Due to ongoing high winds and inclement weather in Edinburgh city centre, we regret to announce that outdoor events scheduled for tonight (30th Dec) and tomorrow (Hogmanay, 31st December) are unable to go ahead on the grounds of public safety.
The cancellation includes tonight’s Night Afore Disco Party in West Princes Street Gardens, and on the 31st December, the Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Street Party, Concert in the Gardens, and the Midnight Fireworks from Edinburgh Castle.
We have unfortunately been unable to continue with preparations and necessary set-up for Edinburgh’s Hogmanay outdoor events due to extreme weather and forecast conditions. Therefore, for safety reasons we, along with our event partners, have taken the difficult decision to cancel all outdoor events.
We know that this will be hugely disappointing to all hoping to celebrate Hogmanay in Edinburgh and that people travel from around the world to be here at the Home of Hogmanay.
City of Edinburgh Council Leader Jane Meagher, said: “I know that, like me, many people will be very disappointed. This decision was not taken lightly, however with the ongoing adverse weather condition, public safety must be our number one priority.
“You’ll see from the programme that there are lots of exciting indoor events taking place. For those coming along to them – I know you’re in for a treat and will have a great time. Please make sure you stay up-to-date with the weather and transport on social media.”
Customer Service from point of purchase will be in touch with ticketholders directly with further instructions regarding refunds in due course.
All indoor events are taking place as planned throughout the festival, including tonight’s performance of Swamplesque at Assembly Hall, the sold-out Idlewild concert at the Assembly Rooms, and on the 31st December, the Bairns New Year Revels and New Year Revels at the Assembly Rooms, and sold-out Candlelit Concert at St. Giles’ Cathedral.
We also continue to look forward to the packed First Footin’ and Sprogmanay programme of events on New Year’s Day – a series of free and ticketed indoor music gigs across the city centre, Leith and Portobello.
Edinburgh’s Hogmanay is delivered by UniqueAssembly on behalf of City of Edinburgh Council.
Filmmakers Alasdair Satchel and Hannah Kate Hunter worked with students from the school to create the short film which premieres in mobile cinema Screen Machine at Golspie High School on 9 January 2025
The film was delivered in partnership with Fair Access at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and Into Film’s Every Child A Filmmaker programme
Into Film has announced the premiere of new short film ‘Monster’ which will take place at 4.00pm on 9 January 2025 in Golspie in the digital mobile cinema, Screen Machine. The film tells the darkly comic tale of a group of friends searching for a monster in their school.
Filmmakers Alasdair Satchel and Hannah Kate Hunter worked with S5 and S6 pupils from Golspie High School in the Scottish Highlands over a week to create the film. Following the film’s premiere, ‘Monster’ will screen in the Screen Machine with feature films The Outrun and Small Things Like These at locations across the Highlands.
More information and bookings for the screening can be found at the Regional Screen Scotland website. Screen Machine is an 80-seat, air-conditioned, digital mobile cinema that has brought the latest films to areas of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland since it started in 1998.
Into Film’s Every Child A Filmmaker project is an initiative that works closely with professional filmmakers to support young people across the UK to make their own short films, learning every element of the filmmaking process along the way – from idea generation, storyboarding and scriptwriting, right through to camera operation, sound recording, and editing
This Every Child A Filmmaker project is supported by 72 Films, and Into Film worked with Fair Access at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland to deliver the training to the young people.
Acting Deputy Head Teacher, Heather Smith of Golspie High Schoolsaid: “It was an absolute joy for Golspie High School to be working with Into Film, Regional Screen Scotland, The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and the filmmakers Hannah and Alasdair on such a creative and inspirational project.
“The pupils thoroughly enjoyed their week with the creators and we are all so proud of the work they have produced! I really do feel like the project has taken some out of their shells, made lots of new connections and inspired them into potential future careers in the film industry!
“Thank you to everyone who has made this project possible and made it such a memorable and successful part of these pupils’ educations!”
