Day: July 21, 2025

Healthy Heart Tip: The importance of hydration for heart health

Did you know that over 66% of the UK population doesn’t drink enough water? Lauren Hewitt, Registered Associate Nutritionist at Heart Research UK, breaks down why staying hydrated is essential for overall heart health:

Water makes up over half (60%) of your body weight, and every single cell in your body, including the cells that make up your heart, needs to be properly hydrated to work well.

Water performs many roles, such as regulating body temperature through sweating, lubricating joints and removing waste products.

Proper hydration is especially important when thinking about heart health because it impacts the cardiovascular system in several ways, and we share how you can ensure that you’re getting enough water to keep your heart healthy.

How does dehydration affect your heart?

Dehydration occurs when the body loses more water than it takes in. Fluids can be lost through breathing, sweating and if we are unwell or sick. When vital fluids are not replaced, your body may feel tired and lethargic. You could suffer from feeling thirsty, having a dry mouth, dark-coloured urine or headaches.

Lauren Hewitt, Registered Associate Nutritionist at Heart Research UK, explains: “Being dehydrated causes the amount of blood circulating in our body to decrease. When this happens, the heart must beat faster, which increases our heart rate and our blood pressure, which can increase our risk of a cardiac event. This is of particular concern if you already have high blood pressure or have been diagnosed with coronary heart disease.

“Many studies have found that adequate hydration is associated with reduced long-term risks of heart disease. Being hydrated helps your heart to pump blood more easily through your blood vessels and to your muscles. This means that your muscles, including your heart, do not have to work as hard.

“Older adults are at a higher risk of dehydration. As you age, your fluid reserve becomes smaller, you can struggle to sense when you are thirsty, and your ability to conserve water reduces.

“Hydration also plays an important role in aiding the digestive system to function effectively, preventing constipation and removing waste products from the body. It allows your brain to function optimally and supports your memory, mood, concentration and reaction times.”

How much should you aim to drink?

The NHS recommends that adults consume six to eight glasses or 1.5 to 2 litres of fluids per day. If it is a hot day or you do physical activity, which makes you sweat, you’ll need to drink more.

You will also need to drink more fluids if you are unwell, recovering from illness, or if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding. All of these require your body to lose more water and fluids, and you need to replace them to prevent dehydration.

“An easy way to monitor your hydration levels is by looking at the colour of your urine,” says Lauren. “You should aim for it to become a clear, pale-yellow colour throughout the day.

“If it remains dark after your first morning trip to the toilet, it’s a sign you need to drink more. The key to optimal hydration is to drink at regular intervals throughout the day.”

How do you stay hydrated?

Drinking water is the best way to remain hydrated however, other non-alcoholic drinks such as milk, juice and herbal teas count towards your daily fluid goals.

Fruit juices and smoothies also contribute towards hydration however, these should be limited to one small glass or 150ml per day, as they can contain high levels of sugar, and they should always be consumed with a meal to minimise the impact on your teeth.

Carrying a water bottle around with you and refilling it throughout the day may help you to remember to drink regularly.

Fruits and vegetables can also help to hydrate you. They contain electrolytes, which are minerals that play a role in fluid balance, and your body needs adequate levels of electrolytes to function optimally. Cucumbers, celery, strawberries and watermelons are all great options as they contain over 90% of water.

Hydration is a fundamental part of maintaining heart health. By staying hydrated, you help your heart to function efficiently, reducing stress on your heart and supporting your overall wellbeing.

Try the Heart Research UK 30-day hydration challenge and download it today to keep your heart healthyheart healthy: 

https://heartresearch.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/30-Day-Hydration-Tracker.pdf

Green light for Middlerigg battery storage facility in West Lothian

A planning application for a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) by Galileo Empower in West Lothian has been granted unanimously by the Council’s Development Management Committee.

The project is the renewable energy company’s first consent in Scotland.

The site for the proposed battery storage facility, with a capacity of 49.9MW, is located at Middlerigg Farm.

Situated between Bathgate and Armadale, it is located on land adjacent to the A801, northwest of Bathgate Substation.

