Muirhouse Parkway hit and run: Man to appear in court

Around 4.10pm yesterday (Sunday, 14 April), police received a report of a crash involving a 63-year-old female pedestrian and a car on Muirhouse Parkway.

“The woman was taken to The Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh for treatment.

“The car left the scene before officers arrived.

“A 61-year-old man was later traced and arrested. Enquiries are ongoing.”

UPDATE @5pm:

THE man was was subsequently charged and he is due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court tomorrow (Tuesday, 16 April, 2024).

Concern over missing Silverknowes man

HAVE YOU SEEN WILLIAM?

POLICE are appealing for help to trace William Budge, 61, who is missing from the Silverknows Gardens area of Edinburgh but may be in the Fife area.

William is described as medium build and has short, grey hair. When last seen he was wearing a black jumper, dark green t-shirt, dark blue jeans and dark coloured shoes.

We are concerned for William’s welfare and urge anyone who may have seen him to contact us.

Inspector Craig Sandbach said: “We are carrying out searches to try and trace William and I’d urge anyone who may have information about his whereabouts to contact us.”

Anyone with information should call Police Scotland on 101 quoting reference 2620 of 14 April, 2024.

UPDATE

Monday 15/4 7.30am

William Budge, 61, who was missing from the Silverknowes Gardens area, has now been traced.

Lauriston Castle launches 2024 programme

Lauriston Castle officially launched it’s 2024 programme this week with a visit from Culture and Communities Convener Val Walker alongside members of the multi-award winning Edinburgh Living History.

Convener Walker rose to the occasion and joined Edinburgh Living History in full Edwardian dress for a tour of Lauriston Castle.

Situated in the Cramond area of the city, this 16th century castle has breathtaking views of the Firth of Forth and will play host to an eclectic programme of events over the coming months.

Pic Greg Macvean 03/04/2024 Lauriston Castle with Culture and Communities Convener Val Walker in period costume

The Lectures series features discussions on everything from whisky to a history of Edinburgh photography.

Under the Adult Crafts Workshops there are sessions on watercolour painting, crocheting and much more.

In the Family Events section there’s everything from ghost tours to workshops on space!

There is also a range of Costumed Performances where visitors can experience reenactments of Edinburgh life from days gone by.

As well as these there are also Themed Tours, Theatre Performances, Atmospheric Film Screenings and Garden Events. We’re also working with partners like Edinburgh International Magic Festival and Edinburgh Horror Festival.

All events are listed on the Museums & Galleries website.

Culture and Communities Convener, Councillor Val Walker said:It was an absolute pleasure to visit Lauriston Castle this week. Edinburgh Living History and our fantastic Museums & Galleries colleagues were kind enough to welcome me and provide a chance to explore one of our most unique venues.

“In the coming months there’s an excellent range of events taking place as part of the Lauriston Castle 2024 programme. From lectures on circular fashion to the grisly history of anatomy in 19th century Edinburgh all the way through to adult creative workshops and family events there’s truly something for everyone.

“I’d encourage all our residents and visitors to take advantage of these.”

About Lauriston Castle:

For more than 400 years, enchanting Lauriston Castle has overlooked the River Forth at Silverknowes, near Cramond. Set among 30 acres of woodland and beautiful gardens, Lauriston Castle is a special place to visit.

The Castle itself has a beautiful Edwardian interior, from which we take inspiration for many of our workshops.  Downstairs are the servants’ quarters, including the maids’ hall and the atmospheric old kitchen, where a warm welcome awaits you during the winter months.

Why not double up a day visiting the Castle grounds with a picnic, and historic Cramond is right on our doorstep so you can make a real day out visiting this part of Edinburgh. 

Free car parking is available within the Castle grounds off Cramond Road South. Lauriston Castle is easy to reach and is close by car from the City Bypass.  It sits between Davidson’s Mains and Cramond.

