Edinburgh Stockbridge Market stall crushed after rotten tree falls during morning set up

The market trader narrowly avoided being crushed by a fallen tree

An Edinburgh market trader had a lucky escape after a rotten tree fell on top of a stall and crushed it during set up.

Traders at Stockbridge Market in Saunders Street were getting ready to open on Sunday morning when a tree came down on top of one of the gazebos. Eyewitnesses said the trader, Steven Nisbet, had left the stall just moments before the tree fell and added that it made almost no sound as it came down.

Steven, who is a member of the set-up team, was left just feet away from serious injury. He said: “I was setting up the gazebos and I had just finished the third one and I as I walked away to do the next one I just heard this muffled sound and the tree fell on the gazebo I’d just finished putting up. I was about five feet away. I feel lucky indeed. That’s the first thing I thought, how lucky I was. I’m pretty sure I’ll live to 100 now.”

A tree fell on top of a market stall and crushed it. Picture: Roddy Scott

Sara Roseburgh, market manager, said the trader had a very lucky escape. “We were here setting up as normal, everything was going to plan. We’d just put a gazebo up, someone walked out from under it and the next thing the tree fell on top of it.

"We didn’t hear creaking or anything, it just fell and the first sound was the sound of the gazebo being crushed. We were very lucky, very lucky indeed.”

Sara said Police Scotland and Edinburgh council were called following the incident and an emergency tree surgeon was also sent to help. “Health and safety is obviously our first priority,” she said. “The roots look like they're rotten. The trees here have been leaning for absolutely ages and the council has said they will come down after today and do a full survey on the park.”

The market, which attracts residents and tourists, was able to open at around 11.30am – around 90 minutes after it was scheduled to start.

A police spokesman said: "Around 9.40 am on Sunday, 2 April 2023, police were called regarding a tree that had fallen on to a gazebo at the location. The relevant local council departments have been made aware. No further police action at this time."