ONE of Scotland's last urban farms has closed its doors to the public and its animals have been transported to local zoos and farms.

Love Gorgie Farm – the 40-year-old community farm in Edinburgh – has closed three years after it was saved from collapse due to soaring energy bills and a lack of funding.

Last month Edinburgh councillors voted to use £250k of funding in a last-ditch attempt to save the site.

A number of organisations, including Edinburgh Zoo, have already signalled their interest in playing a part in its future.

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Edinburgh Zoo, Five Sisters Zoo in West Lothian and East Links Family Park in Dunbar are in talks to take it over.

All three sites charge an entry fee, while Gorgie Farm has always been free. It is unclear whether a new owner would introduce an entry fee at Gorgie Farm.

Love Learning, the charity which runs the farm, said they had been hit by pandemic restrictions, the cost of living and lack of funding.

It is taking advantage of a three-year break clause to end its five-year lease from the City of Edinburgh Council early.

The goats are being moved to East Links Family Park in East Lothian

"We had thought the council was going to give us an interim fund to keep running the farm until new owners were found," said Lynsey Bell, the charity’s CEO.

"However, our meeting with them opened with them saying we were in breach of our contract and so they were forcing us to stay open.

"We said that would force us into administration. They wanted us to stay open for another two months but we are handing the keys back on 2 February as that marks the 40 days notice we need to give."

She added that although the farm had been a working farm with animals being bred for slaughter before they took over three years ago they had not killed any animals.