Lochend Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lochend Park |
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| Edinburgh, Scotland UK |
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Lochend Castle Doocot
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 Lochend Park
Location in Edinburgh
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| Coordinates | 55°57′38″N 3°09′38″W / 55.9606°N 3.1605°W |
| Type | Urban park |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Edinburgh Council |
| Open to the public |
Yes |
| Status | Open all year |
Lochend Park is a cool public park in Edinburgh, Scotland. You can find it in the Lochend and Restalrig areas. It's right next to Lochend Castle and close to Meadowbank Stadium.
The best part of the park is its big loch (a Scottish word for lake). It's home to lots of different birds! But there's more to see, like old buildings, a fun play area for kids, and sports fields. In 2012, Lochend Park won a Green Flag award. This means it's a really good quality green space. Inside the park, there's even a 16th-century building called a doocot, which is a special historic building.
Contents
Discovering Lochend Park's Past
From Castle Grounds to Park
Lochend Park was once the private land of Lochend Castle. This castle belonged to Robert Logan of Restalrig. The original castle was later replaced by a house called Lochend House in 1810. Today, only parts of the old castle, like the servants' living areas and kitchen chimney, are left.
The Amazing Doocot
The Doocot is a very old building, built in the 1500s. It was first used to keep pigeons, which were a food source for Lochend Castle. But it has a surprising history! In 1564, during a time when many people were sick with the plague, it was used as a "plague kiln." This meant it was a place to burn clothes and bedding from sick people to stop the spread of the illness.
Later, in the 1800s, the Doocot became a boathouse. It was used by the Royal Humane Society. This group helped save people who were drowning. The boat was also used in winter to check if the ice on the loch was strong enough for games of curling.
Leith's Water Supply
Lochend Loch was an important source of water for the nearby town of Leith. It supplied water from around 1650. At first, water flowed by gravity. But in the early 1700s, a pump station was built near the Doocot to help move the water. Leith started sharing Edinburgh's water supply in the mid-1700s. The loch stopped being a main water source around 1920.
Park Connections
In the mid-1800s, railway lines were built around the park. This made it feel a bit cut off from the city. The railways closed in the 1950s. It wasn't until the early 2000s that new paths and connections were made. These new links were needed because new homes were built overlooking the park.
Wildlife in Lochend Park
Lochend Park has many different places for animals to live. The loch is a great home for many kinds of wild birds. You can see swans, geese, coots, moorhens, mallards, and herons. There are also rats living near the water.
In 2011, a special viewing platform was built near the pond. This platform helps people get a closer look at the wildlife. Local schools can even use it for "pond dipping" activities. This is where they carefully collect and look at small creatures from the pond. New plants like yellow flag iris and water mint were also added. These plants help make the pond even better for local wildlife by giving them more places to live and food to eat.
Friends of Lochend Park
The Friends of Lochend Park is a group of local people who volunteer their time. They help manage and improve the park. In 2014, they bought an old police telephone box. It's located at the north-east entrance to the park. They plan to fix it up and use it to store things for visitors.