You can take numerous buses to Davidson’s Mains, or Silverknowes Terminus; both are around 10 minutes’ walk from Lauriston Castle.  Visit Lothian Buses website for details of local services.

Pic Greg Macvean 03/04/2024 Lauriston Castle with Culture and Communities Convener Val Walker in period costume

Booking:

Pre-booking and advance payment are essential for all events. 

Online: To book visit our website.

By phone – 0131 336 2060 (Opening Hours: Monday – Sunday 10am – 4pm)

In person – At Lauriston Castle – (Go through Courtyard by Mimi’s Café and ring the bell on the green door) Monday – Sunday 10am – 4pm

For further information (non-booking information) about any event, contact Margaret Findlay, Learning and Programmes Manager, on 0131 529 3993 or email margaret.findlay@edinburgh.gov.uk  

Residents invited to discover the history of Edinburgh’s Muirhouse house and Mains farm

Step back in time and explore the excavation site with guided tours led by archaeologists at an open day tomorrow (Saturday 23 March).

The excavation, which is being undertaken by AOC Archaeology, is being carried out ahead of the Council’s redevelopment of the site of the former Silverlea Care Home into much needed new homes. The site will include 142 high quality sustainable homes, including wheelchair-accessible ground-floor dwellings in a mix of social rent (91) and mid-market rent (51) each benefitting from coastal views and access to parkland.

The redevelopment forms part of the £1.3 billion wider Granton Waterfront regeneration, which is delivering thousands of new homes along with commercial and cultural space, a primary school, a health centre, and a major new coastal park.

Discoveries at the site include the remains of the 18th-19th century Murieston Mains farm and evidence for the estate surrounding the former 16th century House. This includes a culvert/flue that may have been used for heating the walled garden. Midden deposits from the 19th and 20th century, including bone, pottery, and milk bottles, have also been found which provides insight into the daily life of the estate.

It follows the discovery of a fossil plant remains, uncovered in a reused sandstone block possibly quarried in Craigleith, believed to be over 300 million years old. The fossil contains fragments of giant Club Moss and Horsetail, which grew in tropical swamps during the Carboniferous Period.

Members of the public are welcome to visit the site at 14 Muirhouse Parkway, Edinburgh, EH4 5EU from 10am-3pm to view the artefacts on display, with archaeologists on hand to talk about their discoveries.

Council Leader Cammy Day said: ““It is fantastic to see work continuing at pace at our £1.3 billion Granton Waterfront site, the largest sustainable regeneration project of its kind in Scotland. Archaeology projects, like the site at Edinburgh’s Muirhouse house and Mains farm, help us to get a glimpse of the area’s past.

“Our city has a rich heritage, but these discoveries continue to expose new aspects of its fascinating, varied history. The open day on Saturday is a chance for anyone with an interest to come and have a look at the historical work taking place, and to learn from the expertise of our brilliant archaeologists.”

Community Orchard planting at Lauriston Farm this weekend

After our lovely inaugural Orchard Wassail last month, and winter pruning the existing trees, we are ready to plant some additional trees in the orchard – apples, cherries, damsons, gages and the mulberry!

If you would like to join the Community Orchard Group and help with planting, come along this Saturday 9th March, from 11am.

Meet at the green portacabin, just inside the farm gate off the Toby Carvery car park.

#NorthEdinburgh

#Edinburgh

#CommunityOrchard

#Agroecology

Tree Planting Event: 16 March

SUNDAY 16 MARCH from 11am – 1pm

Lauriston Agroecology Farm

Interested in supporting local biodiversity whilst spending a great morning outdoors?

Let’s plant some trees and have some fun!

Get in touch with us at c3r@elrec.org.uk for more details and to register!

#treeplanting

#edinburgh

#event

#biodiversity

#outdoors

Lauriston Farm: Active travel route?

Could Lauriston Farm be part of an active travel route for you?

If there is community interest, we would be able to apply for funding to construct accessible paths that would allow you to walk, wheel or cycle across the farm without getting muddy.

