Our water and how to keep it clean, plentiful, and safe has very much been the subject of many news stories, documentaries, and conversations.
From climate change to scarcity and pollution – what plans are in place to secure Scotland’s water future?
You can be part of the discussion on this issue with panellists from University of Dundee the Environmental Rights Centre for Scotland, campaigner Peter Hammond, and Scottish Water.
Fri 28 Aug – 11:15am
Inhale. Exhale.
Every breath resonates and each string sings, in a new performance that brings together Scottish Ensemble and singers from the Chamber Choir of the National Youth Choir of Scotland (NYCOS).
Bach & Blood will present a programme showcasing the atmosphere and power of strings and voice, emphasising the virtuosic solo violin as performed by Scottish Ensemble’s Artistic Director Jonathan Morton. Musical voices from across the centuries are united by ritual, reflection, and transcendence.
J.S. Bach’s Chaconne, famously described as “the greatest structure for solo violin that exists”, is illuminated by accompanying “Ghost chorales” relating to death and resurrection, that reveal emotional depths beneath the soloist. It is complemented by the ethereal, mystical power of Arvo Pärt’s Greater Antiphons for strings, which unfolds in shimmering stillness with a sense of timeless devotion.
The performance will climax with the UK premiere of Glasgow-based composer David Fennessy’s work Blood. Originally commissioned by the Irish Chamber Orchestra, the piece is based on a short melody written by the 12th century composer and mystic Hildegard of Bingen; Blood expands and draws out the sound until it morphs into something completely new.
A solo violin weaves and flows through haunting vocals from the NYCOS choir, led by their Artistic Director Christopher Bell. Consonants are erased and vowels stretched into an emotional, primal stream of sound. What emerges is a work of profound power, where ancient chants merge with a resonating body of orchestral strings to create a startling new sonic landscape, pulsing with visceral, muscular energy.
Bach & Blood will open with a performance at St Mary’s Church in Whitekirk as part of the 2026 Lammermuir Festival. It will then tour to St John’s Kirk in Perth, and to Glasgow Cathedral as part of the 2026 Glasgow Cathedral Festival programme.
Finally, in October, the performance will visit London’s Milton Court, as part of Scottish Ensemble’s Company in Residence season with The Barbican.
Listings Information
Wednesday 16 September, 3pm
St Mary’s Church, Whitekirk
Part of the 2026 Lammermuir Festival
Tickets: From £18, half-price tickets for under-25s
Thursday 17 September, 7pm
St John’s Kirk, Perth
Tickets: From £6, free for under-26s
Friday 18 September, 7pm
Glasgow Cathedral
Part of the 2026 Glasgow Cathedral Festival
Tickets: From £7 – Limited number of £1 tickets available for local residents.
Friday 02 October, 7.30pm
Milton Court, London
Part of Scottish Ensemble’s Company in Residence season with The Barbican
Tickets: From £24
Ticket booking at scottishensemble.co.uk
St Columba’s Iona Cafe is changing its opening hours at the weekends!
Starting from Satuday 15th August, the Iona Cafe will be open 10- 4 on both Saturday & Sunday.
As always, there will be a range of delicious food and beverages available, as well as the gift shop, which is always full of wonderful accessories and homewares just waiting to be discovered!
Following an inspiring summer of sport and the excitement of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, Edinburgh Leisure is encouraging talented athletes across the capital to apply for the Edinburgh Talented Athlete Support Scheme (ETASS), which provides free access to facilities to support their training, recovery and development.
Delivered annually in partnership with the City of Edinburgh Council, National Governing Bodies of Sport and the Scottish Institute of Sport Network (SISN), ETASS helps reduce some of the practical barriers linked to performance sport.
Applications for the 2026/27 intake are now open and available until the 31 August.
Packed arenas, standout performances and stories of determination at this year’s Commonwealth Games highlighted the positive role sport can play in people’s lives. Edinburgh Leisure hopes that energy will encourage more talented athletes in Edinburgh to pursue their ambitions, with ETASS helping to make the facilities needed to train, recover and develop more accessible.
Angela McCowan, Sports Development Manager at Edinburgh Leisure, said: “Watching athletes compete on a major stage can be incredibly inspiring, especially for young people and emerging athletes who see what is possible through hard work, support and opportunity.
“The Commonwealth Games may have come to an end, but the impact they leave behind can last much longer. Through ETASS, we want to help talented athletes across Edinburgh take the next step by giving them access to facilities that can make a real difference to their development.”
Culture and Communities Convener Councillor Margaret Graham said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for young and aspiring athletes to develop their skills in Edinburgh Leisure venues across the city.
“The Commonwealth Games will no doubt have been a source of inspiration, in particular Edinburgh’s own gold medal-winner and record holder Josh Kerr.
“By nurturing emerging talent like this the Edinburgh Talented Athlete Support Scheme is helping to encourage the Capital’s next generation of sporting stars.”
Successful applicants will be able to use Edinburgh Leisure gyms, swimming pools and athletics tracks to support key areas of their training, including strength and conditioning, endurance work, recovery and rehabilitation.
Athletes interested in applying can find full details, eligibility criteria and application information on the Edinburgh Leisure website.
To learn more and apply, visit: Edinburgh Talented Athlete Support Scheme
A 33-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection with a serious assault and an assault on South Bridge, on Saturday, 1 August, 2026.
Around 2.10am, a 42-year-old man was seriously assaulted and taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh for treatment.
Another man was assaulted on the same street and enquiries are continuing to trace the victim of that assault.
The 33-year-old man is due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court at a later date.
A report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.
Senior medics and dentists will receive an above-inflation pay uplift at the end of September, after the Scottish Government agreed to implement recommendations from an independent pay review board.
