Capital attraction: Edinburgh is UK’S top eco-friendly destination
Edinburgh is ranked alongside San Francisco, Buenos Aires and Barcelona, reports John-paul Holden
DRIVERS might be more familiar with its congested thoroughfares, some of which are among the most polluted in Scotland – but it seems Edinburgh is rapidly emerging as a green travel mecca.
The fast-growing capital has been named the UK’S most environmentally friendly destination, with researchers singling out biking opportunities, parks and vegan restaurants as reasons to pay a visit.
It is also ranked 10th globally, while San Francisco occupies the No 1 spot.
Other highly placed cities include Buenos Aires, Berlin, Lisbon and Barcelona, as well as more surprising entries such as Rio De Janeiro and
Los Angeles.
Welcoming the research, which was carried out by travel specialists Hayes & Jarvis, local authority chiefs in Edinburgh said work to protect and improve the environment was wide-ranging.
Edinburgh City Council leader Adam Mcvey said: “We’re making every effort to create a more environmentallyfriendly future for Edinburgh, which is demonstrated by our commitment to become carbon neutral by 2030.”
Hayes & Jarvis’ ranking was based on creating a “seed list” of the most visited which were in seventh equal place with 61.1.
Among its highly rated businesses are vegan restaurants Harmonium, Seeds For The Soul and Henderson’s, and the Ten Hill Place and Nira Caledonia hotels.
It comes after the city announced a £314 million overhaul of its central area that will see priority given to pedestrians and cyclists, and many major streets closed to traffic.
There has also been significant investment in the local cycling network.
However, there are concerns over the state of Edinburgh’s urban environment, particularly the threat posed by air pollution.
Earlier this year, it emerged that Nicolson Street and St John’s Road had both broken legal limits for nitrogen dioxide emissions, and were among the six worst blackspots north of the Border.
Mr Mcvey said the local authority was determined to drive forward improvements.
“From our ongoing investment in improving cycling and walking infrastructure, including under
City Centre Transformation, to our world-famous green spaces, we’re extremely proud of our ‘green’ credentials,” he said.
“While our efforts right now are obviously focused on protecting our citizens through Covid-19, we know residents don’t want us to let go of our sustainable ambitions, while the vast majority of our residents think tackling the climate emergency is an urgent and immediate priority.
“As this research shows, this is also important to the many people who visit Edinburgh each year.”
A spokesman for Hayes & Jarvis said: “We are passionate about environmental protection and it is our aim to provide holidays that leave a positive impact on our destinations.
“In ‘Eco Escapes’ we chose to explore metrics that reflect this, such as green hotels, vegan restaurants, nature attractions and bike tours.
“Our project showed that
Edinburgh is the go-to destination in the UK for environmentally conscious travellers.”