TOMORROW, Monday 12th October, landmarks including the Kelpies, the Falkirk Wheel and Glasgow Science Centre will shine blue for World Arthritis Day. But once the lights go out, the daily pain and fatigue faced by people with arthritis will remain.
Across Scotland, 1.7 million people—around one in three—live with a musculoskeletal (MSK) condition. Arthritis is too often dismissed as an inevitable part of ageing, but that’s not the case. Scotland alone has 48,000 children and young people living with arthritis. It affects people of all ages, disrupting careers, family life and independence.
Awareness matters, but it must lead to action. Thousands have backed Arthritis UK’s call for the First Minister to introduce a dedicated national MSK Action Plan.
That means earlier diagnosis, timely treatment, better access to rehabilitation and support to help people manage their conditions and remain active.
As Arthritis UK marks its 90th anniversary, we are asking the Scottish Government to make a lasting commitment to those living with arthritis and to make MSK conditions a clinical priority.
Scotland’s landmarks are lighting up. It is time for the Government to step up.
Tickets are now on sale for an exclusive Scottish Book Trust event, with Shirley Manson in conversation with celebrated Scottish author Jenni Fagan.
The event, with the theme ‘How Books Have Changed Your Life’, will take place on Saturday 28 November in Teviot’s Debating Hall, Edinburgh. It’s being organised in partnership with 432 Promotions.
As part of an in-depth conversation, Jenni Fagan will explore Shirley Manson’s love of reading, including the books that have had the most impact on her life. She will also discuss the singer’s approach to writing, including the stories behind the lyrics of some of Garbage’s best loved songs.
After the event, Jenni Fagan will do a book-signing, with copies of some of her works, including Luckenbooth and The Panopticon, on sale.
The event will coincide with Scottish Book Trust’s annual Christmas Appeal, launching on 6 November, which gifts brand new books to children and families across Scotland through local food banks, children’s hospitals and community hubs.
Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust, says: ‘We are incredibly excited to be hosting this unique event. It’s a celebration both of Shirley Manson, one of Scotland’s most inspiring creative figures, and of the power of books.
“The conversation between Shirley and Jenni Fagan is sure to be thought-provoking, entertaining, and unforgettable. At Scottish Book Trust we believe that books have the power to connect people together and to open us up to new ideas, and we can’t wait to hear what Shirley and Jenni have to say.’
The hard work and contribution of Scotland’s farming community has been recognised in the heart of Edinburgh at a Harvest Thanksgiving service hosted by St Giles’ Cathedral and supported by RHASS (the Royal Highland & Agricultural Society of Scotland).
This years’ service held particular significance for RHASS, with its 2026–27 Presidential Initiative (PI) representing the Lothians and celebrating the people, produce, businesses and organisations that make the region one of Scotland’s most important agricultural areas.
The annual service took place on Sunday 4 October at the historic cathedral and was conducted by Rev Scott Rennie, Chaplain and Minister of St Giles’ Cathedral, who is also a member of this year’s Lothian Presidential Team.
Bringing Scotland’s rural and city communities together, the service celebrated the people behind the country’s harvest and recognised the vital role farmers and producers play in putting food on tables across Scotland.
Displays of seasonal vegetables, including potatoes, carrots, parsnips, broccoli and pumpkins, were donated by RHASS Directors and M&S, with produce sourced from farms across the country to showcase the variety of food grown in Scotland.
Following the service, the produce was donated to Edinburgh charities Empty Kitchens Full Hearts, the Grassmarket Community Project and The Salvation Army, helping to provide nutritious meals for people in need.
Those arriving at Sunday’s service were also greeted by a John Deere 9RX, a four-track tractor which is built to pull massive tillage, seeding, and land-preparation equipment across huge acreages and kindly provided by Thomas Sherriffs of Haddington. Bringing a striking piece of Scotland’s farming industry to the heart of Edinburgh and highlighting the machinery used by farmers during harvest.
The Harvest Thanksgiving service takes place annually at St Giles’ Cathedral, with this year’s service forming part of the RHASS Lothian PI 2026–27, a year-long programme celebrating the people, businesses and organisations across the region.
