The Meadows
Melville Drive, EH9 1ND
Public Park
Widely known
The Meadows remain one of the city's most popular and important parks. One the city's Southside, the large park consists of open grassland divided by tree lined paths. It also has a children's playground, a number of sports pitches, tennis courts and toilets.
The park originally contained a loch and provided most of the town with drinking water until the city got it's first piped water supply. Despite the fact notable citizens walked there and animals grazed on it, the public did not receive full rights to use the park until the 19th century when the park's many paths were added. In the 1870s the park became an important site for the development of football in the city, and both Hibs and Hearts played there in their early years.
During WW2, 500 allotments were created in the east end of the park in an attempt to make the country more self sufficient in food. Today the park has been returfed and serves the city as a major green space and especially popular in the summer with revellers hoping to soak up the sun. A range of events are held throughout the year including the Meadows Marathon festival and the Edinburgh climate festival.
The park is just south of the city centre and on the edge of the main campus of Edinburgh University and is serviced buses 24, 41, 42, 67.