Landscape Architecture in Edinburgh
Landscape Architecture & Design
Jack Verran Design provides landscape architecture services across Edinburgh, the Lothians and wider Scotland. The studio works on residential, commercial and public realm projects, combining design thinking, ecological understanding and practical delivery.
Our work integrates planting, materials and spatial strategy into coherent, buildable proposals that respond to context, planning requirements and environmental opportunity.
Core Design Services
• Concept and detailed landscape design
• Planting strategies focused on biodiversity, seasonal structure and resilience
• Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) integrated into landscape design
• Rewilding, habitat creation and ecological enhancement frameworks
Technical & Planning Support
Technical clarity underpins every project. We support planning and delivery through robust documentation and environmental assessment.
• Landscape and Visual Impact Assessments (LVIA)
• Planning application support and landscape statements
• Full CAD drawing packages — hard and soft landscape plans, planting plans and construction detailing
• Specification writing and tender documentation
• Biodiversity Net Gain design and mitigation strategies
Project Costing & Budget Management
Cost awareness is embedded early to ensure projects remain viable and deliverable.
• Feasibility-stage cost guidance
• Detailed Bills of Quantities and material take-offs
• Value engineering aligned with design intent and ecological goals
• Budget tracking throughout design and delivery
Project Management & Delivery
We provide structured oversight from programme development through to site implementation.
• Project timelines and phased delivery strategies
• Coordination between design teams, contractors and client-side stakeholders
• On-site quality assurance and implementation review
• Long-term maintenance and management strategies
Specialist Services
• Productive and edible landscapes
• Sensory and therapeutic environments
• Native woodland, meadow and wetland planting
• Urban greening and nature-based infrastructure
Landscape Architecture — Selected Work
Roof Terrace Garden Design – Lochrin Place, Edinburgh
Brief
This roof terrace at Lochrin Place required a carefully considered design that would respond to its exposed conditions and panoramic setting. The aim was to create a space that supported both social interaction and quieter retreat, while making the most of views toward the Pentland Hills and screening less desirable outlooks.
Design Response
The layout was shaped through detailed survey and site analysis, organising the terrace into defined yet fluid zones. Seating and circulation were arranged to encourage gathering, while more enclosed areas offer privacy and shelter.
Views toward the Pentland Hills are deliberately framed and celebrated, with screening elements and planting providing protection from prevailing wind and sun. The planting palette was selected for resilience and longevity in rooftop conditions, while reflecting the character of the Scottish landscape visible to the south of Edinburgh.
The result is a rooftop environment that feels grounded and connected to its wider setting, balancing exposure with enclosure, and social energy with moments of calm.
Public Realm Landscape Design – Pollok Park, Glasgow
Brief
Ahead of the reopening of the Burrell Collection, Pollok Park required significant public realm upgrades to support increased visitor numbers while enhancing accessibility and play provision within a sensitive historic landscape setting.
Design & Delivery Role
Working within Glasgow City Council, Jack supported the detailed design development, specification writing, tendering and contractor management for the natural Robinia play park and associated accessible parking networks.
The Robinia play structures were carefully detailed to integrate with the park’s landscape character, encouraging imaginative play while respecting the surrounding environment. Improvements to accessibility and circulation ensured the park could accommodate a wider range of visitors, enhancing both inclusivity and usability.
These interventions contributed to the successful rejuvenation of Pollok Park, strengthening its role as a civic landscape ahead of the Burrell Collection’s reopening.
New-Build Show Garden Design – St Crispins, Edinburgh
Brief
Cala Homes required affordable show gardens at St Crispins in Edinburgh that would demonstrate how new-build garden design for compact outdoor spaces can feel welcoming, practical and aspirational.
Design Response
The design introduces warmth and character through a carefully balanced material palette of porcelain paving, clay pavers and self-binding gravel, softening the often rigid language of new-build development. Structural planting and resilient, low-maintenance species bring texture, seasonal interest and biodiversity, with scented plants woven through key thresholds to enhance everyday experience. The result is a series of gardens that feel generous and thoughtfully composed — demonstrating how intelligent design can elevate even modest footprints.
Ecological Residential Landscape Design – Glasgow
Brief
This ecological residential landscape design in Glasgow formed part of a wider landscape strategy including a 9,000m² woodland to strengthen biodiversity and support long-term habitat resilience.
Design Response
The site wide landscaping proposal and woodland was structured around long term successful shrub mixes, a diverse planting matrix of locally sourced native trees, shrubs and wildflower communities, integrated with SuDS-compliant wetland species to support water management and ecological function.
Species selection and spatial arrangement were carefully considered to encourage layered habitat formation, seasonal variation and long-term structural diversity. The scheme was underpinned by a concise 50-year management plan, outlining clear succession phases to guide establishment and allow the woodland to evolve naturally over time.
The result is a landscape designed not simply for immediate impact, but for generational resilience, balancing ecological performance with long-term stewardship.
Landscape & Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) and ZTV Mapping
Jack has delivered Landscape & Visual Impact Assessments (LVIA) and ZTV (Zone of Theoretical Visibility) mapping for projects including rural housing developments in the Scottish Borders, commercial sites in East Lothian and wind turbine proposals in Perthshire.
These projects involved detailed site appraisal, visibility modelling, verified viewpoint photography and the preparation of clear, planning-ready reporting. The assessments informed design refinement, shaped mitigation strategies and contributed to broader Environmental Impact Assessment processes.
Through careful analysis and evidence-based reporting, visual impacts were reduced and proposals strengthened, ensuring development responded sensitively to landscape character and surrounding communities.
Considering a landscape project?
If you’re planning a landscape architecture project in Edinburgh or across Scotland, the studio would be happy to discuss your ideas.