THE CRAMOND ASSOCIATION
ANNUAL REPORT 2014 -15
President’s Report
We are taking action to expand the role of
the Cramond Association. We are working
to ensure that the Association is really
relevant to the people of Cramond, Barnton
and Cammo. Achievement of the objectives
of the Association has been very dependent
on the enthusiasm and initiative of
members of the Committee. I am very
grateful for all the input they make to the
work of the Association.
I have listed below some of these efforts to improve the neighbourhood and promote
activities for our members. In order to continue and expand these efforts, we do benefit
from a regular turn-over of Committee members, so we should very much welcome some
more members. We hope that you will consider joining our Committee – its meetings are
lively and, at times, can be challenging but we are moving in the right direction. Here are
some of the activities we have been involved in:
 Our monthly talks programme from September to April each year – we continue to
have a great turnout for all our talks – a real success story!
 History Section – read the full account of its activities later in this report
 An electronic survey of our members, seeking their views on what they want from
the Association
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 Woodlands Group – some of our members, led by Stefan Slater, Vice President, with
others, have put in a great deal of hard labour to make a significant improvement to
the paths in the woods around Cramond Kirk
 Working with neighbourhood partner organisations to prepare a strategy through
the Interpretation Group with the aim of improving the signs and appearance of the
area. Led by Peter Scott of the Cramond & Barnton Community Council, a group of
volunteers is working to improve orientation and interpretation provision at
Cramond, its waterfront and along lower stretches of the River Almond Walkway.
This strategy is intended to enhance visitors’ and local residents’ awareness of the
area’s cultural and natural heritage, recreational opportunities and visitor facilities
(e.g. toilets, car parks, path networks). It is also intended to reduce the current
clutter of signage and replace many of the signs which have been poorly maintained
 Being a founder member of the Cramond Collaborative – an informal partnership
meeting of local organisations, the Cramond Association, Cramond Heritage Trust,
Friends of the River Almond Walkway, Friends of Cammo, and the Community
Council. We inform each other what we are doing so as to avoid duplication but,
more importantly, to encourage collaboration. The Woodlands Group is a good
example of such collaboration.
 The Association has been involved in meetings with the City of Edinburgh Council on
a range of issues such as the Cammo Estate and farmhouse, and the problem of cars
driving along the foreshore
 Working more closely with our partner organisations such as the Friends of the River
Almond Walkway and supporting their bid to replace the Salvesen Steps
 Planning a Family Fun Day in June 2015
 Organising a litter pick along the foreshore last year and planning more in 2015
 Improving our website with more leaflets about the history and features of Cramond
– look for them on www.cramondassociation.org.uk
 Upgrading our monthly e-newsletter for members with details of upcoming talks and
items of general interest such as the RSPB survey of birdlife in Bruntsfield Golf Club
and the Woodlands Group progress
 We have representatives who attend the Neighbourhood Partnership; the Airport
Committee, Community Council meetings, and the Cockburn Association. This helps
us keep an eye on what is happening in our community
 We worked with Edinburgh University and produced a leaflet last year on the
Geology of Cramond
 Working collaboratively with the other local organisations and students from
Edinburgh University on an Urban Regeneration Project – the students will be
preparing their proposals before this year’s exam period
 We have agreed that we will have a couple of ‘Walks’ per year, such as the Autumn
Geology Walk and there is a walk planned for the spring along the Old Mill Trail, to
be followed by walks to Cramond Island and the Mansion Houses of the Forth.
We couldn’t achieve all this without you. Thank you for joining us in looking after the area
and promoting its attractiveness. We hope we can count on your continuing support.
Margery Naylor, President
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CRAMOND ASSOCIATION HISTORY SECTION REPORT – SEASON 2014-2015
The season is going very well with a further small increase in membership and a number of
interested visitors.
We began in October with a beautifully illustrated talk on Aberdour Castle by Adrian Cox of Historic
Scotland. In November Ms Chris Short, herself a retired nurse, gave an excellent and topical talk on
the contribution made by British nurses in World War One, with reference to our own Dr. Elsie Inglis.
In January our committee number Norah Carlin gave us an enlightening history of the Templelands
in Cramond and in other parts of Scotland.
We have three further meetings to come. On 4 February Ms Jenni Calder will speak on the history of
Scottish emigration to North America and in March Mr E. Bailey of Headland Archaeology will speak
on the archaeological discoveries on the site of the old High School. We conclude in April with Mr
Simon Green from the National Monument Records of Scotland speaking and showing ‘Pictures of
Old Edinburgh’.
