list.co.uk/festival Gayi eld Creative Spaces | FESTIVAL FEATURES
CALTON HILL Collective Gallery Climb the gentle slope of Calton Hill from Regent Terrace and take in one of Edinburgh’s most inspiring views, familiar to overseas visitors as the base for many international news teams during the September 2014 Scottish Referendum, and included in the city’s UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visit the Collective Gallery, a new cultural initiative in an historic setting and check out the Artists Walks that respond to these exceptional surroundings.
REGENT ROAD PARK Stones of Scotland sculpture Contour round the south of Calton Hill along to Regent Road Park, with views to Holyrood Palace, the Scottish Parliament, Arthur’s Seat and the Salisbury Crags. Within the park is the engaging Stones of Scotland sculpture, a circle of 32 stone slabs, one from each of Scotland’s local authorities. Turn down through the park to Abbey Hill. Further along, have a look along the angular elements of the Parliament building and the east boundary wall inscriptions. SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT GROUNDS Landscaped forms and planting design Head across the front of the Scottish Parliament to the public landscaped grounds. Architect of the whole scheme, Catalan Enric Miralles, planned use of indigenous Scottish wildl owers, trees, shrubs and wild grasses. Oak and lime trees mirror those of Holyrood Palace and the planting of rowan trees echoes the Scottish Highlands association with centres of mythic power.
HOLYROOD PARK Education Centre Holyrood Park is a Royal Park (former hunting ground) managed by Historic Scotland, with a team particularly active in monitoring, protecting and re-introducing rare or threatened plants identii ed in the Edinburgh Biodiversity Action Plan, including spring sandwort, sticky catchl y and rock whitebeam. The Education Centre, by Malcolm Fraser Architects, is a beguiling contemporary pavilion building acting as a threshold to the extraordinary landscape before it. It is home to the Royal Park Rangers, who act as ‘doormen’ and education ofi cers, and to l exible public education facilities. Head onwards through Croft-An-Righ, crossing and up the steps to Abbey Mount. LONDON ROAD GARDENS (LOWER NORTHERLY SLICE OF REGENT TERRACE GARDENS) Process Studios London Road Gardens provide a green processional edge to this broad avenue into Edinburgh centre, designed in 1819 by William Playfair, one of the premier architects of the period. Just at the head of this parkland sits Techbase and the newly developed Process Studios, formerly Edinburgh Contemporary Crafts. This hothouse of creative talent offers workshops and open days across an impressive range of maker skills.
Pace Exhibition, Gayi eld Creative Spaces, until 31 Aug, 11am– 6pm, free; Garden Walks in Gayi eld Square Garden, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays until 27 Aug, 12.30–1.30pm; Walks by Design in and around central Edinburgh, guided on Sundays 16, 23 & 30 Aug, 2pm–3pm, from Gayi eld Square.
13–20 Aug 2015 THE LIST FESTIVAL 19