News & Events

Communities along the Carron

Click on the images below for further details of Communities Along the Carron Association public meeting and forthcoming dates for litter picks.

Gypsy Brae Litter Clean up - Cramond

A big litter clean up is planned for 20th and 21st of March (10.00 - 14.00) at Gypsy Brae, Cramond (the wooded area). This is a very big job. All help will be very much appreciated. Litter pickers, bags and gloves will be available. The Hostel car park opposite the caravan park can be used for parking as well as the road at Gypsy Brae.
There will even be a van selling teas and coffee!

Please go to www.scotfloor.co.uk/environmental.htm for map and info for 20th and 21st March.

This clean up is being organised by local resident, Ian Greenhalgh, the Forth Estuary Forum and is being carried out as part of the Edinburgh Biodiversity Festival (www.edinburgh.gov.uk/biodiversity).

Keep Scotland Tidy - National Spring Clean 2010

Keep Scotland Tidy has started the new decade with an appeal for volunteers exasperated by litter to sign up for National Spring Clean 2010 – Scotland’s biggest volunteer clean-up event.

Click on the image for details of the next clean up event at Marine Drive and how you can participate.

Registration for the annual blitz on litter during April has opened and already there are more than 7,000 volunteers committed to pulling on their bright yellow spring clean tabard at 82 clean up events across Scotland.

Re-established four years ago the month long campaign has grown exponentially becoming one of the country’s largest volunteer events. Families, schools, community groups, environmental organisations and businesses have all taken up the challenge to do something to improve the cleanliness of their local areas – and now Keep Scotland Tidy is calling for even more people to come forward and help make National Spring Clean 2010 the biggest yet.

Almost 60,000 people, at over 1,000 locations across Scotland, took part in fun litter pick events during the month of April 2009, filling enough black sacks of litter to fill 28,819 standard wheelie bins, but this year the campaign aim is to achieve even more.

To help us this April and organise, or take part in, an event near you – all you have to do is chose a location and sign up on line for your FREE clean up kit at ww.keepscotlandtidy.org/springclean

For further information please visit www.keepscotlandtidy.org/springclean or phone the Keep Scotland Tidy team on 01786 468242 or email springclean@ksbscotland.org.uk.

Marine Conservation Society - Cramond Adopt-a-Beach - Thank You and Future Dates

The first Adopt-a-Beach event of 2010 took place on Saturday 6th February. A big thanks very much to all of you who came along. There was a terrific turnout of 62 people on a chilly day, with a marvellous 148kg of litter picked up. So well done everyone!

The Adopt-a-Beach project relies on volunteers all round the UK, and as was demonstrated on 6th February it is down to the enthusiasm and dedication of volunteers that we have 18 years worth of data to use in our work with governments and industry to bring about change and reduce the volume of litter in our sea and on our beaches. So thanks again for your participation, and if this was your first beach clean, thanks for joining us. Take a look at the website www.adoptabeach.org.uk

Future Cramond Adopt-a-Beach dates for 2010 (all Saturdays at 10am):
17th April
19th June
18th September (Beachwatch Big Weekend)

For further information contact Anne Saunders, Scottish Projects Officer, Marine Conservation Society, 3 Coates Place Edinburgh, EH3 7AA, 0131 226 2391 email: anne.saunders@mcsuk.org or visit www.mcsuk.org

Forth Replacement Crossing Update January 2010

In December 2007, the Scottish Government announced its intention to build a cable stayed bridge to the west of the existing Forth Road Bridge. The Project team set up by Transport Scotland has been developing the new design and carrying out much investigative works during 2008. The announcement, in December 2008, confirmed that the new bridge will be built alongside the existing road bridge. The new bridge will be cable stayed and carry two lanes of traffic in either direction. The existing bridge will be adapted for buses and taxis. Pedestrians and cyclists will continue to use the existing bridge to cross the Forth. The new bridge will have a hard shoulder on either side and this is expected to reduce traffic delays. Buses will use the hard shoulder when wind conditons prevent them using the existing bridge. Wind shielding will protect the crossing from high winds.

A series of public information exhibitions took place in January 2009 with a further round of public information exhibitions in August and November 2009.

The Forth Replacement Crossing Bill was introduced into Parliament in November 2009. The project remains on schedule to start construction in 2011 and open in 2016.

For further information see www.transportscotland.gov.uk.

SCAPE (Scotland's Coastal Archaeology and the Problem of Erosion)

SCAPE (Scotland's Coastal Archaeology and the Problem of Erosion) is a charity working within the area of the historic environment of the coastal zone. Our primary focus is related to raising awareness of the impact of climate change (particularly accelerated erosion) to Scotland's coastal heritage, and we have a very strong commitment to promoting community involvement in Scotland's coastal heritage, which we do through Shorewatch and other site specific projects.

To find out more, view the SCAPE Annual Report 2008 or visit the website www.scapetrust.org

East Coast of Scotland Pilot Handbook

The East Coast of Scotland Pilot Handbook has been reviewed and updated by members of local sailing clubs. The handbook is an invaluable source of information for all yachtsmen (and women) with information on every harbour, large and small, between Berwick and Fraserburgh. All the harbours of the Forth are mentioned and described including those in the upper Forth.

The new 2009 version is available now and costs £25. Order direct from www.fyca.org.uk .