I should like to thank Cramond Kirk, Mr Vennelle and his team for providing our venue, also our
committee members and others who contribute so much to the benefit of the section.
Una Woof, Convener
SURVEY OF CRAMOND ASSOCIATION MEMBERS - SEPTEMBER 2014
The Association’s September e-newsletter distributed on 03/09/14 contained a 10-question
SurveyMonkey questionnaire which the Committee hoped would provide feedback on how the
Association was viewed by its members and how its activities might be enhanced for the benefit of
the community and of its membership.
It was sent to all 543 member households on email and responses up to 30/09/14 were analysed.
The newsletter was opened in 331 cases (61%), a very good opening rate for documents of this
nature and 150 (45%) tackled the survey. “Tackled”, not “completed”, is used advisedly, as many did
not answer all the questions, a frequent finding in such surveys. Nonetheless, valuable feedback was
obtained and is forming the basis for action. The results are summarised below.
Q1 Duration of membership: 83% >5 years; 29% >25 years. This is a loyal membership.
Q2 Attendance at & comments on CA meetings: Average attendance 3/6 talks. There were
encouraging comments (enjoyable, informative, etc) and the only material criticism was insufficient
seats!
Q3 Attendance at & comments on the History Section: Average attendance 3/6 talks. Nice
comments, including that the Section deserved better promotion of its programme. A few would like
more focus on Edinburgh and Lothians history and on local history.
Q4 Attendance at & comments on the 2014 AGM: 37% of the 101 respondents attended this AGM.
Comments were mixed, but it seems to have been thought more engaging than usual and that we
must continue to encourage interaction at AGMs. A few considered that elections were cut and
dried. Others said that the Association is making every effort to encourage new nominations to the
Committee and ensure a regular turn-over in terms of the amended constitution adopted last year
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This, however, requires Association members to come forward and express an interest in being
involved.
Q5 Which clubs/groups to set up: Gardening, swimming & film clubs were the most frequently
mentioned, but emphasis also on the need for youth clubs of one kind or another.
Q6 Would you join in litter picks & woodland clearance: “Yes” in 24 (62%) & 35 (90%), respectively,
of the 39 who answered this question. Various other ideas suggested and there was much
disgruntlement with poor management of the foreshore and a general untidiness.
Q7 Interest in guided walks: Much support for these and repeated comment on how enjoyable the
Geo-walk had been and should be repeated. Other good ideas were suggested.
Q8 Any other comments: Examples given are: “Good idea to have a questionnaire”. Very many
encouraging remarks were made about the Association, like: “You do a grand job”, but a few
criticisms, viz: “From the age profile at the meetings, it would seem that CA does not attract the
young or the early middle-aged - get the younger families involved”; “Could we not have a better
display of Roman artefacts ?”; “Disappointed in the Carols by Candlelight – lost its feel, too many
people & chaos at the interval.”
Q9 Age of members: 84%, 60+; 53%, 70+; no adults <30. It is likely the results are skewed towards
the upper age bands as younger members would probably have had less time to tackle the survey.
The Treasurer’s membership data suggests 74% of members are 60+. There was repeated reference
across questions to the need to encourage younger people to join and to establish clubs/events to
attract them.
Q10 In family memberships, what would you like to see available for children under 16: The
majority of family memberships amongst the respondents were adult couples. However, there was a
consistent request for more activities for young people, such as swimming, cycling a youth club,
guided walks aimed at children and families, a family quiz night, a young history club, a children’s pet
show and a family gala day. The Committee has taken these suggestions on board and is planning a
Family Fun Day in June.
Stefan Slater, Vice-President
TREASURER’S REPORT
Our total income for the year up to 31 December 2014 was £4738 (this included the £750 raised by
Carols by Candlelight). There was a decrease in membership from 2013 but we are now working
hard to increase our membership because we recognise we want to increase the number of younger
members and we must follow up on lapsed memberships.
Membership
Single
Family
Senior Single
Senior Family
Total
2009
25
172
183
315
695
2010
34
185
188
298
705
2011
23
176
190
311
700
2012
26
168
185
301
680
2013
27
175
205
296
703
2014
19
116
184
256
575
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Expenses for the year totalled £5088, (this included £750 paid out from Carols by Candlelight) a
slight decrease on 2013. The overall out-turn for the year was a deficit of £350 as against a surplus
for 2013 of £456. As at 31st December 2014 the total funds of the main Association stood at £3030.
Summarised below are the transactions of the one sub-group of the Association with funds of its
own.