The programme will culminate in a dedicated Presidential Showcase at the 2027 Royal Highland Show, RHASS’s flagship fundraising event.
Funds raised throughout the Presidential Initiative’s 2026–27 tenure will support RHASS and its partner charities, RHET (The Royal Highland Education Trust) and SAYFC (the Scottish Association of Young Farmers Clubs).
RHASS Chairman, James Logan, said: “Our role at RHASS is to champion Scotland’s rural community all year round, and the Harvest Thanksgiving service is an important opportunity to recognise the hard work of farmers and producers across the country.
“It also gives us the chance to celebrate the incredible variety of produce grown here in Scotland and to bring farming into the heart of Edinburgh, helping people connect the food on our plates with the people and communities who produce it.
“This year’s service is particularly poignant as our Presidential Team is representing the Lothians, making it a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the farmers, producers and fantastic produce we have right here on our doorstep.
“We are extremely grateful to the farmers and RHASS Directors who donated produce, which will now benefit local Edinburgh charities, and to everyone who joined us at St Giles’ Cathedral. We hope the service helped shine a light on the essential contribution Scotland’s farming community makes every day.”
The service followed the team’s first fundraising event at St Giles’ Cathedral on Saturday 3 October, which saw guests enjoy a special evening of live music from performers from Sing in the City.
Wider PI activity will continue with a Day at the Races in January 2027 and a Gala Dinner at The Scottish Cafe & Restaurant at the National Galleries of Scotland in March 2027, alongside farm visits, community events and fundraising activity throughout the year.
POLICE are asking for the help of the public to trace a 69-year-old man reported missing in Edinburgh.
James Bryson, known as Jim, was last seen in Burnhead Crescent around 6.50am this morning (Sunday, 11 October).
He is described as around 5ft 8ins, with short, greying hair. He was wearing a black hoodie, black tracksuit bottoms and blue trainers.
Jim is believed to have travelled in his green Nissan Qashqai car, registration SK76 BVJ, along Howden Hall Road to Kaimes crossroads and then in the direction of Edinburgh city bypass.
Sergeant Zoe Martin said: “It is out of character for Jim to go missing and we are concerned for his welfare.
“We are asking anyone who has seen Jim or knows where he might be to get in touch.
“Likewise, if you see Jim’s car please also make contact with us.”
Anyone who can help is asked to call Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 0739 of Sunday, 11 October, 2026.
This Monday (12th October) will be our last Monday Café, and what a lovely few months it’s been! We’ve loved cooking for our community, meeting new people and trying out new recipes. Together, we’ve served 412 meals, all freshly prepared each Monday using lots of rescued food and produce from our garden.
A huge thank you to all our wonderful volunteers who have helped make this project possible. We couldn’t have done it without you!
But don’t worry, our community lunches aren’t going anywhere! We’ll be moving them to Friday afternoons, making it easier for more people to join us, including families after school pick-up and anyone popping along to Dr Bike at the centre.We’ll share more details about timings over the next week or two.
Fancy getting involved in cooking up our community lunches? We’re starting a cooking group where people can come together, share skills and learn new recipes on a Friday morning. If you’re interested, get in touch with Rebecca at rebecca@drylawnc.org.uk to find out more.
And we’re going all out for our final Monday Café!
Breakfast: All your usual favourites, plus homemade blueberry scones.
Lunch: Bangers and mash, followed by an indulgent Banoffee Pie.
Come along, enjoy some good food and help us give the Monday Café a lovely send-off. We’d love to see you there!
The Lower Tweed has reached Significant Water Scarcity, as prolonged dry conditions continue to affect rivers across eastern Scotland despite recent rainfall.
The latest weekly Water Scarcity Report from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) shows that the Lower Tweed has reached the highest level on Scotland’s five-tier water scarcity scale, just a week after improvements elsewhere meant no areas were at Significant Scarcity.
SEPA warned last week that the Lower Tweed was approaching Significant Scarcity and could reach this level without further sustained rainfall.
The Tyne (Lothian) and Tweed catchments remain at Moderate Scarcity, while low to very low river flows continue across much of eastern Scotland. Several rivers have fallen below recognised low-flow thresholds again this week.
