From 1976 to Today: Edinburgh’s Heatwaves and the Need to Adapt

Many Edinburgh residents will remember the summer of 1976. Parks turned brown, reservoirs shrank, and for weeks the city seemed to bask beneath an uninterrupted blue sky. Children played outdoors until late in the evening, beaches along the Firth of Forth were packed, and conversations everywhere seemed to revolve around the weather.

What made that summer memorable was its rarity. It felt exceptional.

Nearly fifty years later, Edinburgh and much of the UK are once again experiencing prolonged periods of unusually high temperatures. The difference is that nobody expects to be surprised. Periods of extreme heat are becoming part of a new climatic reality, and what felt exceptional is increasingly something for which cities must prepare.

The good news is that adaptation does not begin with grand gestures. It begins with practical action, thoughtful planning and communities prepared to shape the places they care about.

One of the striking features of this week’s heatwave has been the way people have instinctively sought out Edinburgh’s green spaces. The Meadows, Inverleith Park, Holyrood Park, Princes Street Gardens and countless smaller local parks have become places of refuge as much as recreation. Beneath mature trees, along shaded paths and beside water, temperatures can feel noticeably lower than on exposed streets and hard surfaces. Trees that were once valued primarily for their beauty are now proving their worth as natural cooling infrastructure.

This should not surprise us. For centuries cities were designed around climate. Streets, gardens, parks and public spaces evolved partly in response to local weather conditions. In recent decades, however, urban development has often prioritised movement, efficiency and density over resilience.

The challenge now is to rediscover the value of climate-sensitive design while embracing the opportunities that modern knowledge provides.

That means planting more trees and ensuring they survive to maturity. It means creating streets that are pleasant to walk along during periods of extreme heat. It means protecting and expanding green infrastructure — from parks and gardens to rivers, burns and wetlands. It means ensuring that new development contributes to climate resilience rather than increasing vulnerability.

Recent projects such as the restoration of the Burdiehouse Burn demonstrate how investment in this kind of work can deliver multiple benefits at once. Restoring natural watercourses, creating wildlife habitat, improving flood resilience and enhancing public access are not separate objectives. They are increasingly part of the same conversation about how we create healthier and more resilient places.

Yet adaptation is not simply about parks, trees and open spaces. It is also about the buildings in which we live and work.

Perhaps the greatest climate opportunity lies not in what we build next, but in what we already have.

Much of Edinburgh’s historic built environment — from traditional tenements and Victorian terraces to schools, churches and office buildings — was constructed long before climate change entered public debate. Many of these buildings were designed for cooler conditions and different patterns of energy use. At the same time, they contribute significantly to the character, heritage and identity of the city.

Too often, heritage and climate action are presented as competing priorities. In reality, they are becoming increasingly dependent upon one another.

The vast majority of the buildings that will make up Edinburgh in 2050 have already been built. If we are serious about climate adaptation, we must become equally serious about retrofit.

Sensitive improvements to insulation, ventilation, shading, heating systems and energy efficiency can make older buildings more comfortable, more affordable to run and more resilient to future weather extremes. As recent weeks have reminded us, adaptation is no longer simply about keeping warm in winter. It is increasingly about staying cool in summer.

Many traditional Edinburgh buildings already possess qualities that can help. Thick masonry walls, high ceilings and natural ventilation can moderate temperature extremes when properly maintained and adapted. The challenge is to build upon these strengths while improving environmental performance.

This is also an economic opportunity. Retrofitting buildings supports skilled local employment, creates demand for specialist conservation and construction skills, and extends the useful life of existing structures. Rather than seeing older buildings as obstacles to climate action, we should recognise them as part of the solution.

The greenest building is often the one that already exists.

Edinburgh’s traditional tenements deserve particular attention in this conversation. They are among the city’s most distinctive and enduring building types, shaping neighbourhoods from Marchmont and Bruntsfield to Leith, Gorgie, Dalry and beyond. Their future resilience will depend on careful maintenance, shared responsibility and sensitive adaptation that improves comfort and energy performance without eroding the architectural character that makes them so valuable.

These actions are not radical. Many are already recognised in strategies, policies and plans. The test now is whether they are delivered visibly, consistently and at the pace the changing climate requires.

Edinburgh is not short of frameworks or long-term ambitions. What matters now is the practical work that residents can see and experience in the places where they live, work and spend their time. A new street tree. A restored burn. A pocket park. A rain garden. A cooler school playground. A housing retrofit programme. An office building adapted for a changing climate. A safer and more attractive route for walking and cycling.

Importantly, this is not solely a matter for government. Across Edinburgh, from community gardens and tree-planting projects to local biodiversity initiatives and neighbourhood improvement schemes, residents are already demonstrating how practical action can make places greener, healthier and more resilient. These efforts may seem modest in isolation. Together they help create a city better prepared for future challenges.

Investment in green infrastructure and building retrofit creates jobs, improves public health, reduces pressure on public services and makes places more attractive to live, work and visit. A city that adapts well will not simply cope with climate change; it will be better positioned to thrive in a changing world.

Perhaps the greatest lesson from 1976 is that people remember how places made them feel. Many remember the sunshine and the novelty of a long hot summer. Few remember the policy debates of the time. In fifty years, today’s residents are unlikely to recall the wording of climate strategies or adaptation frameworks. They will remember whether Edinburgh became greener, healthier, more comfortable and more resilient as the climate changed around it.

The heatwave we are experiencing today is a reminder that adaptation is not a distant challenge. It is already here. We know much of what needs to be done. The knowledge exists. The technology exists. The evidence exists.

Caring for what we already have has long been one of Edinburgh’s greatest strengths. In a changing climate, it may also become one of our greatest advantages.

That work has already begun. The opportunity now is to accelerate it.

Further Reading

Climate Ready Edinburgh (City of Edinburgh Council)
Edinburgh’s climate adaptation plan, setting out how the city can prepare for heatwaves, flooding and other climate-related challenges.
https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/climate-2/water-management/2

Climate Ready Edinburgh (Adaptation Scotland)
Background on the partnership approach behind Edinburgh’s adaptation programme and examples of collaborative action.
https://adaptation.scot/our-work/climate-ready-edinburgh/

Historic Environment Scotland: Climate Action and the Historic Environment
Guidance, research and practical advice on protecting and adapting Scotland’s historic buildings and places in a changing climate.
https://www.historicenvironment.scot/about-us/what-we-do/climate-change/climate-action-and-the-historic-environment/

Our Past, Our Future: Scotland’s Strategy for the Historic Environment
The national strategy linking heritage, community wellbeing, climate resilience and sustainable places.
https://www.historicenvironment.scot/our-past-our-future/

Scottish National Adaptation Plan 2024–2029
The Scottish Government’s framework for helping communities, infrastructure and the natural environment adapt to climate change.
https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-national-adaptation-plan-2024-2029-2/

Net Zero Edinburgh
Information on Edinburgh’s wider climate ambitions, including climate adaptation, resilience and community action.
https://netzeroedinburgh.org/

 

Image: Pixabay – Portobello