Belgian knight called De Brad, in the 12th Century. His son, Henri De Brad, was Sheriff of Edinburgh. He and his guests hunted for deer and wild boar in the forest. In 1775 the architect Robert Burn was employed by Charles Gordon of Cluny to design the mansion house. The house was finished in 1788 and it was around this time that the dovecot, walled garden, stables and ice house were built. The dovecot housed pigeons which were eaten by the householders. The ice house was used to store food. It was kept cold by filling the base with ice collected from local ponds and wrapped in straw, so it melted more slowly. In 1937, the Hermitage was presented to the city as a public park by the owner John McDougal. Blackford Hill came into the hands of the old Edinburgh Corporation in 1884, purchased for the sum of £8,000 from Lt. Colonel Henry Trotter of Mortonhall. A few years later, the Observatory on Calton Hill required to be moved from the city-centre glare and three and a half acres were sold for the building of a new National Observatory on Blackford Hill, where it has been sited ever since. Several other smaller parcels of ground were bought later, including in 1906 the area known as Egyptfield, which contained Blackford Pond.
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Wildlife
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There is a wonderful mixture of habitats including woodland, scrubland, grassland, the Braid Burn and wetland which all provide a refuge for wildlife. Listen for green woodpecker calling from the top of the tall beech trees and if you are lucky, you could startle a fox hunting rabbits or even an otter swimming in the burn! Don't forget your binoculars as you might be surprised by the amazing birdlife you will encounter; herons, kestrels, kingfishers, song thrush and even tawny owls can be regularly seen around the Nature Reserve! A visit to Blackford Pond will give you a chance to get close to swans, mallards, geese, coots and more depending on the time of year. The Hermitage of Braid is a designated ancient woodland. This means that woodland has covered the site for at least 300 years. However, much of the woodland is now semi-natural with beech (Fagus sylvatica), Ash (Fraxinus excelsior) and Sycamore (Acer pseudplatanus) regenerating freely. Most of the large, mature tees probably date from the early 19th century and there are many very old and large specimens scattered throughout the attractive woodland setting. Many exceed 40m in height, especially those growing in the valley bottom, which could make them the tallest trees in Edinburgh.
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Geology
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There is a wonderful mixture of habitats including woodland, scrubland, grassland, the Braid Burn and wetland which all provide a refuge for wildlife. Listen for green woodpecker calling from the top of the tall beech trees and if you are lucky, you could startle a fox hunting rabbits or even an otter swimming in the burn! Don't forget your binoculars as you might be surprised by the amazing birdlife you will encounter; herons, kestrels, kingfishers, song thrush and even tawny owls can be regularly seen around the Nature Reserve! A visit to Blackford Pond will give you a chance to get close to swans, mallards, geese, coots and more depending on the time of year. The Hermitage of Braid is a designated ancient woodland. This means that woodland has covered the site for at least 300 years. However, much of the woodland is now semi-natural with beech (Fagus sylvatica), Ash (Fraxinus excelsior) and Sycamore (Acer pseudplatanus) regenerating freely. Most of the large, mature tees probably date from the early 19th century and there are many very old and large specimens scattered throughout the attractive woodland setting. Many exceed 40m in height, especially those growing in the valley bottom, which could make them the tallest trees in Edinburgh.
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Orienteering
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There is a permanent orienteering course here, which is accessible at all times. Map packs can be accessed through the website of Edinburgh Southern Orienteering Club (www.esoc.org.uk)
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Public toilets
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Public toilets are located at the stables. Opening times: Monday to Friday, 9am-4pm.
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Getting involved
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Friends of Hermitage of Braid and Blackford Hill
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Other useful links
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Hermitage of Braid Birdlife
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Green flag
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Yes
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Management plan
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Management plan
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Location map
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55.92323927463188,-3.1923866271972656
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Monuments
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Monuments in Hermitage of Braid
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Image
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