New Lanark launches 2026 Festive Experience

Christmas Returns to Scotland’s UNESCO World Heritage Site

Families looking for a magical Christmas day out can once again celebrate the festive season at New Lanark as the UNESCO World Heritage Site launches its Christmas Experience for 2026.

Running on selected dates from 28 November to 24 December, the event transforms the historic village into a festive destination where families can enjoy a visit with Santa, The Wiz That Woz pantomime, the Spirit of Christmas Ride and indoor soft play, all included in a single ticket.

Set within the historic mill village on the banks of the River Clyde, the experience offers families the opportunity to celebrate Christmas within one of Scotland’s six UNESCO World Heritage Sites, a festive setting unlike any other festive attraction in the country.

Designed for families with children aged one to eight, the Christmas Experience offers festive entertainment throughout the day, with activities running between 10am and 5pm.

Every child visiting the Christmas Experience will enjoy a personal visit with Santa Claus in his festive grotto and receive a special soft toy gift to take home. Families can then enjoy this year’s pantomime, The Wiz That Woz, a lively Scottish twist on a much-loved classic packed with laughter, colourful characters and audience participation.

Visitors can also climb aboard the much-loved Spirit of Christmas Ride, where Holly and her friends take families on a magical festive journey, before little ones enjoy even more fun in the indoor soft play area.

New Lanark’s dedicated Quiet Session will return on 28 November, offering a calmer and more relaxed experience for children and families who may benefit from a lower-sensory environment.

For many families across Scotland, a visit to New Lanark has become a treasured festive tradition, combining seasonal entertainment, family activities and a unique historic setting.

“There is something truly special about Christmas at New Lanark,” said a spokesperson for New Lanark.

“Families tell us year after year that visiting New Lanark has become part of their Christmas celebrations. What makes the experience special is being able to spend quality time together, whether that’s meeting Santa, enjoying the pantomime or exploring the village in its festive setting. We are delighted to welcome visitors back for Christmas 2026.”

Alongside the festive attractions, families can enjoy seasonal treats, warming drinks and family meals across New Lanark’s café and restaurant, making it easy to enjoy a complete festive day out.

With many dates proving popular each year, families are encouraged to book early, particularly for weekends closer to Christmas.

Tickets for Christmas at New Lanark 2026 are on sale now, with full details and booking information available on the New Lanark website.

Christmas at New Lanark 2026

Location: New Lanark, Lanark, South Lanarkshire

Selected dates: 28 November to 24 December 2026

Included in every ticket:

  • Visit with Santa and a special soft toy gift
  • The Wiz That Woz pantomime
  • Spirit of Christmas Ride
  • Indoor soft play

Opening hours: 10am to 5pm

Suitable for: Families with children aged 1 to 8

Tickets: On sale now

Quiet Session: 28 November 2026.

Help with IT at Blackhall Library

Over the age of 50 and need help with IT?

We are very excited to announce that ACE IT will be based at Blackhall Library every Wednesday morning from the 7th October.

To book an appointment please contact ACT IT directly on 0131 667 2053 or info@aceit.org.uk for these free digital coaching sessions.

Hundreds of female entrepreneurs meet in Edinburgh at global female founders summit

Hundreds of female founders, investors and business leaders gathered this week at Royal Bank of Scotland Gogarburn for the Female Founders Growth Summit 2026, now in its third year.

The summit brings together women actively scaling businesses beyond £1 million turnover with founders, investors and operators from across the UK and internationally.

The 2026 programme brings global entrepreneurship to Scotland. Speakers include Stina Ehrensvärd, the Swedish-American founder of Yubico and co-inventor of the YubiKey; Christa Pitts, co-founder and co-CEO of The Lumistella Company, the business behind The Elf on the Shelf®; Liz Upton, co-founder of Raspberry Pi; Clare Roberts OBE, founder and chief executive of Kid’s Planet; and Leeanne Hundleby, co-founder of luxury leather goods brand Strathberry.

Sessions cover international growth, leadership, investment, marketing and building impact at scale, alongside dedicated Growth Clinics focused on international growth strategy, culture and leadership, and funding routes.

Darren Pirie, Royal Bank of Scotland, Head of Accelerator & Partnerships, said: “We are proud to partner with the Female Founders Growth Summit to champion women-led businesses to help build a stronger more inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem.”

Sam Smith, Co-founder and CEO of SuperScalers, added: “Scaling is a very different job from founding, and we’re building a network to help more women to grow.

“We’re on a mission to increase the number of female SuperScalers, which we define as a founder or co-founder who has scaled a business to £50m+ revenue. To do this community and inspiration matter and I’m excited to present our latest research and some scaling techniques in Edinburgh.”