Filmmaker Alasdair Satchel has said: “Having your voice heard when you’re young is such an important thing.
“It was such a pleasure to help Golspie High’s young filmmakers start to find and develop their creative voices over the course of the week.
“I cannot wait to see what these young rural voices make next to share with us all in the future!”
David Glover, founder and CEO, 72 Filmshas said: “I am very delighted to be in a small way connected to the wonderful work Into Film does and in particular Every Child a Filmmaker.
“I was impressed by these young filmmakers work. I like Monster! I like the directing – using details and angles for suspense. Sending best wishes to the team for their very first film premiere.”
Next year, the UK will offer 180 more Ukrainian soldiers training in mental health first aid for combat
100 Ukrainian commanders received mental health training in 2024
Specialist skills to build morale and resilience in Ukrainian forces
Bespoke course designed by both UK and Ukrainian experts
The UK will train 180 Ukrainian soldiers to be combat mental resilience practitioners on the frontlines in 2025 – nearly double the 100 who were successfully trained this year.
The Combat Stress Signposting Course (CSSC) has been delivered by British Army specialists to Ukrainian soldiers within positions of command as part of Operation Interflex, the UK-led international training programme for Ukrainian recruits.
As combat mental resilience practitioners– officially termed control stress operators– the Ukrainian commanders will be responsible for helping their soldiers manage the stresses of combat as they defend their nation from Russia’s illegal and unprovoked full-scale invasion.
So far, more than 51,000 Ukrainian troops have been trained in the UK under Operation Interflex.
Following a rise in recruits reporting trauma exposure and mental health struggles, the CSSC was initiated on the request of the Armed Forces of Ukraine’s Moral and Psychological Support department.
Developed with input from Ukrainian military psychologists alongside specialist mental resilience and mental health practitioners from UK Defence, the five-week course equips soldiers with battle shock management techniques for before and during combat, as well as trauma risk management and signposting for clinical support following the fight.
Minister of Armed Forces Luke Pollard said: “The Ukrainian people are fighting with huge courage to defend their country, and it is our duty to put them in the strongest possible position.
“With hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers receiving mental health first aid training before returning to the frontlines, resilience can be spread throughout the ranks of those fighting Russia’s illegal invasion.
“The UK will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine throughout 2025 as we have done this year.”
Upon completion of the course, the newly equipped Ukrainian Control Stress Operators will have the power to train and support hundreds of their fellow soldiers on the frontlines, ensuring the initial lessons taught by British instructors continue to be spread far beyond the UK.
An example of the battle shock management techniques being taught by British soldiers includes iCover; a six-step technique that can be delivered to a person in acute stress to get them back to a functioning state in less than a minute, as well as mindfulness grounding exercises that help a soldier override their fear or stress in the heat of battle.
Operation Interflex, conducted by the UK Armed Forces and 12 partner nations, has trained 51,000 Ukrainians in essential frontline combat skills since it was established in the summer of 2022 following Russia’s full-scale invasion.
The training has been extended through to at least the end of 2025, with an enhanced training programme to ensure the Ukrainian forces are equipped with vital battlefield skills.
The UK’s continued leadership on the war in Ukraine throughout 2025 will see an increase to Ukraine’s military capability: with new maritime drones and boats, air defence systems and counter-drone systems.
As the old year slips away, home buyers and sellers – as well as property professionals – can look back on 2024 as one of those rare interludes when supply and demand came more closely into alignment, resulting in fewer dramatic ups and downs (writes DM Hall’s KIRSTEN NICHOLSON).
And, although the last month of Q4 is typically quieter than the rest of the year, transactions have still been taking place around Home Report value, with an encouraging number achieving up to 10% over, after going to very good closing dates.
Such deals remain the exception, however, and we are nowhere near the post-Covid boom period when numbers between 10% and 20% above Home Report went unremarked. Closing dates are not as common as in the past with good sales generally being driven by single buyers who come to a mutually acceptable personal arrangement with a willing seller.
