Glendale is proud to announce winning the contract to provide grounds maintenance services to Edinburgh Castle

Glendale is proud to announce that it has been appointed to deliver a full-service grounds maintenance service to Edinburgh Castle by Historic Environment Scotland, following an intense competitive tender process.

The new contract, which is the first time it has been won by Glendale, was awarded in April 2021 with work starting immediately to provide a comprehensive grounds maintenance service covering the full castle boundary and Trinity House and Gardens in Leith. Initially for 2 years, the contract has an additional 1-year extension option and will employ 8 staff during the full season. 

The 2-year contract was awarded following a detailed tender process. The tender was awarded following a detailed analysis of the quality and capabilities of those businesses pitching for the work and their commitment to reducing carbon emissions, working towards a sustainable future and their commitment to social responsibility initiatives. 

The works include the mowing of all lawns, semi-coarse grasslands, slopes, ramparts, trimming of all lawn edges, strimming around the bases of walls, trees and signs, the application of approved herbicides and fertilisers as and when specified, and weed control of all footpaths, car park, road gutters and gravel areas. The contract also includes gardening duties which are to be carried out on landscaped areas and will include weeding, forking, and pruning. Leaf and branch clearing duties may also be required. 

As part of the contract, Glendale has purchased and installed a Husquavarna AWD auto mower. The management team at Glendale decided to install the auto mower to the Western Defences area of grass within the castle due to the steepness of the slopes, as it potentially presented a health and safety risk to Glendale operatives whilst carrying out the grass cutting. The auto mower also reduces the environmental impact of the work to be carried out. This is the toughest terrain that an auto mower has been currently installed to cut and early results show the work is proceeding as planned. Glendale is also contracted to strim Johnston Terrace embankment as part of the contract, which involves Glendale staff accessing this steep slope with ropes and harnesses to cut the grass.      

Edinburgh Castle will also benefit from Glendale’s approved supplier innovations, through which Glendale offers industry leading products and services, ensuring Edinburgh Castle gets the best products available to the market as soon as they are available.

Glendale offers an all-encompassing green space management service at a national and local level. They are skilled designers, suppliers and distributors of grounds maintenance, tree management, landscaping, landscape architectural services, planning consultancy and woodland management activities, tackling these, and various other green space management tasks, for public and private sector clients across the UK.

Glendale is a national company with a local feel, led by a team who care deeply about their people and the industry, and they are dedicated to delivering the best possible service for clients across the UK.

About Edinburgh Castle 

Edinburgh Castle is one of the oldest fortified places in Europe, with a long rich history as a royal residence, military garrison, prison, and fortress. Though parts of it remain in military use, the castle is now a world-famous visitor attraction. It’s also an iconic part of the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh World Heritage Site. As well as guarding great moments in history, the castle has suffered many sieges. During the Wars of Independence, it changed hands many times. In 1314, the Scots retook the castle from the English in a daring night raid led by Thomas Randolph, nephew of Robert the Bruce. The castle defences have evolved over hundreds of years. Mons Meg, one of the greatest medieval cannons ever made, was given to King James II in 1457. The Half Moon Battery, built in the aftermath of the Lang Siege of 1573, was armed for 200 years by bronze guns known as the Seven Sisters. Six more guns defend the Argyle Battery, with its open outlook to the north.