Anna Vaughan, Scottish National Investment Bank, Director of Marketing and Communications, said: “We are proud to support the Female Founders Growth Summit again as we value the important role it plays in helping more women-led businesses build connections, attract investment and realise their ambitions.”

Ana Stewart, Scotland’s Chief Entrepreneur and founder of Pathways Forward, said: “Scotland has never been short of ambitious women starting businesses. Where we lose ground is at the point of scale, and that gap costs the economy far more than most people realise.

“Whilst one in five companies in the UK are female-led less than one in 50 are scaling beyond £10m. 

“This summit brings UK and global female entrepreneurs to Scotland to share their lived experiences and inspire others to continue on their growth journeys.” 

Leeanne Hundleby, Co-founder of Strathberry, the Scottish luxury leather goods which has grown into one of the UK’s most recognised names in luxury accessories and a brand famously favored by Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales, will be a guest speaker for an in-conversation session with Joanna Jenson, one of the UK’s most distinctive voices on entrepreneurship, on going global at the summit.

Leeanne said: “Building a global brand from Scotland has been one of the most rewarding and challenging parts of the Strathberry journey.

“Going into new markets isn’t simply about selling internationally; it’s about understanding your customer, protecting what makes your brand distinctive and having the ambition to compete on a global stage.

“I’m really looking forward to sharing our experience at the Female Founders Growth Summit and, just as importantly, hearing from other founders who are navigating their own journeys of international growth.”

Christa Pitts, Co-founder and co-CEO of The Lumistella Company, the business behind The Elf on the Shelf, whose products have reached families in more than 33 countries, said: “There is enormous power in sharing the lessons, the setbacks and the opportunities that come with growing and scaling a company.

“That’s what makes gatherings like the Female Founders Growth Summit so valuable. It brings together women who are ambitious about growth and creates the space to learn from one another, challenge each other and think about what’s possible.

“I’m really looking forward to being part of that conversation.”

Funding awarded to support university spinouts

Unlocking economic innovation

The Scottish Government is investing nearly £3 million to help turn university research projects into commercial business propositions.

Seventeen projects from seven different universities will share £2.92 million of funding from the Proof of Concept fund, which was piloted last year to help researchers explore and realise the commercial potential of their research.

The funding will help accelerate various aspects of the spinout process, from developing prototype products to undertaken market analysis and pitching to investors.

Projects being funded this year include:

  • Kinera at Heriot Watt University, which is developing a wearable health monitoring device for people with Parkinson’s disease to help clinicians make more personalised treatment decisions
  • Merra-log at the University of St Andrews, which is developing a low-cost environmental monitoring system to collect and transmit high-quality marine and freshwater data in near real time
  • Scensai at the University of Aberdeen, which is developing an affordable handheld chemical sensing device for the drinks industry

Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Tourism & Transport Stephen Flynn said: “The Scottish Government has now invested nearly £6 million over the last two years to realise the economic potential of more Scottish spinout companies starting and succeeding.

“Scotland’s universities have been the birthplace of some of the world’s greatest ideas and inventions for centuries – ideas and inventions which have improved lives and solved problems across the world – and it is vital this innovation continues to be nurtured.”

“The support of the Scottish Government is helping us take an important step towards improving the diagnosis of chronic gastrointestinal disorders. This funding will enable us to advance a technology with the potential to provide earlier answers for patients and more targeted treatment pathways.”

Researchers at the University of Aberdeen have been awarded £124,000 to develop a simple lateral-flow test for chronic gastrointestinal disorders. The funding will develop and validate prototype tests for potential use in primary care settings.

The project’s lead Dr. Sergio Dall’Angelo said: “The support of the Scottish Government is helping us take an important step towards improving the diagnosis of chronic gastrointestinal disorders, which affect millions of people and place a substantial burden on patients and healthcare services.

“This funding will enable us to advance a promising technology, bringing us closer to a practical test that could be used in primary care. By supporting the development of this innovative diagnostic tool, the Scottish Government is helping to accelerate research with the potential to provide earlier answers for patients, reduce unnecessary investigations, improve disease stratification, and pave the way for more targeted and effective treatments.”

The Critical Technologies Accelerator at the University of Glasgow received £125,000 of funding in 2025-26 to develop a groundbreaking new coupler design for silicon-photonic microchips. Research Fellow Andrew Greer said:

“The Scottish Government Proof of Concept award was an excellent platform to enable impact from innovation by supporting a means to transition the ‘valley of death’ for scientific research that falls between raw academic science and industrial applications.

