Over 100 people attended a public meeting on Sunday 3 December 2023, The Radical Road – Past, Present, Future? This path in Edinburgh’s Holyrood Park has been a much loved walking route since 1822. In 2018, Historic Environment Scotland closed the route due to fears of rockfall.
Ramblers Scotland’s petition, calling on Historic Environment Scotland to urgently reopen the Radical Road, got an incredible 3,650 signatures in just two weeks.
We have also encouraged individuals and organisations to respond to the HES consultation on the outline strategic plan for Holyrood Park, which closed on 19 December. The full consultation document and online survey are on the HES website: https://haveyoursay.historicenvironment.scot/conservation/outline-strategic-plan-for-holyrood-park/. The Radical Road is barely mentioned within the consultation document. Yet there has been a groundswell of public outrage about the closure, its impacts and the lack of discussion about this issue. We believe HES has not proportionately assessed the level of risk for users of the path, given its natural, outdoor setting. We want the path to be reopened, along with cautionary signage to warn the public of any potential natural hazards. Monitoring of the state of the rock face should also continue.
