Back in 2015, the Trust started a project to look at the potential options for easing fish passage on 13 impassable barriers along both the North and South Esk in Midlothian.
It looks as if Mother Nature wanted to be involved too as she has naturally removed two out of the 13 impassable weirs on the river.
The attached pictures show Gunpowder Mill and Polton Weir before and after their collapse. These barriers are now completely passable to migratory fish and the collapse has helped increase in-stream habitat through the release of gravels. As the weirs further downstream are eased, it is hoped that salmon and sea trout will eventually be able to use these spawning grounds which have been cut off since the construction of the weirs on the river 150(ish)+ years ago.
