Capital disgrace

Yesterday’s Scotsman spread, “Rival visions for a new Edinburgh concert arena”, tells of a wonderful idea (21 June 2017). Princes Street Gardens is described in the article as “one of Edinburgh’s best and most prominent sites”.

Marking my birthday in The National Gallery of Scotland this week, at the most excellent Friends summer event, we emerged to walk the gardens.

In over 50 years, I have never seen Edinburgh so overtaken by litter. Surely some income from four million tourists could be set aside to cope, or funding from the proposed arena project perhaps?

Seagulls tugging at rubbish and steps littered with cigarette ends do not impress.

ALAN HUGHES Governors Gardens Berwick upon Tweed