Please see details and fill in our survey here:

https://www.lauristonfarm.scot/news/active-travel-routes-survey/

#ActiveTravel

#PathsForAll

#NorthEdinburgh

#Edinburgh

SEPA: ‘98% of Scottish bathing waters continue to meet strict environmental standards’

WARDIE BAY RANKS ‘GOOD’ FOR WILD SWIMMERS

In 2024 98% of Scotland’s bathing waters will again meet or exceed the Sufficient classification – with 84% achieving the higher standards of Excellent or Good, says the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.

This long-term positive trend for Scottish bathing water quality has been demonstrated in sampling and analysis carried out by Scotland’s environment regulator over the summer. 

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) work with regulated operators and stakeholders across the country and have driven millions of pounds of investment to bring about changes needed to make our bathing waters a success story. 

For the 2024 bathing season Scotland’s bathing water classifications will be:   

  • 38 (43%) Excellent  
  • 37 (42%) Good  
  • 12 (13%) Sufficient  
  • 2 (2%) Poor 


Ruth Stidson, SEPA’s Principal Scientist for bathing waters, said: “Scotland started this bathing water season with more bathing waters than ever and a record-breaking number rated excellent. I’m delighted to say we’ll start next year just as strongly.  

“Our bathing waters have the best water quality since 2015, when tighter standards first came into force.  We now have an additional five designated bathing waters where we monitor water quality to protect human health. Over this time those with the highest excellent classification has increased from 17 to 38, and the number with a poor classification has fallen from 17 to two.  

“Being outdoors can provide many physical and mental health benefits. Our beaches offer opportunities for physical activities and social interaction and earlier this year I saw personally how much having a designated bathing water meant to the local community at Wardie Bay. 

“SEPA’s monitoring data has provided crucial evidence to drive millions in investment and we’ve worked with businesses, farmers and land managers across the country to help them understand how they can make changes to protect water quality.

“All these successes show that, while it can take time to see big improvements, they are possible – and SEPA will keep monitoring, reporting, enforcing, encouraging and challenging for the future of our water environment.” 

Net Zero Secretary Mairi McAllan said: “Scotland now has the highest number of designated Bathing Water sites ever, with the vast majority classified as good or excellent.

“This demonstrates the benefits of our continued investment in protecting and improving bathing waters across the country. However we are not complacent and will continue to work closely with SEPA and Scottish Water to monitor and improve water quality, to make sure that as many people as possible are able to enjoy them.” 

Success stories for 2024 

Scotland’s newest bathing water, Wardie Bay in Edinburgh, will be rated as Good for its first classification in 2024. The location was designated by Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Net Zero and Just Transition, Màiri McAllan, following an application from Wardie Bay Beachwatch and The Wild Ones  

Just along the coast in East Lothian, the first bathing water in Scotland to be re-designated will also be classified as Good. Fisherrow Sands was de-designated in 2020 following five years of Poor classifications.

It was re-designated following work between SEPA, the Scottish Government, Scottish Water, East Lothian Council and wider stakeholders to drive improvements. Over £3 million has been spent on works to upgrade wastewater pumping stations, resolve multiple misconnections and make improvements to the sewer network to reduce spills.   

Future challenges 

Pressures on bathing waters can include overflows from the drainage network and misconnections from homes and businesses.

Agricultural run-off and bacteria from dog fouling and gulls can also be factors. Some sites have a legacy of complex inter-linked issues that need individual assessments and unique solutions. 

The two bathing waters with a Poor classification, Kinghorn (Harbour Beach) and Lower Largo, both have ongoing improvement plans in place.  

Kinghorn (Harbour Beach) had been achieving Sufficient after previous work was carried out by Scottish Water. Following a Poor classification last year, an enhanced monitoring program has been carried out to identify potential sources of pollution, SEPA will continue to work with regulated operators and stakeholders to explore solutions to improve water quality at this location.  