There is a significant and ongoing demand for family homes, with people looking for more room and outdoor space in suburban areas close to good school and in easy-living modern developments, both inside and out of the city bypass.
The big challenge, which is definitely throwing grit in the wheels of a more fluid market, is chains. What Scots used to view as a quaintly English phenomenon is becoming more common as buyers find they are not selling in time to commit to a purchase.
These hiccups are exacerbated by the fact that bridging finance, which used to solve this problem, is now virtually impossible to obtain, and people are being advised to not even think about concluding missives until their own are tied down and unshakeable.
The fashion for making an offer subject to the sale of your own property is not helping here, since sellers are imposing unrealistic timescales – sometimes just a number of weeks – for buyers to come up with the goods.
Flat transactions, for so long the reassuringly reliable engine of the local market, have taken a bit of a beating in the past year as buy-to-let landlords cut and run in the face of a storm of legislation which has persuaded many of them that the game is no longer worth the candle.
Concerns about tax relief and a regulatory regime which seems heavily weighted in favour of tenants will not be helped by the two per cent increase this year of Scotland’s Additional Dwelling Supplement (ADS), which now adds eight per cent to the total purchase price of extra properties.
There are exceptions, of course. ADS is not diminishing enthusiasm for upscale apartments such as those at New Eidyn, in the St James Quarter “lifestyle destination”, where cash buyers have been attracted from London and abroad as moths to a flame.
And large lateral flats in the £750,000-plus bracket, in prime Edinburgh suburbs, are seeing good business from downsizers who are selling bigger homes and still trousering a handsome profit.
But in general, there are an unusual number of empty ex-rental flats on the market, and this is likely to remain the case as building and labour costs have eroded the attraction of a “doer-upper”, and buyers now seem to sniff at anything less than move-in condition.
Joppa and Portobello, with their panoramic views across to Fife, are currently very popular, boasting solid Georgian homes, good state and private schools and access to the golf courses and attractions of East Lothian.
Gullane and North Berwick are perennially in favour. Formerly fast-moving areas such as Bruntsfield and the New Town are less so at the moment, largely because of the factors mentioned above affecting the flats market.
The most recent Office for National Statistics report puts the average price for a house in Edinburgh at £347,000 – a country mile ahead of the rest of the country and more evidence of the fact the capital remains a market unto itself.
It was to be expected this year that a General Election and a Budget would cause some jitters, and they certainly slowed Q4 of 2024 down a bit – so it could well be reasonable to look for quite a substantial bounce in the quieter political waters of 2025.
That is not to say that we will necessarily see house prices shooting up, but we can be fairly certain that they won’t be dropping.
Kirsten Nicolson is a Director in the Edinburgh residential offices of DM Hall Chartered Surveyors.
Most privately held Scottish firms (90%) feel confident about their growth prospects heading into next year
Easing cost pressures were cited as the main cause (46%) alongside access to finance (43%) – significantly above the UK average for both
Firms plan to diversify through new products and internationalisation
Nine in ten (90%) privately owned Scottish firms feel optimistic about their growth prospects as they head into 2025, according to KPMG UK’s Private Enterprise Barometer.
The new survey captured insights from 1,500 private business owners across the UK, including 125 from Scotland, spanning sectors such as professional services, finance, technology, industrial manufacturing and retail.
Easing cost pressures emerged as the primary driver of this positive outlook, cited by nearly half (46%) of respondents, alongside improved access to finance (43%) – both results significantly exceeding the UK average of 32% and 31% respectively.
Looking ahead, Scottish firms are charting ambitious growth strategies. Seven in ten (70%) are setting their sights on international expansion and over a third (35%) plan to diversify through new products or services within the next five years.
When it comes to financing these ambitions, nearly half (49%) plan to use their own cash stocks as their primary funding source. Additionally, private equity and capital markets were ranked as the most popular sources for external diversification funding, outpacing traditional bank debt, which is of note given only 17% reported difficulties in accessing finance.
