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Riccarton, Edinburgh facts for kids

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Riccarton
Riccarton is located in Scotland
Riccarton
Riccarton
Council area
  • City of Edinburgh
Country Scotland
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Ambulance Scottish
EU Parliament Scotland
UK Parliament
  • Edinburgh South West
Scottish Parliament
  • Edinburgh Pentlands
List of places
UK
Scotland
55°54′30″N 3°19′20″W / 55.908333°N 3.322222°W / 55.908333; -3.322222

Riccarton is a quiet area in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is part of Edinburgh's Green Belt, which means it's mostly open land with lots of farms and not many houses.

Riccarton is located to the west of the main road called the Edinburgh City Bypass (also known as the A720). It is best known for being the home of Heriot-Watt University's main campus.

Exploring Riccarton

Riccarton is a peaceful place with a lot of green space. It's a great example of a "Green Belt" area, which helps to stop cities from growing too big and keeps nature close by. This means you'll find plenty of fields and open land here.

Home to Heriot-Watt University

One of the most important places in Riccarton is the main campus of Heriot-Watt University. This university is a big learning center where students study many different subjects.

Jameswatt
This statue of James Watt sits at Heriot-Watt's Riccarton Campus.

What is Oriam?

Inside the university campus, you'll find Oriam. This is Scotland's National Performance Centre for Sport. It's a special place where athletes can train and get ready for big competitions. Oriam also opened its doors to the public in August 2016, so local people can use its sports facilities too!

What are the Borders of Riccarton?

Riccarton shares its edges with several other areas. To the south, it is next to Currie, Juniper Green, and Curriehill. To the east, you'll find The Calders (which is part of Wester Hailes). And to the north, Riccarton borders Hermiston.

Future of Riccarton's Land

Because Riccarton has a lot of open land, there are often discussions about how it should be used. People sometimes talk about building more homes or other facilities in the area. These discussions are important because they help decide how Riccarton will look in the future.

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