Consultants, GPs, Specialty, Specialist and Associate Specialist (SAS) doctors and dentists will receive a 3.5% increase for 2026-27. Salaried community and public dental workers will have a 3.75% pay uplift, recognising particular challenges within those services.
The pay increases, which impact on over 10,000 NHS employees, will be backdated to 1 April 2026 and are expected to begin appearing in salaries at the end of September.
Health Secretary Angela Constance outlined the pay awards in a letter to the British Medical Association as she confirmed full acceptance of the recommended pay uplifts by the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration (DDRB).
Ms Constance said: “I’m grateful to all consultants, GPs, SAS doctors and dentists for the invaluable contribution they make to the people of Scotland in delivering safe, effective and high-quality care across our communities.
“It is, therefore, right that we recognise this by accepting the independent findings of the DDRB to deliver an equitable and affordable pay deal – one that is in line with other public sector pay awards for 2026-27.
“We remain committed to a fair, evidence-based and independent approach to pay awards and in accepting the DDRB recommendations in full, we are supporting recruitment and retention.
“This will help to ensure that NHS Scotland remains an attractive place to work, while balancing the need for financial sustainability across the public sector.”
The DDRB recommendation follows significant investment in consultant’s pay over recent years. They were awarded a 6% increase in 2023-24, 10.5% in 2024-25 and 4% in 2025-26.
Free Family Day Out at Drylaw Harvest Festival! 
Looking for something to keep the little ones entertained? We’ve got plenty planned for a fun-filled afternoon at our Harvest Festival on Saturday 5th September, 11am–2pm.
Here’s just some of what you can look forward to:
Bouncy castle
Spartans football games
Face painting
Temporary tattoos
Musical statues with Bev
And that’s just the beginning! There’ll also be apple picking and pressing, garden activities, craft stalls, delicious food, a bake sale, tombola and much more to enjoy.
Best of all, it’s completely free to attend, so bring the whole family along and enjoy a fantastic day out with your local community!
BLACKHALL ST COLUMBA’S CHURCH
FRIDAY and SATURDAY 14 & 15 AUGUST
Sadly, despite the best efforts of all involved, Blackhall Playgroup had to close its doors for good on the 25th June 2026.
Blackhall Playgroup has made a significant contribution to the children and families of Blackhall & surrounding areas for over 40 years and the committee would like to thank all the employees, volunteers and committee members past and present for their commitment and dedication over the years.
As a result of this closure, we are holding a closing down sale. There will be a wide range of high quality equipment, toys, puzzles, games and books for early years and beyond.
CLOSING DOWN SALE
Blackhall St. Columba’s Church, Upstairs hall
Friday 14th August 12-4pm
AND
Saturday 15th August 10am-2pm
Cash only
If bringing a car then free parking available on the surrounding side streets (not on Queensferry Road) but please be considerate of our neighbours’ driveways 
Come along & pick up a bargain 
Thank you for supporting us. 
As part of the Royal Literary Fund’s Reading Round programme, taking place in 12 libraries across Scotland to mark National Book Club Day, we’re delighted to welcome award-winning writer, journalist and critic Chitra Ramaswamy to Stockbridge Library.
Friday, 11 September
12:30–2:30pm
Stockbridge Library
Chitra is the acclaimed author of “Homelands”, a moving account of her friendship with German Jewish refugee Henry Wuga. The book won the Saltire Non-Fiction Book of the Year Award and was named one of The Guardian’s best memoirs and biographies of 2022.
Her first book, “Expecting: The Inner Life of Pregnancy”, won the Saltire First Book of the Year Award, was shortlisted for the Polari Prize, and was reissued in 2024.
She has also contributed to numerous essay collections, judged literary prizes, and recently published “Rich Things” for the Alasdair Gray Archive.
Alongside her books, Chitra writes as a restaurant critic for The Times Scotland and occasionally The Observer, and as a TV critic for The Guardian.
Reading Round offers a welcoming and inclusive way to experience literature together. The session will begin with a short introduction before Chitra shares a carefully selected prose extract, reading it aloud to the group.
Participants are then invited to discuss what they noticed, what moved or surprised them, what resonated, and what questions the text raised.
After a short refreshment break, Chitra will read a selected poem twice, followed by another relaxed group discussion.
There are no right or wrong answers, no homework, and no expectation to speak if you don’t want to. Whether you’re an avid reader or simply curious, all you need is an interest in reading and a willingness to explore literature in a friendly, supportive environment.
We hope you’ll join us for this unique opportunity to read, reflect and connect through the shared enjoyment of literature.
First year students at Portobello High had an extra surprise waiting for their very first day at high school yesterday – solar eclipse glasses!
Students were able to watch the solar eclipse safely last night thanks to the Royal Astronomer of Scotland.
Over 300 pupils have been given solar eclipse glasses so they can watch the most significant solar eclipse since 1999. Around 90 per cent of the sun will be blocked by the moon today, Wednesday 12 August 2026, from around 6pm.
Watching the rare phenomenon that creates a few moments of darkness requires special glasses so permanent damage isn’t caused to the eyes. The eye wear has been proving very difficult to source and any shops with stock selling out instantly.
The Royal Astronomer of Scotland, Professor Catherine Heymans, has been working alongside Portobello High School students in a space programme with the physics department and has provided 300 of the glasses for the entire S1 class.
Convenor for Education, Children and Families. James Dalgleish, said: “This is a fantastic gift for our first year students at Portobello High School.
“An eclipse is such a rare event with the last being in 1999 and the next in the UK to be in 2090. It is fantastic for our young people to be able to watch the solar eclipse safely.
“Seeing a solar eclipse is a life event and could well inspire a whole new generation of astronomers for Edinburgh.”
Hope they had better luck than me! – Ed.