Technology is central to the growth plans of Scottish businesses, with over half (52%) citing it as critical to their future success. Notably, seven in ten (70%) expect to invest in artificial intelligence, and three in five (60%) plan to use this investment to enhance the employee experience – a higher proportion than any other UK region.
Skilled workers will be crucial to delivering this investment though, with more than half (55%) confident of recruiting people with the right qualifications and experience to support their business. However, with the battle for talent a competitive one, the same amount (55%) cited that they are evolving their employee value proposition to help with recruitment and retention – well ahead of the national average (37%).
Vishal Chopra, Scotland Office Senior Partner at KPMG UK, said:“These findings underscore the resilience and forward-thinking nature of Scotland’s private business community, driven by a strong culture of innovation.
“With 90% of respondents feeling optimistic about their prospects going into next year, and 70% planning to expand into new markets – the second-highest percentage of any UK region – it’s clear that businesses are confident and firmly committed to their ambitious growth strategies.
“What’s especially promising is the emphasis firms are placing on enriching the employee experience, alongside strategic investments in technology to support and sustain these efforts.”
National outlook
92% of Britain’s private business owners are confident of growth in 2025.
Those businesses with lower degrees of confidence highlighted challenges such as increased competition and access to funding as limiting factors.
When it comes to areas of planned investment over the next 12 months, technology was ranked as the highest priority (63%), followed by skills and workforce (49%). Of those looking at future tech investment, almost three quarters (73%) plan to invest in AI to improve the customer experience.
Euan West, Head of KPMG Private Enterprise in the UK and EMA, said:“2024 has been a turbulent year, so it’s pleasing to see that private businesses are showing resilience and casting a very positive outlook for growth and investment in 2025 and beyond.
“Going into 2025 buoyed by this optimism will help these firms drive results in what will likely be another tough year. Investment in areas like technology and talent will be essential for firms to realise their growth ambitions and make a significant impact on the UK’s economic health.”
Battery issues are the number-one reason for breakdowns
Longer holiday period expected to cause a rise in non-starts
The RAC warns households with more than one car to use both over the holidays
With Monday 6th January expected to be one of the busiest days for breakdowns for the whole of 2025, the RAC is warning drivers to make sure they don’t kick off the year with an unexpected flat battery.
The first working day after the holidays is often a ‘non-start’ for thousands of commuters as cars are left idle throughout the Christmas period. Since New Year’s Eve falls on a Tuesday this year, the RAC expects most drivers to extend their Christmas breaks until Monday 6th January, meaning there could be a much longer period where cars are left unused.
Households with more than one vehicle are at greater risk as many people will only use one car over the festive period, meaning the battery of the other car is more likely to go flat.
Battery issues are the number-one reason for RAC patrol call-outs all year round, but breakdowns increase during the winter months when cooler temperatures put a greater strain on batteries due to the increased use of the heater, lights and heated screens and seats.
The RAC is advising all households, and especially those with a second car, to make sure vehicles are used between Christmas and New Year to keep their batteries topped up, especially if they intend to commute on Monday 6th.
Even drivers of electric cars need to do the same, as in most cases these vehicles still depend on a 12-volt battery to start – and it’s this battery that can go flat.
RAC Breakdown spokesperson Alice Simpson said: “The first working day after Christmas is typically the busiest of the year for our patrols attending drivers suffering the ‘flat battery blues’.
“The first day back at work after the Christmas the break is often bad enough, but it can be thoroughly depressing if nothing happens when you go to start the ignition. Cars left unused over the holidays, such as second vehicles left parked up, are often a breakdown statistic waiting to happen.
“Luckily, a flat battery is easily avoidable if drivers take their cars for a good run during their Christmas breaks. Electric vehicles are just as vulnerable as combustion engines because they also rely on 12-volt batteries, so it’s important to drive them occasionally and keep them charged above 20% in winter conditions.