Although recent rainfall has largely been within the normal range for this time of year, it has not been sufficient to reverse the effects of prolonged dry conditions in eastern catchments. More sustained rainfall is needed to bring significant and lasting improvement.
Eastern rivers remain under pressure
Conditions remain very different across Scotland. While much of eastern Scotland continues to experience low river flows, the west is generally seeing normal to high flows, with very high flows in parts of the northwest.
Groundwater levels remain low across much of eastern Scotland, although levels in Dumfries and northern Scotland are generally within the normal range for the time of year. Most monitored lochs are at normal to high levels, although Lochindorb, east of Inverness, remains low.
Temporary restrictions on some licences to abstract water from the environment are in place in the Lower Tweed to protect rivers and the wildlife that depend on them.
While most seasonal agricultural irrigation has now finished, restrictions are still necessary where river flows have remained exceptionally low. These are kept under regular review and lifted when conditions improve sufficiently.
Stephen McGuire, Senior Hydrologist at SEPA, said: “Last week’s rainfall brought welcome improvements across Scotland, but we warned that parts of the east remained vulnerable. The Lower Tweed has now reached Significant Scarcity, showing just how fragile that recovery has been.
“After months of dry conditions, a few days of rainfall are not necessarily enough to restore river flows or replenish groundwater. What matters is how much rain falls, where it falls and whether it is sustained for long enough to make a lasting difference.
“Although we’re now into October, the effects of the dry spring and summer are still being felt in our rivers. Water scarcity doesn’t simply end when the seasons change.
“We may see further rainfall over the coming days, but it will take more prolonged rainfall to bring a sustained recovery in the areas that remain under pressure.
“SEPA will continue to monitor conditions closely and work with businesses that take water from the environment. Restrictions remain an important part of protecting our rivers when flows are exceptionally low, even where seasonal demand for water has reduced.”
SEPA will continue to publish weekly Water Scarcity Reports while conditions require monitoring, providing information to help businesses and other water users understand changing conditions and plan ahead.
The latest report, advice for abstractors and irrigators, and SEPA’s Drought Risk Assessment Tool are available at beta.sepa.scot/water-scarcity.
WESTMINSTER’S Science and Technology Committee has launched an inquiry examining how digital technologies can be used to facilitate harms such as stalking, harassment, coercive control and non-consensual intimate image abuse.
Domestic abuse is, as we know, far too prevalent in the real world but it is also expanding into digital spaces and creating new ways that abuse can occur, with smart devices like Ring doorbells, speakers and fitness trackers being used to track and abuse victims.
The issue sits within the wider context of domestic abuse and violence against women and girls and continues to grow. For example, referrals to the domestic abuse charity Refuge’s specialist Technology Facilitated Abuse and Economic Empowerment team rose by more than 62% in 2025 alone.
The government has taken steps to tackle some forms of technology-facilitated abuse through its violence against women and girls’ strategy and the Online Safety Act 2023. However, recent cases have raised questions about whether existing legal and regulatory frameworks remain fit for purpose.
This inquiry will explore the scale and impact of technology-facilitated harm and assess how technology companies and the government are responding to this. It may also look at the gender divide in technological spaces, and whether this is exacerbating or limiting abuse. The committee will focus primarily on digital abuse and online platforms.
The deadline for submitting evidence is 4 November.
Dame Chi Onwurah, Chair of the Science and Technology Committee, said:“Technology can empower and protect its users, but it also has the potential to create new ways for people – particularly women and girls – to be abused.
“Our inquiry, my committee will examine how digital technologies are being used to facilitate harm, whether current legislation is keeping pace and the responsibilities technology companies and online platforms have to prevent it.
“I encourage anyone with expertise in this area to submit evidence to our inquiry and inform our work.”
The October holidays are here, so it’s the perfect time to check out our holiday programme! We’ve got a few extra children’s events on, plus our usual Bookbug and adult events.
Everything is free, just come along for the start of the event and join in!
We’ll be moving them to Friday afternoons, making it easier for more people to join us, including families after school pick-up and anyone popping along to Dr Bike at the centre. We’ll share more details about timings over the next week or two.
Breakfast: All your usual favourites, plus homemade blueberry scones.
Lunch: Bangers and mash, followed by an indulgent Banoffee Pie.