The History Section
Opening funds 01/01/2014
Income
Expenditure
Closing funds 31/12/2014
£352
£304
£267
£389
Gena Wylie, Treasurer
NOTICE BOARDS
The Association informs members and the public via two notice boards. One located on the railings
outside the nursery on Whitehouse Road with the other by wall fixture outside Sainsbury’s at
Barnton.
Barnton Notice Board: The display is in the form of a satin anodised aluminium frame with Perspex
panel and display board of cellular plastic material. It is provided to the CA by Sainsbury’s and is one
of three and is suited to the retailer’s specification.
It is recognised as a limited quality provision and has been subjected to minor vandalism and
currently the Perspex has sprung from the framework on two sides. Although it is suspect it remains
reasonably weather tight but assurance has been given by the shop manager that the ‘glazing’ issue
will be addressed by maintenance staff on week commencing 8 December 2014. The board has now
received its winter maintenance with the ‘glazing’ washed and the metal frame treated with metal
polish and the two locks oiled.
Cramond Notice Board: This provision is owned by the CA and is in the form of substantial stainless
steel construction with a glass window panel. The pin board is Sundella and finished with blue fabric.
It is showing signs of limited life and will require board refurbishment in a few year’ time. This notice
board has also received its winter dressing with the glazing washed and the stainless steel treated
with metal polish and the two locks oiled.
Both notice boards should survive another year with no expenditure required. The boards have been
well employed this year and we have on occasions had to reinforce our policy of majoring on our
work followed by support for the Kirk and good local causes. We reject commercial initiatives and
personal notices. The Cramond Community Council notice boards have also been similarly serviced.
Pet Marjorie: The plaque in Brae Park has now been washed and given an oil skin to resist the winter
weather. The water trough has been cleaned out as much as possible but the water remains
stagnant and little can be done to address this. The surrounding stone chippings have been de leafed
as much as possible. A similar exercise will be carried out in the Spring and this will see the area
cleared of further vegetation.
Sandy Anderson, Committee member
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WOODLANDS GROUP
The Association has established the Woodlands Group to look into what can be done to improve the
neglected state of the woodland in Cramond’s Scheduled area between the Cramond Inn and
foreshore to the north and the Brighouse development to the south. It contains the site of the
Roman fort, hence its designation as a Scheduled Ancient Monument.
The Group held its first meeting in August, 2014 and resolved to begin by clearing and making more
accessible two important paths through the woodland. One runs east from the Kirk Hall to the fence
with the open parkland beyond, doubling back north-westward past an impressive redwood tree
and with excellent views to the Forth. The other runs left from the driveway to the Kirk Hall, down
past the Mesolithic site to the foreshore car-park and was all but impassable due to 8-foot high
vegetation at one section.
We met with the West Edinburgh Neighbourhood Team’s, Community Parks Officer (CPO); with
Edinburgh & Lothians Greenspace Trust (ELGT); and with representatives of the Forestry Division of
Edinburgh Council’s Parks & Greenspace Service, along with the City Archaeologist and others. Out
of these contacts has come a commitment from the CPO to open up and maintain these two paths,
while the Forestry Division has agreed to deal with trees worryingly close to the Roman Bathhouse
site and with other tree and shrub work. The ELGT is to examine the possibility of a grant application
for further work.
The two paths have since been dealt with and while members may have noted rather wider than
desired swathes have been cut, this is to encourage drying out and they will be allowed to narrow.
Having been given a head-start by the CPO and his team, it remains for us to deal as far as possible
with the muddy sections. Meantime, we have begun to tackle excessive ivy encroachment on trees
and started a general clearing and tidying, using the scout campfire site, which we’ve moved to a
safer location, to burn. We have also planted some snowdrop and natural bluebell bulbs. In due
course, we would hope to engage in a tree-planting programme.
The woodland was once a very attractive, managed Victorian landscape, potentially worthy of
inclusion in the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes as a site, including its Roman
archaeology, of national importance. It has some impressive veteran trees, some 200-300 years old.
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But it has been allowed to go badly to seed. We will do our best to improve matters and would
welcome volunteers to help. In this regard, two members of the Friends of the River Almond
Walkway committee and one from the Cramond & Barnton Community Council have joined the
Group and bring considerable experience of woodland and path work. This is a gratifying example of
the collaboration that is possible between Cramond’s various community groups, something the
Association and others are actively encouraging. More detail can be found in February’s Grapevine.