“It has been transformative for the science and the people involved by validating both the technology and the team credentials. Since receiving the award we have doubled our grant income, successfully developed a foundry scale-up process and the team are now delivering demonstrators and working with commercialisation partner STL Tech towards an invitational application to the Scottish Enterprise High Growth Spinout Programme.”

A full list of projects awarded 2026-27 Proof of Concept funding is available on the Scottish Government website.

Artist Talk at St Mary’s Cathedral

SUNDAY 4th OCTOBER from 12 – 1pm

On Sunday at noon, artist Kirralee Fisher is giving a talk on her exhibition at the Cathedral, followed by a conversation with our Chaplain Lana and Jonathan Baxter from A+E.

Do come along!

http://www.cathedral.net/…/artist-talk-and-conversation…

The Kitchen Garden: New project at Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre

Introducing The Garden Kitchen! 🌱

We’re excited to be starting a new Gardening & Wellbeing Group at Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre.

Starting Thursday 15th October, The Garden Kitchen will be a weekly group where adults from Drylaw and Telford can come together, spend time outdoors, grow food, learn new skills and enjoy good food and company.

🌿 Every Thursday, 10am–2pm, sessions will include:

• Gardening and food growing

• Cooking and sharing a communal meal

• Learning practical skills

• Peer support and conversation

• Opportunities to gain new qualifications and experience

The group is a welcoming space for anyone experiencing loneliness, poor mental wellbeing or social isolation, and is all about building confidence, making connections and feeling part of the community.

There will also be opportunities to work towards a Food Hygiene Level 2 qualification and develop skills that could lead to volunteering or employment.

If you’d like to find out more, please get in touch with the lovely Jane at wellbeing@drylawnc.org.uk

Silver Sunday at Dynamic Earth

FREE ADMISSION FOR OVER 65s

Over 65s go FREE at Dynamic Earth this Silver Sunday! 🌍

On 4th October, adults over 65 visit free at Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh’s only Science Centre & Planetarium.*

Explore immersive galleries, uncover the story of our planet and experience a presenter-led show or spectacular dome film beneath our 360° Planetarium.

Whether you’re discovering the forces that shape Earth or exploring the wonders of space, there’s something for curious minds of every age.

Simply visit our Ticket Desk on the 4th of October to claim the offer in person with our team. 📣

Find out more: https://dynamicearth.org.uk/…/over-65s-go-free-this…/

*Terms and Conditions apply. Valid ID may be checked on arrival.

Rainfall brings widespread improvement in water scarcity conditions

Recent rainfall has brought a marked improvement in water scarcity conditions across Scotland, with no areas now at Significant Scarcity compared with seven in the previous report.

The latest Water Scarcity Report from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) shows conditions have improved across a number of areas following recent rainfall.

Stonehaven, North Esk, Tay Estuary (North), North Fife, Fife (East Neuk), Whiteadder Water and Berwickshire coastal have all recovered from Significant Scarcity in the last week. The number of areas at Moderate Scarcity has also reduced from five to two, with only Tyne (Lothian) and Tweed catchments remaining at this level.

However, the improvement does not mean water scarcity pressures have ended. River flows, soil moisture and groundwater levels remain low across much of eastern Scotland, and more prolonged rainfall will be needed for a sustained recovery. Without sustained rainfall, the Lower Tweed area could reach Significant Scarcity within the next week.

Among other areas showing recovery this week, Esk (Angus), Firth of Tay and Firth of Forth have moved down to Alert; Deveron and Ythan have moved to Early Warning; and Cree and Spey have returned to Normal Conditions.

Despite the improving overall picture, the underlying indicators continue to show the effects of prolonged dry conditions. River flows remain low to very low across much of eastern Scotland, while the west continues to experience normal to high flows.

Ground conditions also remain dry across parts of eastern Scotland, with only limited improvement in soil moisture in recent weeks. Groundwater levels remain low to very low across much of the east, although levels elsewhere are generally normal or above normal.

Claire Tunaley, Senior Hydrologist in SEPA’s Water Resources Unit, said: “The recent rainfall has helped with recovery, and it is encouraging that we no longer have any areas at Significant Scarcity.

“However, this follows a prolonged period of dry weather and we are not yet seeing a full recovery across eastern Scotland. River flows, soil moisture and groundwater remain low in a number of areas, particularly in the south-east.

“What happens next will depend on the amount and persistence of rainfall we receive. Short periods of rain can improve conditions, but sustained rainfall is needed to replenish rivers, soils and groundwater after a prolonged dry period.”

The latest Water Scarcity Report, together with advice for abstractors and irrigators and SEPA’s Drought Risk Assessment Tool, is available on the SEPA website.

