This charity exists to protect, restore and celebrate the natural and cultural heritage of the Esk Valley, inspiring people to enjoy, value and care for the landscape while promoting biodiversity conservation and action on climate change.

The Trust’s interests and activities are within the catchment areas of the Lothians Esk in eastern Scotland.  It is supported by Membership subscriptions (individual or family), donations from individuals and organisations and grants.

The River North Esk rises in the Pentland Hills; the source of the River South Esk is in the Moorfoot Hills. Both rivers flow northeast through wooded, deeply incised valleys rich in wildlife, natural and cultural history, towns and villages, to their confluence at Waters’ Meet in Dalkeith Country Park.

As one river, The Esk then flows for a short distance through East Lothian and enters the sea at Musselburgh on the Firth of Forth.

The Trust is a registered Charity.  It was formed, initially as a Limited Company, in April 2001 by local people interested in the Esk valleys of Midlothian and East Lothian and especially in the establishment of accessible paths (the Esk Way) along the rivers. At the time of its formation the Trust acquired 15ha of woodland at the northern end of Roslin Glen – the Hewan Wood. In 2005, the Trust was honoured to receive the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.

We converted from being a Limited Company to be a SCIO (Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation) in 2019. In 2024 we acquired an additional 15ha of land immediately next to the Hewan Wood (the Hewan Bog) as a generous gift from the estate of the late Professor David Baird.

From the outset the Trust has worked to improve access along the riverside pathways and awareness and enjoyment of the Esk river valleys for all who live or visit there and will continue to do so. Since its beginnings in 2001 good (though not quite complete) progress has been made on the establishment of the Esk Way and our land holdings have increased. Over that time the impacts of human processes on both the global and local environments have become ever more significant. We believe that the future pursuit of the Trust’s Charitable Objectives should contribute, wherever we can, to counter further detrimental climate change and loss of biodiversity. In this context the aims of the Trust are to:

• Stimulate public interest to promote understanding, appreciation and enjoyment of the Esk Valley’s landscapes, nature and cultural heritage among residents, visitors and the wider public.
• Conserve, restore and enhance the biodiversity and other aspects of the natural environment of the Esk Valley via our own landholdings and in concert with others.
• Maintain and promote a long-distance public access path to be known as the ‘Esk Way’.
• Work with communities, landowners, organisations and public authorities to address climate change, support nature recovery and strengthen the environmental resilience of the wider Esk catchment.