Stefan Slater, Vice-President
EDINBURGH AIRPORT
I succeeded Bert Scott on the Edinburgh Airport Consultative Committee (EACC) when he demitted
office as President of the Association last year and have attended three of the four quarterly
meetings held since. The Committee has a lay chairman and a lay secretary and representatives
from Cramond & Barnton Community Council (Andrew Mather, Chairman), Kirkliston and Ratho &
District Community Councils, City of Edinburgh Council (Lesley Hinds), West Lothian, East Lothian,
Clackmannanshire and Scottish Borders Councils and Edinburgh and Fife Chambers of Commerce;
from The Consumers Association, Special Needs, ABTA, the Police, the National Air Traffic Services
(NATS) and others – altogether 25 appointed representatives. The Airport’s Chief Executive, Gordon
Dewar, and its Director of Communications, Gordon Robertson, attend.
At each meeting, the Chief Executive’s Report for the preceding quarter is presented. This contains
six sections: air traffic figures, information on the Airport’s capital investment and on its community
investment fund, an up-date on surface access to the Airport, a noise complaint analysis and details
of any changes in passenger services. Other items on the agenda have included a report on the
Airport’s Passenger Reduced Mobility (PRM) Service and on the recent increase in drop-off charges.
Quarterly traffic figures are compared to the same quarters in the previous year. In 2014, there was
a very slight reduction in air transport movements compared to 2013, but an average quarterly
increase of 4.5% in passenger numbers due to the increased use of larger aircraft. Indeed, last year
the 10 millionth passenger for the year was exceeded. I requested a break-down of air transport
movements into day (06.00-22.00) and night (22.00-06.00) flights and a further refinement to show
the overnight figures (00.00-06.00). In the last quarter of 2014, from when the latter are available,
the average nightly number of flights in or out has been 9.6. I have also suggested it might be
interesting to record east-west and west-east movements, for my impression over the last two or
three years has been a slight lessening in the dominance of east-west movements.
The new Edinburgh Airport Security Terminal (EAST) is due to be completed this year and the
construction of an open air plaza between the Terminal and the tram stop is underway. There have
been improvements to the main apron and aircraft stands and an upgrading of the fire training rig.
There will be 110 routes this year, new ones including Chicago, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Oslo and Zurich.
The Airport’s PRM service has been impressively enhanced by an increase in support staff from 41 in
2013 to 75; the installation of a new IT system to track each PRM-passenger through the Airport; the
purchase of a third Ambu-Lift; and the introduction of an air-side reserved seating area and
improvements to the land-side one, both now manned at all times. The service should be booked in
advance, 10-15% of PRM-passengers still arriving unannounced. Further information is available at
www.equalityhumanrights.com
The Community Investment Fund is to increase from £100K to £120K, from which several grants are
disbursed, of between £300 and £5000 were disbursed in 2014. Recipients included Clermiston
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Primary School, Friends of Cammo to create an enclosure for bee hives, South Queensferry scouts to
upgrade their equipment and Stenhouse Primary School to upgrade its playground.
There were 76 recorded noise complaints in 2014, an average of 6.3 per month. Perhaps
surprisingly, the majority of them were not from Cramond/Barnton, but the number of formal
complaints is not an accurate reflection of aircraft noise nuisance within a community.
The Committee at its meeting in November vigorously expressed its concern that it had not been
consulted at its meeting in August on the introduction of new drop-off charges, operative from
01/09/14. The new charges are £1 for a stay of 0-5 minutes, £3 for 5-10 mins (previously £1), £5 for
10-20 mins, et sequ. While drop-off charges were the focus of press coverage, pick-up charges from
an adjacent new pick-up area are equally high at £2.90 for 0-15 mins, £4.70 for 15-30 mins, et sequ.
The Executive argued that the increases were to speed up traffic through the drop-off area, there
having been complaints of congestion. It had, therefore, also changed the layout to a better, onedirection, 2-lane arrangement and traffic was now moving faster. However, it conceded there were
commercial considerations.
Stefan Slater, Vice-President
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CRAMOND HERITAGE TRUST
Established in 1978 by the Cramond Association to preserve and interpret the heritage of
Cramond
Scottish Charity SC000754
cramondassociation.org.uk
Cramond Heritage Trust Annual Report for the year ending 31 December 2014
The trustees have pleasure in presenting their report for the year to 31 December 2014. This report
is prepared in accordance with their Deed of Trust.