At Lower Largo, SEPA has required Scottish Water to conduct comprehensive studies into the sewerage infrastructure to identify any necessary upgrade requirements.

Surveillance and monitoring has included CCTV and flow surveys of the sewer network; intensive water quality sampling of the sea and watercourses; a survey (via boats) to map the seabed; tidal current profile and dispersion testing to understand how discharges disperse to the sea and nearby rivers.

This work also identified some misconnected properties, which have now been connected to the public sewerage system correctly. 

Significant further work and investment are ongoing towards achieving the infrastructure improvements in the Lower Largo area necessary to bring about improved bathing water quality.  

Nation to unite in annual two-minute silence to remember fallen heroes

His Majesty The King will lead the nation, alongside the Prime Minister and defence chiefs, in a two-minute silence to remember those who died in conflict

  • Almost 10,000 veterans will march past Cenotaph in tribute to servicemen and women that made the ultimate sacrifice
  • For the first time veterans of Britain’s nuclear testing programme will wear new medals announced by the Prime Minister to recognise their special service

In the first Remembrance Sunday service since the Coronation in May of this year, His Majesty The King will be joined by Members of The Royal Family, the Prime Minister, senior politicians, defence chiefs and faith leaders to mark the Armistice of the First World War and all other conflicts involving British and Commonwealth forces.

Around 10,000 veterans and 800 Armed Forces personnel members from all three services will march past the Cenotaph on Sunday, with thousands more members of the public expected to line Whitehall in London to pay their respects.

Remembrance Sunday is a time of extraordinary unity as communities gather to remember all those who have died on our behalf and tens of thousands of Armed Forces personnel will take part in Remembrance services and events across the country and around the world, including on operations overseas. The National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph will be broadcast live by the BBC and Sky News.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “The courage and commitment shown by our servicemen and women, both today and throughout the generations that came before them, is humbling and I know many across the country will be honouring their memory today in quiet reflection.

“Recent events have served as a stark reminder that we cannot take the hard-earned peace we live in for granted, which is why I am honoured to lay a wreath on behalf of the nation in the memory of all those that have lost their lives defending our country and the values we hold so close.

“I am determined to ensure we never forget the ultimate sacrifice they have made.”

Of the 9,910 individuals marching this year, 304 different Armed Forces and civilian organisations will be represented, as well as around 300 veterans not affiliated with an association, who have been invited by The Royal British Legion to march for the first time. 

Those marching will also include Nuclear Test Veterans who for the first time, will wear a medal acknowledging their important service. 

The Nuclear Test Medal was announced by the Prime Minister in November 70 years after the first British test of a nuclear weapon, and recognises military, civilian, and overseas staff and personnel who participated in Britain’s nuclear testing programme in the 1950s and 1960s.

Among those marching will be people of all ages – from 100-year-old Second World War veterans through to children of servicemen and women who have died in conflict, with the youngest marcher being just eight years old.

Many of those marching will reflect particularly on conflicts which mark a major anniversary this year, such as the 70th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice Agreement and the 20th anniversary of the start of the UK’s military operations in Iraq.

Among the hundreds of Armed Forces personnel on parade at the Cenotaph will be Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin and the service chiefs of the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said: “As the nation comes together to remember all those who died serving their country, we remember with gratitude the sacrifices of the entire Armed Forces community and thank all those in uniform who protect our country and its way of life.” 

Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said: “For the men and women that gave their today for our tomorrow.

“For the generations before that fought for the freedom of the generation after. For those who stood up, fought for and died to protect our values – today we thank and remember them. I encourage everyone, no matter where you are, to join us in a national two-minute silence in memory of those who served our country.”

Remembrance also reminds us of our solemn responsibility to support the entire Armed Forces community all year round.

The Office for Veterans’ Affairs has been leading government efforts to make the UK the best country in the world to be a veteran. This includes launching Op FORTITUDE, a new housing pathway earlier this year, and Op COURAGE, a dedicated mental healthcare pathway.