SEPA will continue to publish weekly updates on water scarcity conditions until all areas have recovered to Alert or below. 

Current water scarcity levels

  • Moderate Scarcity: Tyne (Lothian), Tweed
  • Alert: ​Don (Aberdeenshire), Dee (Aberdeen), Esk (Angus), Firth of Tay, Firth of Forth, Almond 
  • Early warning: ​Findhorn, Deveron, Ythan, Tay, Earn 
  • All areas not mentioned above are at Normal conditions

Current data and conditions

The latest information on water scarcity and river conditions is available through:

SEPA’s Water Scarcity Situation Report – 01 October 2026 – the weekly assessment of water scarcity conditions across Scotland.

SEPA’s Drought Risk Assessment Tool – shows low-flow monitoring stations and how close areas are to Significant Scarcity

SEPA’s River Level Network – current river-level information from monitoring stations across Scotland

Rainfall data for Scotland – current and historic rainfall information

Water scarcity and flooding

Scotland can experience flooding and water scarcity at the same time. The two are not contradictory.

Flooding can result from intense rainfall over a relatively short period, while water scarcity reflects the effects of prolonged dry conditions on rivers soils and groundwater. Conditions can therefore vary considerably between different parts of Scotland and individual catchments.

Rain in an area also does not automatically mean water scarcity conditions will improve. After prolonged dry weather, intense rainfall can cause river levels to rise rapidly and lead to localised flooding, but those rises may be short lived. For water scarcity conditions to recover, river flows need to improve sufficiently and remain higher over time.

Dry soils and low groundwater levels can also take longer to recover, meaning sustained rainfall over longer periods may be needed to reverse the effects of prolonged dry conditions.

Water scarcity levels

SEPA uses five levels to describe water scarcity: Normal Conditions, Early Warning, Alert, Moderate Scarcity and Significant Scarcity.

The levels reflect increasing pressure on the water environment. At Significant Scarcity, SEPA may temporarily restrict abstractions from the environment where necessary to protect rivers and ecosystems.

Water scarcity levels relate to the water environment and are not an assessment of public drinking water supplies.

DRAT stations and significant scarcity

SEPA monitors a network of long-established low-flow gauging stations across Scotland to identify when river flows have remained unusually low for a sustained period.

The Drought Risk Assessment Tool (DRAT) shows how many days each station has been below Q95, a recognised low-flow threshold. When a station reaches 30 days below Q95, the catchments it represents move to Significant Scarcity and SEPA will impose any abstraction restrictions required.

Each station represents a defined Significant Scarcity area, which may contain one river or several catchments. As a result, the number of DRAT stations reaching the threshold and the number of areas at Significant Scarcity may be different.

How long water scarcity can last

Water scarcity does not necessarily end at the end of summer. Conditions can improve or deteriorate depending on rainfall and how rivers, soils and groundwater respond.

Further information and support

The National Water Scarcity Plan explains how water scarcity is monitored and managed in Scotland. 

Further information is available on:

TODAY: Community Coffee Morning in Davidsons Mains

SYCAMORE CAFE at D MAINS PARISH CHURCH 10.30 – 12.30

🌿
☕

A cuppa, a little creativity and a chance to connect!

💚

Have you ever wondered what’s going on in your local community or how you could get involved? Come and find our stall and ask us about what we do!

Come along to our Coffee & Community morning for a chance to meet local groups, discover what’s happening in the area and find out about volunteering opportunities.

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🎄

There’ll also be some festive fun with gingerbread person decorating on our stall, so why not come along and get creative?

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Find out about local events and activities

🤝

Meet people who make things happen in our community

💚

Explore volunteering opportunities and ways to help

☕

Enjoy a warm welcome, refreshments and good company

🎨

Get involved in some fun gingerbread decorating

You don’t need to commit to anything or have a particular reason to come – just bring yourself and enjoy the morning!

📅

Saturday 3 October 2026

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10.30am – 12.30pm

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Sycamore Tree Cafe, Davidson’s Mains Parish Church

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Pop in, find our stall, say hello and spread the word. We look forward to seeing you there!

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🌿

Edinburgh innovators land national awards across health, space and technology

EDINBURGH innovators have secured a string of national awards for university-developed ideas spanning women’s health, the creative industries and disease detection.

Leading the region’s success is WombWise, developed by Edinburgh Napier University Data Engineering graduate Emily Youngs, who was crowned winner of the Create Change Challenge at the 2026 Converge Awards.