Constitution and Objectives
The Trust, which is a registered Charity in Scotland, is operated under the rules of a Deed of Trust,
dated 2nd October 1978. The management of the Trust is the responsibility of the trustees who are
elected and co-opted under the terms of the trust deed. The trustees are the Provost of the City of
Edinburgh, the Minister of Cramond Kirk and the President of Cramond Association. The running of
the Trust is the responsibility of the Management Committee. The members of the Management
Committee, elected at the AGM held on 24 March 2014, are Ann Cole, Kathleen Dods, Iain Eason,
Margery McDowell, Ian Rodger, Marjorie Vennelle and Fay Wilson, Bert Scott (representing Cramond
Association) and Doris Duncanson (representing Cramond Kirk).
The principal object of the trust is to encourage the preservation and improvement of features of
natural and historic interest within the greater Cramond area and to promote a wider understanding
of the area’s importance by means of exhibitions, lectures, workshops and educational tours for
both adults and children.
Review of Activities
Visitor numbers this year have been lower, although it has been noticeable that those visiting the
Maltings have been predominantly visitors from abroad; a lot from Europe but including the usual
number from the Asia Pacific region and North America hoping to discover information about their
ancestors.
Our exhibition on the “Great War” and how it affected the Parish of Cramond proved to be of great
interest. A copy of the complete exhibit was on display in Cramond Kirk in August as part of the
memorial services. Local schools were offered a loan of the portable exhibit boards to support their
curriculum activities. Fox Covert and Davidson’s Mains Primary schools took up this offer and
reported that both pupils and teachers found it of great interest. Adults discovered information
about relatives that they were totally unaware of, while at least one primary school pupil was
horrified at how young the casualties were and how many of them had lived in the same village.
The “Geological History of Cramond” leaflet which was produced as a joint effort between ourselves
and Lothian and Borders GeoConservation ( a committee of the Edinburgh Geological Society) has
now been published and is proving to be of great interest.
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One of our fund raising activities has been the provision of talks about various aspects of Cramond’s
history. These have been given to a number of City of Edinburgh Council members and community
organisations throughout the city; they have been well supported as is evident from receiving repeat
bookings and requests to organise specific guided walks on their behalf.
We have plans to change a number of the Maltings information boards to reflect the new
information coming from the recent analysis of a number of finds. More details of this are provided
below in the archaeology report.
Kathleen Dods – Convener
Archaeology
At Echline Fields, South Queensferry, a Mesolithic settlement was identified. This was of a similar
very early date to Cramond – around the middle of the 9th century BC. Yet another was located at
the other end of the new Queensferry Crossing, although of a slightly later date. Along with other
very early sites near Howick in Northumberland and at Dunbar, these chart the progress northward
of early peoples at the end of the last Ice Age.
At the recent Edinburgh, Lothians and Borders Conference, City Archaeologist John Lawson gave a
talk entitled “Dark goings on at Cramond!” This revealed the results of further work carried out on
the remains of nine adults and three neonates buried within the stone latrine of the Bathhouse
attached to the 2nd and 3rd century Roman Fort at Cramond. At the time of the excavation in 1976,
these burials were regarded as being Medieval, 13th/14th century in date, possibly plague burials.
Recently, with the aid of a grant from Cramond Heritage Trust, these burials were re-examined using
more modern analytical techniques. This revealed that the remains dated to between 400-640AD,
not 14th century as originally thought! This Early Historic date is pre-Anglian, the time of St Columba,
and of similar date to the burials at the Catstane. Isotope analysis indicates that most of the burials
were of local people although one probably came from the Skye, Canna and Rum area. Two bodies
appear to have been decapitated and another had healed sword wounds.
Val Dean – CHT Committee member
Treasurer’s Report
Visitor numbers this year have been poor although we have ended the year with our finances in
good health. This is partly due to the proceeds from the book “Cramond Through Time” as well as
the usual income from visitors, schools and talks. The “Equipment & Materials” costs remain high
due to the preparations required for the exhibition covering the local effect of the Great War. In
addition to the display in the Maltings, a similar mobile version was prepared and has been
displayed in various local schools as well as in Cramond Kirk during the church service held in
memory of the start of the war in August 1914
We have part funded the analysis of the finds from various excavations which have taken place since
the 1950’s – 60’s, as mentioned above. Further analysis is still being carried out, the results of which
will be revealed in a forthcoming major archaeological symposium to be held in the University of
Edinburgh later this year.
Year
Number of visitors
Number of school visits
2010
3892
5
2011
3546
7
2012
3751
8
2013
3373
4
2014
2256
5
John Dods - Hon. Treasurer
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