Best Practice Case Studies

Newhailes, Musselburgh
- Balancing the needs of the site

"There's a wonderful mix of people at Newhailes.  Those attracted by the house get drawn in by the landscape and wildlife and vice versa, both work to enhance the other".

Piers de Salis, Newhailes Property Manager

Newhailes is a magnificent late 17th century house set in an 18th century designed landscape. It has been managed by the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) since 1997. Much of the original rococo style decoration from the early 18th century has survived in the interior of the house. Newhailes was recently awarded a prestigious Thistle Award for Best Customer Care in the Visitor Attraction category 2004.

The grounds are a particular asset to the property given its urban fringe location. Property Manager, Piers de Salis describes Newhailes as an, "80 acre oasis between Edinburgh and Musselburgh". The site is very popular with local people who enjoy the escape from the city.

The grounds contain a great variety of features including water gardens, a tea house and ha-ha. Many of the design features have been overwhelmed by nature during the past century, but the core structure of the 18th century designed landscape remains and now supports a wealth of wildlife. NTS is continuing the restoration of the grounds and is committed to preserving the original 18th century gardens.

Promoting wildlife and conservation
Having initially focused on conserving the house and promoting access to both the house and grounds, NTS has increasingly turned its attentions to the natural heritage and environment on site. Promotion of the natural heritage is a core aim of the NTS ranger service at Newhailes. The service is part funded by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH). The rangers highlight the wildlife of Newhailes through guided walks and educational events such as fungal forays and mini-beast hunts.

The Newhailes visitor centre is open in the summer and is an important source of information. There are interactive exhibits with sections on both the house and gardens, including a touch screen presentation on nature conservation presented by a former NTS ranger.

This summer Newhailes went one step further and hosted an Environmental Fair, which was a weekend packed with educational events promoting the environment and conservation. Marquees went up in the grounds and dozens of organisations such as the RSPB, Sustrans, SNH, local councils and the Scottish Seabird Centre took part. The event attracted over 1000 visitors and was so successful that a similar event is planned for summer 2005, only bigger and better!

Balancing the needs of the site
Visitor numbers for the house are capped at 12-15,000 per year due to conservation concerns. There are an estimated 40,000 visitors per year for the gardens and counters have recently been installed so NTS can keep a track of numbers and monitor the success of such attractions as the Shell Grotto, Tea House and estate walks.

The balance between access and conservation is vital in any tourist site. Local needs have to be balanced against conservation requirements. Due to the popularity of the site for dog walkers, NTS has chosen to cut the grass rather than use traditional grazing regimes that would impede the suitability of the site for dogs.

The Newhailes team has put in more durable surfaces on certain paths to accommodate visitor numbers, but they are conscious of maintaining the integrity of the historic design. They are also careful to balance the conservation of built and natural heritage. For example, what was originally a hedge planted along a unique raised promenade called Ladies' Walk, has now overgrown into a line of trees. These trees may have to be felled to prevent them falling over and pulling down the historic wall which they are growing against.

The design of the landscape itself guides visitors through the estate. As people walk around they are naturally drawn towards vistas and landscape features. Interpretation on the site has been carefully chosen to avoid overshadowing the very landscape that attracts visitors. The number of interpretive installations has been deliberately kept to eight. The ranger service is available for visitors keen to know more. In the future, nature conservation publications and handouts will also be available from the visitor centre.

Attracting more visitors
Mr de Salis describes there being, "a wonderful mix of people at Newhailes. Those attracted by the house get drawn in by the landscape and wildlife and vice versa, both work to enhance the other." NTS continues to work hard in restoring the landscape of Newhailes. This has involved making the grounds more accessible by clearing overgrown paths and putting in interpretation. The access paths and signage were officially finished in 2002 and visitor numbers have increased as a result.

For further information, please contact:

Piers de Salis (Property Manager)
or Diana Holt (Lothian Area Ranger)
National Trust for Scotland
Newhailes
Newhailes Road
Musselburgh
EH21 6RY

Phone: 0131 653 5599
E-mail: information@nts.org.uk
Website: www.nts.org.uk

The images are reproduced courtesy of the National Trust for Scotland

This case study features in the publication 'Greening Scottish Tourism: Linking the Built & Natural Heritage, 10 Best Practice Case Studies'.  You can download the full publication at the bottom of this page.

Case study added August 2005

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