Students from the Royal Blind School in Edinburgh built a den for shelter during an outdoor learning lesson, using the grounds of the nearby Astley Ainslie Hospital. The two 13-year-olds, Kearyn and Adrianna, worked with their instructor Margon to find two sturdy trees in a wooded area of the hospital gardens, where they rigged a rope and tarpaulin to create a temporary shelter.
Once the den was finished, the pupils sat inside and described the experience as peaceful and quiet, allowing them to focus intently on the sounds and smells of the woods. The sensory details of that morning were vivid: the ground, still wet from recent rain, felt spongy and soft underfoot while the warm sun broke through overhead. Wind had shaken twigs and leaves onto the forest floor, and the pupils noticed the texture of a tree’s bark, which felt like veins. Margon explained that the raised ridges were actually old ivy vines. The air was filled with birdsong and the rustle of leaves stirred by the breeze. Before heading back to school, the group also built a smaller den for their toy animals using natural materials that real animals might use.
On the return walk, Kearyn and Adrianna collected twigs and leaves to bring back to the school’s sensory garden for an art project. Sensory gardens are designed to stimulate multiple senses and are particularly valuable for children with visual impairments or additional support needs, offering a safe and engaging environment to explore textures, scents, sounds, and colours. The Royal Blind School, a specialist day and boarding school for pupils aged three to 19 who are blind or partially sighted, has its own sensory garden as part of its facilities.
The Royal Blind School is part of Sight Scotland and was established in 1793. It is a grant-aided special school supported by the Scottish Government, located across the road from the Astley Ainslie Hospital in Edinburgh. The hospital, operated by NHS Lothian, was founded in 1923 following a bequest from David Ainslie to build and endow a convalescent hospital for patients from the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. Its grounds are extensive and open to the public, featuring more than 2,000 trees. The hospital has historically provided rehabilitation services for brain injuries, stroke, and orthopaedic conditions. NHS Lothian has plans to relocate services and potentially sell parts of the site, while a community trust is campaigning to protect the trees on the grounds.
Outdoor learning is a central element of Scottish education policy, emphasised in documents such as Curriculum for Excellence and Realising the Ambition. It is recognised for improving cognitive skills, physical health, emotional well-being, and social development, and is considered especially beneficial for learners with special educational needs and disabilities, as well as those who have experienced trauma or lack confidence. The University of Edinburgh’s Moray House School of Education and Sport is a world leader in outdoor education research, reflecting Scotland’s strong tradition in this area.
Kearyn and Adrianna said they love their outdoor learning sessions and feel lucky to have somewhere near their school where they can experience nature.