The system has been developed to tackle the long delays many women face in securing a diagnosis of endometriosis and polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS). Endometriosis is a chronic condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows elsewhere in the body. It affects around one in 10 women of reproductive age, according to the Endometriosis Foundation.

Through combining data from wearable devices such as smartwatches with an AI symptom tracker, WombWise aims to give women objective evidence they can take to their GP.

Emily Youngs said: “What we’re doing at WombWise is using wearable devices that are already on the market, like Oura Rings and Apple Watches, repurposing that data and looking for pain markers.

“We’re tracking women for pain rather than fertility and pregnancy, trying to see if they’ve got potential signs of endometriosis or PMOS and helping them towards a potential diagnosis.

“I’m just so shocked to even be here, never mind win. I’m very happy”

WombWise was joined by fellow winners in the Edinburgh region, Stage Analytics from Queen Margaret University, which secured the Creative Fusion Prize, sponsored by Mark Logan, for technology that helps event venues and producers make better use of their data. Its real-time dashboards streamline information and provide stronger evidence to support decisions around scheduling shows.

Heriot-Watt University also celebrated success through RecoverPX, led by Helen Bridle, which secured the Ventures Lab Prize as well as a Blue Economy Prize for technology designed to help water companies detect potentially harmful contamination more reliably.

Its first focus is Cryptosporidium, a parasite which can contaminate water supplies and the technology has already been tested by several UK water companies.

Winners from universities across the Edinburgh region continued with Pleiades Dynamics, led by Stephen Spice from the University of Edinburgh, who secured the Space Challenge award in the first year of this new category, funded by Space Scotland and the Higgs Centre for Innovation.

The region’s universities also claimed a runner-up place in the Converge Challenge category, with Heriot-Watt University’s TissueMetrics, led by Michael Crichton and Sara Medina-Lombardero, also picking up The Data Lab special prize.

The Data Lab works with Scottish universities to advance innovation and skills in data and artificial intelligence. TissueMetrics is developing technology to help improve the treatment of inflammatory skin diseases, such as eczema.

AI for the Eye, founded by Michaela Thorne, has developed a non-invasive, AI-powered retinal imaging system designed to transform how bovine tuberculosis is detected in cattle. It rounded off a strong showing for Edinburgh region universities across healthcare, the creative industries and animal health.

Michaele Thorne said: ““The money is going to be used to make the retinal imaging prototype for cattle, which means we’ll be able to take the device onto farms and image live animals. It means we can validate the business and push things forward.

“It was unexpected and really exciting to win. It’s going to do a lot of good for the business.”

Juto Bio, represented by Commercial Lead Jude Taylor from the University of Edinburgh, won the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre special prize (IBioIC). The company uses waste from Scottish whisky distilleries to grow tiny algae, which are turned into natural products that help crops grow. It offers farmers a cheaper alternative to treatments made from seaweed.

Adam Kosterka, Executive Director of Converge, said: “Edinburgh has an extraordinary concentration of academic and entrepreneurial talent and this year’s results demonstrate the breadth of innovation emerging from universities across the region.

“WombWise is addressing a significant challenge in women’s health, while the success of Stage Analytics, RecoverPX, Pleiades Dynamics, TissueMetrics, AI for the Eye and Juto Bio shows just how varied university entrepreneurship in the Edinburgh region has become.

“These are very different ventures, but they share our ambition to take strong ideas beyond the university environment and turn them into something capable of delivering real-world impact.”

That ambition sits at the heart of Converge, which works with staff, students and recent graduates to develop the commercial skills, expertise and connections needed to turn promising university ideas into sustainable businesses.

Backed by the Scottish Funding Council, a network of corporate partners and Scotland’s universities, the programme combines practical business support and training with equity-free funding.

Paul Devoy, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Funding Council, said: “We’re proud to have been able to support Converge’s impact on Scottish innovation and entrepreneurship for the past 15 years.  

“The Converge Awards are a fabulous way to celebrate the university-led innovation that plays an important part in Scotland’s ambition to be amongst the world’s most innovative nations. 

“All the participants in this year’s programme have contributed to new thinking and entrepreneurship, and this year’s winners and finalists represent exceptional creativity in solving global challenges.”

Formed in 2011, Converge has become a driving force for university-led innovation, supporting more than 1000 academic entrepreneurs who have gone on to establish over 500 companies.

Businesses taking part in the Converge programme have a three-year survival rate of 86%, significantly above the national average. This reflects both the strength of innovation emerging from universities and the quality, support and rigour of the programme.

Building on that milestone, Converge is preparing to launch Converge 2.0 in 2027, an evolved offering which will broaden its support and introduce more tailored, sector-specific pathways for ventures at an advanced stage of development.