Welcome
A very warm welcome to the Wester Hailes Allotment Association website! Whether you’re a current member or someone interested in joining, we hope you find plenty of useful and inspiring information here.
As a friendly, multi-cultural community, we take great pride in cultivating our plots to grow a variety of vegetables and fruit. While some members also enjoy growing and showing flowers, our main focus is on producing fresh, homegrown food.
Interested in joining us? Apply for a plot today by clicking the Apply for a Plot button below!
Our History
Our Beginnings
Wester Hailes Allotment Association was established in 1978 as an independent allotment association on a site situated in the south-west of Edinburgh. The Association is independent in the sense that it is not run by the local council. We rent ground from the City of Edinburgh Council as well as a private landowner. When it was established in 1978, the Association operated on a single site off Westburn Avenue in Wester Hailes.
The 1980s
In the early 1980s when the City By-Pass was being extended through to the Gyle, the allotment site was split in two by a new public highway between Westburn and Baberton Mains. Since then, the Association has operated on 2 sites - the East Side and the West Side. In 1981, a small area of land at the western-most end of the West Side was rented from the then local farmer and this was used to establish 12 new plots.
And Today!
In the early days, plotholders were local residents of Wester Hailes and the Calders. Today, members of the Association are still mostly local residents who live within a mile or so of the 2 sites. But quite a few now come from further afield. Anyone who can commit to maintaining a plot to the required standard is welcome to apply to join the association. In total there are now 100 allotments (plots) split between the East and West Sides.
Our Committee
The WHAA is run by a dedicated committee of plot holders who volunteer their time.
More About Us
Our Plots
Our plots are roughly 200 square metres in size and are mostly rectangular. A typical plot would be around 20 metres by 10 metres. But some may be smaller and irregularly shaped.
Cultivation
Members are required to cultivate and maintain their allotments to a standard of at least seventy-five percent of the allotment being under cultivation mainly for the production of fruit and vegetable crops.
Termination
Alas, from time-to-time it becomes necessary to terminate a tenancy. This action usually arises from the plot being neglected and/or not cultivated to the required standard.
Water
Water is available on site but members are expected to use it responsibly and to collect and use rain water wherever possible.
Some of what we grow.
Special Thanks
We are grateful for the ongoing help we receive from:
- Wester Hailes Arts and Leisure (WHALE) - for post-box services
- Kathleen Beggs - for accountancy services