The West Port Garden is an oasis of tranquillity where local residents, many of whom do not have access to green space, can enjoy gardening or just sit and let the hurry go by. Located on
a steep terraced slope between the West Port and the College of Art, the garden was an initiative of Patrick Geddes, the father of ecology, to allow people especially children to
experience the natural world. It opened in 1910.

GRASS (Grassmarket Residents’ Association) took over the restoration and maintenance of the Garden in 2013 in partnership with the City of Edinburgh Council. Since then volunteers
have carried out major improvements including repointing walls, installing vegetable boxes for local residents and planting out the garden with a mix of flowers, fruit trees, herbs and
shrubs.