Brendan - almost everyone on this forum is based in the US and will not have much idea of what to grow in Edinburgh. The link gives some ideas of hedging plants.

Without knowing what the other shrubs you have are it is not easy to say whether they can be propagated simply. However, many common British garden shrubs can be grown from cuttings by simply sticking a length in the ground. The RHS website will also tell you how to propagate specific shrubs once you have ided them.

http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/profile.aspx?pid=157#section4

Here is a link that might be useful: RHS hedging advice

two things about the conifer forum ...

you will probably find a lot of peeps that will cheer getting rid of leylands ... which i am surprised will grow in scotland.. or maybe i am confused with your common name use..

and they can probably list a lot of conifers that will do what you want to do

regardless.. i always suggest avoiding lack of diversity.. just in case some plague rolls thru ..

as to propagation.. you need to FULLY ID any single given plant.. then research based on such.. there are no hard and fast rules on how to do it speaking generally ... and i mean.. the LATIN names ...

there is a shrub forum. and a pic of a leaf.. and the whole.. will usually get you an ID.. and you can go from there...

there is also a book by Dirr.. titled something along the lines of PROPAGATION OF WOODY ORNAMENTALs .... but that still leaves you with the ID part... it is rather technical.. and relies on having a lot of professional equipment... and might be a bit dated ... i dont know if i would buy it.. but if you can get it at a library to look at first.. you can decide.. it should not be obscure ...

hope to see you over in the shrub forum.. posting a few pix.. i am curious to see myself.. what grows up your way .. and i would love to see your garden in toto.. just for the heck of it ...

ken