A GATE along the River Esk at Musselburgh has had graffiti replaced with a colourful kingfisher mural.

The National Trust for Scotland, which owns and cares for Inveresk Lodge Garden, approached street artist Tragic O’Hara to create a piece of artwork that could be enjoyed by walkers and cyclists using the Esk Walkway.

He was tasked with covering up graffiti tags and painted a kingfisher bird as a nod to the one which can be spotted nesting alongside the river during the summer months.

He said: “When the team at the trust got in touch, I was really excited to hear that 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.

“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 took me a total of eight hours to complete and I’m really happy with how it has turned out.

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

Claire Grant, the garden’s operations manager, 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 a bit of an eyesore.

“Tragic O’Hara has covered it with bright, graffiti-style art and we love that there’s a nod to the kingfisher.”

Watch Tragic O’Hara create the mural at youtube.com/watch?v=xFBKBd5gomY