Pictures show stark before and after as street artist covers graffiti at Musselburgh beauty spot

The kingfisher bird can be spotted nesting alongside the river at Inveresk Gardens in ‘The Honest Toun’.

A colourful new mural of a kingfisher bird has appeared on a gate along the River Esk after the National Trust for Scotland commissioned a street artist to cover up graffiti tags.

The National Trust for Scotland, who own and care for Inveresk Lodge Garden in Musselburgh, approached artist Tragic O’Hara to create a piece of artwork that could be enjoyed by walkers and cyclists using the Esk Walkway.

O’Hara said: “When the Trust got in touch, I was excited to hear they wanted me to cover up some graffiti tags with artwork. I work a lot with youth groups, encouraging young people to develop their graffiti skills as art. I hope seeing this wall will inspire youngsters to be more creative.

A street artist was commissioned to cover graffiti tags at Inveresk Gardens.

“The path along the river is buzzing with nature and greenery, and I was careful to make sure the kingfisher blended in with its surroundings.”

“It was great to get positive feedback from locals – it was just a shame we didn’t spot any actual kingfishers on the day.”

Claire Grant, Operations Manager at Inveresk Gardens, said: “The Esk Walkway is a well-used path and, with people enjoying their local outdoor spaces more than ever, we were conscious that the graffiti was an eyesore.

"Tragic O’Hara has covered it with bright graffiti-style art and we love that there’s a nod to the kingfisher – you’re lucky if you spot one along the river but they’re such a beautiful species.”

The graffiti tags before street artist Tragic O’Hara got to work creating his colourful kingfisher mural.

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