Should one happen upon a detached head in a public space, it would raise concerns and cause alarm. However, this cannot be said of the face that lies in a public park a few miles west of Edinburgh’s city center. Commonly referred to as the “Hermit” of Hailes Quarry Park, this stone facade, with a whimsical smile, is a homage to a character from the capital’s history.

During the late-18th century, the area of Wester Hailes was known for its rock quarries. These large open pits would provide the city with much needed raw materials for the construction of the NewTown. They also provided the capital with plenty of employment opportunities. 

It was these quarry workers who witnessed a lone man living in among the rubble. Whether there ever was such a person is up for debate; it didn’t diminish the urban folklore surrounding this character from flourishing.

The pit continued operations for another hundred years, when it was closed in the early part of the 20th century due to flooding. Over the proceeding decades it became a dumping ground. That was until the 1970s, when plans were put in place to turn the derelict area into a more amenable use. It would take until the early part of the 2000s for the government to allow plans to go forward with the park one sees today. The giant face of a grinning man was meant to be an admiration of the city’s rich historical figures, fictional or otherwise.

Besides the “Hermit,” there is an area dedicated to promoting wetlands and a patch of flowers to attract any number of insects and other species. Hailes Quarry Park is one of city’s more than nearly 150 public green spaces, making Edinburgh one of the UK’s most sustainable cities.