“Colder weather slows down the chemical reaction in vehicle batteries, plus they have to work harder in the winter months due to greater use of the heater, lights, heated screens and seats as well as windscreen wipers. The starter motor also has to work harder to turn over the engine in the cold, so if your car is particularly slow to start then the battery could be about to fail.
“Drivers in any doubt about the health of their battery – especially those that are older and weaker – can book a diagnostic test on their doorstep. Rather than trying to find a garage that is open during the holiday period, drivers can book an RAC Mobile Mechanic to test their battery at home or work, and even install a new one in the worst-case scenario.”
The RAC’s Mobile Mechanics have shared their top tips to steer clear of the flat battery blues:
Drive every vehicle in your household before Monday 6 January, especially if you’re going to rely on that car for your return to work. Don’t just turn it over – go on a drive that gets the engine up to a proper operating temperature and the battery well charged before you really need it
Cherish every volt – turn off everything electrical in your car once you’ve switched the engine off, and disconnect all equipment such as dashcams to give the battery its best chance of starting
If you’ve had battery problems at all throughout 2024, think about getting it tested and, if needed, replaced before the new year
Protect your car from the elements – cooler, damper conditions through winter put more strain on a battery, so use the garage if you have one
Drive electric vehicles occasionally and keep them above a 20% state-of-charge. A high-voltage battery should not be left below this point for extended periods of time, especially in cold weather, as this can harm its health.
Payments are usually made early if they’re due on a bank holiday and it’s useful that those in receipt of benefits are aware of when payments will be made.
PCHP is a Warm and Welcoming space for you to enjoy.
That’s why today we’ll be opening our doors for our annual #WinterWarmer so ditch the PJ’s (or not!) and join us for some warm soup, hot chocolate, games and a guid auld fashioned blether!
Smokers who choose to quit on the 1 January could save a whole day of their life by 8 January, according to new research
New research finds smokers who choose to quit on New Year’s Day could save a whole day of their life by 8 January
On average, every cigarette smoked steals approximately 20 minutes of life
This equates to nearly seven hours of life lost with every 20 pack of cigarettes smoked, demonstrating the importance of government commitment to a smokefree UK
Smokers who choose to quit on the 1 January could save a whole day of their life by 8 January* according to new research from University College London (UCL), published today (30 December).
The research commissioned by the Department for Health and Social Care shows, smoking is more harmful than previously thought, with every cigarette stealing on average approximately 20 minutes of life from smokers.
This equates to nearly seven hours of life lost when smoking an average pack of 20 cigarettes.
If a smoker quits on New Year’s Day, by 20 February, smokers could get a week of their life back and by the end of the year, they could have avoided losing 50 days of life.
Any smoker considering quitting for 2025 can find advice, support and resources with the NHS Quit Smoking app, which has recently been updated with new information about beating cravings, as well as the online Personal Quit Plan, which tailors its advice to each smoker’s preferences.
The research follows the introduction of the landmark Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which recently passed Second Reading in the House of Commons.
The world-leading Bill includes measures to create the first smoke-free generation , phasing out the sale of tobacco products across the UK to anyone born after 1 January 2009.
The Bill delivers on one of the three key shifts in the government’s 10 Year Health Plan, to move from sickness to prevention. Achieving this will help reach a key measurable milestone set out by the Prime Minister in his Plan for Change to cut waiting lists and protect the NHS.
Public Health Minister Andrew Gwynne said: “Smoking is an expensive and deadly habit, and these findings reveal the shocking reality of this addiction, highlighting how important it is to quit.
“The new year offers a perfect chance for smokers to make a new resolution and take that step.
“For anyone looking to quit in 2025, the NHS provide a range of services to help break free from the habit.
“This government is going further than ever to protect children and young people from ever becoming hooked on nicotine through our Tobacco and Vapes Bill.”
Dr Jeanelle de Gruchy, Deputy Chief Medical Officer said: “Smoking has an immediate impact on your lung and heart’s health as well as significantly increasing your chance of getting a chronic illness or disability and of dying young.
