How we manage Holyrood Park

Holyrood Park is a remarkable and iconic landscape at the heart of Scotland’s capital. Over thousands of years it has shaped Edinburgh’s identity through its mix of habitats, history and heritage. As the largest site in our care, it welcomes millions of visitors each year and serves as a valued open green space for local communities.

Designated as a Scheduled Monument and incorporating two Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), the park is protected for its cultural, historic and natural importance. These designations bring responsibilities as well as opportunities. Managing Holyrood Park means carefully balancing conservation, public access and wellbeing, while supporting habitats for wildlife in nature, heritage and the city’s visitor economy.

We are currently reviewing how the park is managed, including how regulations are applied, how activities are supported, and how we can operate more sustainably while ensuring Holyrood Park remains welcoming, safe and well cared for.

This page explains how we look after Holyrood Park day to day, and how we’re planning for its future

Our Ranger Service is at the heart of Holyrood Park’s daily management. Rangers work across the park every day, welcoming visitors, providing information, caring for habitats and paths, and helping to protect this sensitive landscape.

They also play a key role in:

• monitoring wildlife and habitats

• responding to safety issues such as erosion, rockfall or wildfire

• supporting events and filming

• working with communities, schools and partners

Learn more about the Ranger Service

Our Holyrood Park Strategic Plan sets the long‑term direction for how the park will be cared for, improved and enjoyed over the coming years. It provides a shared vision for balancing conservation, access, learning and wellbeing in a place that is internationally important yet deeply rooted in everyday life in Edinburgh. Rather than responding to issues in isolation, the strategy helps us take a joined‑up, thoughtful approach to change which is guided by evidence, shaped by public input and grounded in the park’s special qualities.

The Strategic Plan builds on the Holyrood Park Landscape Conservation Management Plan and will be shaped with communities and stakeholders.

We know the park is meaningful to both visitors and the local communities, and we were pleased to hear from almost 5000 people, many of whom are local to the park, during the public consultation. This ensures that the people of Edinburgh and visitors to Scotland have had their say and are at the heart of the Strategic Plan.

Holyrood Park is for everyone, and making it easier and safer to move around is a key priority. The park supports a wide mix of walking, cycling, running, driving and other forms of travel within a sensitive historic landscape, which needs careful management.

Our work focuses on improving paths, entrances and wayfinding, encouraging sustainable travel such as walking, wheeling and cycling, and reducing conflict between different users.

Longer‑term improvements are being developed through our Movement Strategy. This strategy, which is in development, will play an important role in shaping how people travel to, through and experience the park. Its aim is to make the park easier to access and enjoy for all, while promoting more sustainable ways of getting here and around.

It will be informed by what people have told us through the Traffic Management Survey, the Strategic Plan consultation and wider public feedback. We are also working closely with the City of Edinburgh Council to make sure our approach fits with city and national transport plans and reflects best practice.

To help inform this work, we have installed sensors across the park to better understand footfall and traffic patterns (no personal data is collected). You can explore this information on the Cycling Open Data Portal. We're also using additional active travel data from Strava Metro to build a clearer picture of how the park is used. Together, this evidence will help us explore options and plan positive improvements for the future.

Holyrood Park’s landscape is always changing. It has been shaped by its volcanic geology, weather, wildlife, people and now climate change.

Our aim is to help manage this ever-changing landscape carefully, protecting the park’s special habitats, geology and historic features while helping the landscape adapt to climate change and increasing use.

We look after paths, slopes, grasslands and wetlands to reduce erosion, improve biodiversity in our changing climate. We actively manage the landscape so it can continue to evolve in a way that benefits nature. All of this helps ensure the park remains dramatic, resilient and welcoming, now and in the future.

Rockfall in the park

The volcanic, rocky slopes that make up the iconic skyline of the park aren’t often found in city parks, and they can be challenging to look after. We regularly monitor these areas to reduce the risk of falling rocks, using surveys, safety signs and maintenance work. In some places, we have had to introduce temporary closures or diversions to help keep visitors safe.

The northern section of the Radical Road, which runs along Salisbury Crags, is currently closed and fenced off for safety reasons. Reopening this section is a complex and long‑term project. Visitors can still enjoy the southern section of the Radical Road, from the Hawse to the South Quarry, as well as Hutton’s Section, which is of great geological importance.

Duddingston Low Road also has safety challenges near Samson’s Ribs and is closed to vehicles. Pedestrians and cyclists can still use the route safely, with barriers in place. We’re exploring future options for this road as part of the Movement Strategy and wider city traffic plans.

Facilities play an important role in how people experience the park. Toilets, signage, benches, bins, paths, and interpretation all help visitors find their way, stay comfortable and enjoy their visit.

We’re working to improve existing facilities and plan new ones where appropriate, ensuring they meet the needs of visitors, staff and communities. Any future facilities will be carefully designed to respect the park’s historic and natural setting and to operate as sustainably as possible.

Holyrood Park is a living classroom, offering opportunities to learn about nature, geology, history, climate change and land management right in the heart of the city.

We support a wide range of learning experiences, from school visits and ranger‑led walks to volunteering, conservation skills and lifelong learning. Our goal is to ensure learning in the park is inclusive, accessible and relevant, helping people of all ages connect with this special place and take part in caring for it.

Take a look at our Ranger-led activities