John Rattray site works update

It was with great fanfare that the Leith Rules Golf Society unveiled their statue of John Rattray on Leith Links, click here to view our blog post from the time. Alongside the statue there are three stone plinths with bronze plaques and sculptured mounds of marram grass which mimic the appearance of the greenspace as it would have appeared in the 1700s when Rattray played golf on the Links.

John Rattray and his golf rules are an important part of Leiths rich history. It is with thanks to the perseverance of the Leith Rules Golf Society, their supporters and their financial donors that their ambition has been realised on behalf of our whole community.

Since the unveiling in Autumn 2019 the site has remained fenced off, much to the frustration and concern of many members of our community who are wondering what is happening with the site.

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John Rattray statue update

Earlier this year the John Rattray statue and the associated landscaping & information signage was officially unveiled. This was a project delivered by Leith Rules Golf Society.Image result for john rattray golf

Since then the area has remained fenced off but we can provide the community with the following update:

 

 

 

 

The plan was for the mounds to be a mix of maritime grasses that would be found on a links course. Marrim grasses were planted and to support their growth a selection of other grasses was seeded on the mounds. Unfortunately this mix included poppy seeds which dominated the mounds and although very attractive was not what was proposed and suffocated the grasses.

The landscaping company will rectify this error but the results won’t be known until next summer. The city council museums department appear to be ready to accept the statue when they’re paid £6000 but the parks department aren’t prepared to take ownership of the mounds until the landscaping is sorted. This means that the fencing currently round the whole site will be moved to allow access to the statue but still be in place round the landscaping.

John Rattray statue landscaping blooming lovely!

Recently some landscaping works have taken place in Leith Links in preparation for the arrival of a bronze statue of John Rattray. The area around the statue has been landscaped in the style of dunes which once covered the site.

Regular updates as to the progress of the Rattray statue, and the associated works are provided on the Leith Rules Golf Society website (click here). With information relating to the life of John Rattray available on Wikipedia (click here).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Click on the picture for further information