Thank you to the member of the public who emailed us on 27 May 2026 telling us they were asked to leave Kingsmeadows House and saying that they have been receiving very conflicting advice about:
- whether it is private property,
- if it belongs to the residents or the developers,
- the right to roam in Scotland [as applies at Kingsmeadows]
and asking Peebles Community Council to clarify.
PCC has been working to protect the woodlands and public access at Kingsmeadows for over a decade
and we believe it would be in the public interest for us to share our opinion, set out below.
Overview
As we understand it today, the short answers to your questions are:
- All of the land behind the wall at Kingsmeadows is private property.
- All of the land behind the wall at Kingsmeadows (except for The Lodge House) is owned by Granton Homes Ltd SC477370 on title PBL5914 (and PBL6298).
- The public have the
right to roam
in the East and West Woods, but not elsewhere.
Map of Kingsmeadows with approximate boundaries of East and West woods indicated in blue.
Copies of PBL5914 (with relevant maps) can be purchased from the
Land Information Service
for £3.60.
Contains public sector information licensed under the
Open Government Licence v3.0.
Current visitors will see that Granton have closed the woodlands
(without explanation[1]).
While the woodlands are temporarily closed, there is no public access at Kingsmeadows.
Why can’t I walk in the gardens or along the riverfront?
In January 2016, before Granton sold homes in Kingsmeadows to residents for £3.7m, they added legally binding assurances to the property titles that defined most of the middle third of the estate as a private garden. Private gardens are exempt from the right to roam under
Section 6
of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act (the Act).
Peebles Community Council / Trust and Access Officers
requested in 2015
and 2019
that a public path
be established along the riverbank in front of Kingsmeadows House – but that did not happen
(and only received one public comment of support).
A barbed wire fence was also added along the Eastern boundary, blocking access between Kingsmeadows and Cavalry Park (possibly around 2018).
Discussions with the Scottish Rights of Way and Access Society
(ScotWays) in 2022 and Access Officers in 2022 and 2024 about the middle-third of the estate showed no records of public paths and indicated that the right to roam didn’t apply.
PCC is double-checking with ScotWays and Access Officers†
We are aware of recent discussions on Facebook
and PCC is again taking advice from ScotWays and Access Officers to double-check:
- Whether the right to roam applies to any of the middle third of the estate;
- Whether anything can be done about the barbed wire fence; and
- Whether necessary consents can be gained to establish a public path on the river.
As always, we encourage members of the public to share relevant information with SBC
Access Officers.
You can also tell PCC your views in person at the Burgh Hall, 7pm on the 2nd Thursday of each month or via email
secretary@ccrbpeebles.co.uk.
Granton originally implied the public would be locked out of the entire estate
On 14 Sep 2015 Peebles Community Council / Trust objected
to Granton Homes’ plans and the implication the entire Kingsmeadows estate would become a gated community:
"The sales particulars for the apartments and flats imply that the grounds would be maintained for the sole use of the residents: 'Outside all residents will have access to the private grounds. The main gates will be automated and the entrance to the grounds and mansion house will be controlled by an entry system."
"We wish to draw attention to the contents of "Scottish Outdoor Access Code - Public access to Scotland's outdoors, 2005, which clearly states that such wooded policies of houses must be accessible for the enjoyment of all members of the public. Since these woodlands are well outwith the curtilage of the residences we would contend that they cannot be kept as private grounds."
These comments (and stronger comments from Access Officers)
met with success, with the gates at Kingsmeadows remaining open for access to the West woods to this day.
In our opinion, to preserve access, we need to protect the woodland from development
If woodland is lost for housing, that woodland won’t exist for the public to access any more.
Despite publicly stating that they had no plans to build on the woodland
(e.g. Peeblesshire News
27 Nov 2014
and 18 July 2015)
in 2020 Granton Homes
applied
to build seven, 5-bedroom homes on the East Woods. After 40 objections, including from Peebles Community Council, Granton withdrew their application after
planners advised:
"The proposed development would see a significant number of trees removed from the site, the removal of which has not been justified … The proposal has significant issues which means that it cannot be supported."
Since then, Granton Homes has had three further planning applications refused because of unacceptable impact on the woodlands at Kingsmeadows:
- 2022 refusal
by SBC because “the proposal would result in the loss of trees over and above what was accepted in the planning permission in principle.”
- 2024 refusal
by SBC because “the proposed development would result in loss of an existing woodland resource.”
- 2025 refusal
by SBC because the proposal “would have an adverse impact on the woodland setting of Kingsmeadows House.”
Granton still have
one planning application
for Kingsmeadows yet to be decided by SBC.
We urge everyone to unite behind the campaign to bring the Kingsmeadows woodlands into
community ownership
so they can be preserved, for all to enjoy, in perpetuity.
† Sep 2026 update
ScotWays and Access Officers have confirmed that the answers above are correct.
Access Officers tell us they are working on improving access over the barbed wire fence.
Article feedback
secretary@ccrbpeebles.co.uk
[1] There appears to be no public statement of why the woodlands are closed, though likely it follows postponement of tree works Granton had planned for 1–5 June 2026 until after nesting season.
"I have been in touch with Kingsmeadows today; the proposed work is the controlled removal of windthrown trees and in the interests of safety. Therefore, as dangerous and/or dead exempt from application. However, I also discussed this type of tree work with ecological considerations and timings, following the contact they have agreed not undertake the work week commencing 1st June nor within the current nesting season."
"Nesting season is end of August, any work out with that date. [SBC]
PCC has raised a freedom of information request to obtain information on the proposed works.
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