“Stopping smoking is one of the best things you can do to improve your current and future health. This new year – start afresh and leave smoking in the past.”
Separately, new research conducted by Censuswide shows more than half (53%) of smokers are planning on quitting smoking as a new year’s resolution in 2025.
Smoking is the number one preventable cause of death, disability and ill health in the UK. It causes around 80,000 deaths a year in the UK and 1-in-4 of all cancer deaths in England and kills up to two-thirds of its long-term users.
Just 72 hours after quitting, your breathing will feel easier, and your energy will increase. After 12 weeks, your blood circulation will improve and by the time one-year rolls around, your risk of heart attack will have halved compared to a smoker.
Sarah Jackson, Principal Research Fellow, UCL Alcohol and Tobacco Research Group said: “It is vital that people understand just how harmful smoking is and how much quitting can improve their health and life expectancy.
“The evidence suggests people lose, on average, around 20 minutes of life for each cigarette they smoke. The sooner a person stops smoking, the longer they live. Quitting at any age substantially improves health and the benefits start almost immediately.
“It’s never too late to make a positive change for your health and there are a range of effective products and treatments that can help smokers quit for good.”
Ex-smoker, Kamran, started smoking in university and tried to quit several times without success. With support from his local stop smoking service, Kamran quit smoking as a 2024 New Year’s resolution.
Kamran said: “It wasn’t until I quit smoking that I realised how much it had affected my health; I often felt short of breath and couldn’t keep up with my children.
“I tried to quit a few times without any help, but after a few days I would find myself thinking about it again.
“Quitting can be challenging but keeping busy and using stop smoking products was the best way for me to get through it.
“Now that I’m smoke free, I feel less stressed and am able to play a more active role in my family. I am proud of myself, and I feel great that I’ve managed to control it.”
Using stop smoking services is three times as effective as an unassisted quit attempt. To support current smokers to quit, the government recently confirmed an additional £70 million for stop smoking services in England, for 2025/26, with local authorities having received confirmation of their funding amount.
This is in addition to the NHS recently announcing the roll-out of a pill, Varenicline, that could help tens of thousands of people give up cigarettes.
Professor Sanjay Agrawal, NHS England national speciality advisor for tobacco dependency said: “NHS treatments, including nicotine replacement therapy, are helping thousands of adults each year to live healthier lives and we have seen adult smoking rates drop by more than half in the last three decades.
“But smoking remains a huge public health issue and giving up is one of the best things someone can do for their health, so if you’re looking for support to help you quit, please contact your local NHS stop smoking service.”
NHS GP and TV doctor, Dr Sarah Jarvis, said: “As a GP, I see firsthand the devasting effects smoking can have on health. Each cigarette smoked not only shortens life expectancy but also significantly increases the risk of many health conditions including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, dementia and COPD.
“I often see patients attempting to quit smoking with no support, but going cold turkey can be tough. Quitting smoking is easier when you have a plan and the right support – you don’t have to do it alone. The NHS offers a range of free quitting support, including the NHS Quit Smoking app and local stop smoking services.”
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill contains powers to extend the indoor smoking ban to certain outdoor settings to reduce the harms of second-hand smoking, particularly around children and the vulnerable. Children’s playgrounds and outside schools and hospitals are being considered in England and will be subject to consultation.
This sits alongside plans to crack down on youth vaping, with the Bill banning vape advertising and sponsorship, as well as giving powers to restrict the flavours, display and packaging of all types of vapes and nicotine products, subject to consultation.
The UK government is committed to cutting waiting lists – backed by an additional £22.6 billion for day-to-day spending over two years – as announced by the Chancellor in her first Budget. Protecting children and young people from smoking will free up valuable NHS services and help cut waiting lists.
In October, the Health and Social Care Secretary launched change.nhs.uk to encourage the biggest conversation ever about the NHS to help inform the 10 Year Health Plan for England.