The Defence Secretary has also made it his personal priority to ensure serving personnel are properly supported during their time on active duty. This week the Ministry of Defence will announce the roll out of more than £400 million of improvements to living accommodation for service personnel, including upgrades to more than 4,000 military homes.

Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Rt Hon. Johnny Mercer MP, said: “Today we remember those who sacrificed so much for our country and the freedoms we enjoy.

“20 years after the start of the Iraq War, I know that during the two minute’s silence at eleven o’clock, I will be remembering in particular those veterans of that conflict, and the contribution they made.

“This year is also particularly poignant, as it is the first year our Nuclear Test Veterans will march past the Cenotaph with their new medal.”

Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin said: “At the Cenotaph, around the country and on operations overseas, members of the Armed Forces will pause to remember all those who have died in service of their country.

“The legacy of the fallen lives on in the dedication and duty of today’s Armed Forces.”

Philippa Rawlinson, Director of Remembrance at the Royal British Legion said: “Remembrance is about bringing communities and individuals together to honour the sacrifices of the Armed Forces community, past and present.

“This year, 60 years on, we are remembering the extraordinary contribution of the millions of National Servicemen conscripted during the post-war years, as well as the sacrifices made by those who served in the Korean War 70 years ago.

“We also mark the 75th anniversary of the arrival of HMT Empire Windrush and the contribution of the Windrush generation, who travelled from the Caribbean to help rebuild Britain after the Second World War.

“Our Armed Forces make sacrifices every day so we can enjoy our freedoms and way of life. This weekend we encourage people to take a moment to reflect and remember their service.”

THIS morning I will remember my dear old friend TONY DELAHOY who served his country with distinction during the Second World War.

Tony was fortunate enough to survive the war but he never forgot those comrades he fought alongside but had to leave behind.

Last month, friends and family gathered at the Lauriston Farm for a lunch to celebrate Tony’s life and a tree was planted in his honour.

‘A true gentleman’ was a phrase oft repeated on a very special day for all those community members who were privileged to attend.

We will remember him.

At the going down of the sun

And in the morning

We will remember them.

Harvest celebration at Lauriston Agroecology Farm

Join us for our 2nd annual Harvest Celebration at Lauriston Agroecology Farm from 2pm – 5.30pm on Saturday the 30th September!

Line up as follows…

2pm – 3pm : “Arise” Storytelling Show from The Breadagogues – this show is free, but seats are limited, so please book to guarantee a reservation for the show. Unreserved standing places will also be available on the day.

2pm – 3pm : Soil Explorations in the field & under the microscope with Lauriston Soil Lab

2pm – 4pm : Apple Pressing with Lauriston Farm’s Orchard Group

2.30pm – 3.15pm : Herbal Walk with Grass Roots Remedies

3.00pm onwards : Food from Scran Academy

3 – 3.10pm : Spoken Word from Vicky Nyanga-Ndiaye

3.10pm – 4.10pm : Shunpike Social Club – Cumbia, Brazilian and Cuban music with big band flair

3.15pm – 4pm : Writing Workshop with Vicky Nyanga-Ndiaye

3.30pm – 5pm : Herbal Tea Bag Making with Grass Roots Remedies

4pm – 5.30pm : Grain Processing with a pedal powered mill (TBC)

4.10pm – 4.20pm : Spoken Word from Ayden Brouwers

4.20pm – 4.30pm : “Soil Health = Community Health” Cranky Theatre Show

4.30pm – 5.30pm : Open Music Session hosted by Shea Martin and Omar Afif – feel free to play or just listen to the audible pleasures. You can bring your own instrument or borrow one.

+ Veg, bread and herbal market stalls, face painting, games & crafts throughout!

#Harvest

#NorthEdinburgh

#Edinburgh

#UrbanFarm

#Agroecology