BESS is an advanced technology which supports the transition away from polluting fossil fuels to clean, green, renewable electricity, the generation of which is intermittent in nature.

This facility will store surplus electricity in rechargeable batteries when demand is low and release it back into the electricity grid when demand is high, helping to balance the network and maximise the use of renewable energy in addressing climate change and the drive toward net zero..

By delivering greater energy security and reducing reliance on volatile, imported fossil fuels, this will further benefit consumers by facilitating the supply of homegrown, more affordable, and low-carbon electricity.

Galileo Empower is committed to ensuring that local people benefit from the positive economic and social value that this project can bring. It is envisioned that a community benefit fund will focus on two key priorities: health/physical activity, as well as training/education.

The company is also committed to ensuring that, wherever reasonably possible, local suppliers and contractors are used in all aspects of the construction and operation of the battery storage facility.

Laura Petrie, project manager, said: “We are delighted to have received unanimous consent for a battery storage facility at Middlerigg, our first consent in Scotland, which followed extensive engagement with local communities

“Infrastructure such as this has a vital part to play as we move away from polluting fossil fuels to clean, green, renewable energy, playing a critical role in tackling climate change and supporting Scotland to achieve its net-zero target.

“We are confident that this project will bring considerable economic and environmental benefits to West Lothian. 

“In addition to a community benefit fund, the development will also deliver considerable investment, creating jobs and boosting the skills of our current and future workforce.

“We look forward to continuing to engage with the Council and local communities as we progress the consented project.”

McEwan development completed in Fountainbridge

Moda and Apache Capital’s The McEwan development completes with 139 new homes and amenities at the city’s top rated rental neighbourhood

Moda, The McEwan, the 476-home rental neighbourhood in Edinburgh’s historic Fountainbridge district has marked the completion of its final phase.

Located on the site of the former McEwan’s Brewery, Moda, The McEwan is rated the number one BTR neighbourhood in the city on BTR review site Homeviews, with 139 new homes opening the doors to their new residents. 

Spanning 140,000 sq ft, the completed development offers 15,000 sq ft of best-in-class amenities, including a 24/7 gym and fitness centre, private dining room, co-working spaces, cinema room, and rooftop terraces with sweeping views of Edinburgh Castle – all included as part of the monthly rent.

Additionally, all Moda residents benefit from access to the MyModa app from day one, allowing them to connect with neighbours, message the concierge, and book exclusive events and services from a tap on their phone. 

Located in the heart of the capital, The McEwan is conveniently located within walking distance of Haymarket station, the city centre and several major universities, offering excellent connectivity for residents studying or working in Edinburgh.

The development was also the first building in Europe to achieve the highest, 3-star Fitwel rating, demonstrating Moda’s commitment to maximising the health and wellbeing of its residents and the wider Edinburgh community.

The neighbourhood was the first development in Scotland to be brought forward by Moda and its funding partner Apache Capital with its investors Harrison Street and NFU Mutual. Robertson Construction Central East has completed the final phase of the remaining 139 high-quality rental homes.

These add to the existing mix of studios, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, ideal for a mixed demographic who make renting their tenure of choice.

Delivery of the neighbourhood’s second phase generated £32.8m of social, local and economic value, with almost £17m spend with SMEs and £18m spent with a local supply chain.

The build generated 419 weeks of on-site apprenticeship training, with 244 local people employed on the site. Robertson also achieved the highest possible Considerate Constructors Scheme score while on site, with a 45/45.

Both phases of the neighbourhood were funded by Apache Capital with its investors Harrison Street and NFU Mutual.

Delivered in partnership with Robertson, the neighbourhood is a key part of the wider regeneration of Fountainbridge, set to revitalise a historic part of Edinburgh with new homes, public spaces, and opportunities for the local community.

With practical completion now achieved, the new homes already have their first residents in situ.

Tony Brooks, Executive Chairman at Moda Living said: “Reaching practical completion at Moda, The McEwan is a landmark moment, and we’re grateful to Robertson, Apache Capital and its investment partners and other stakeholders for helping to deliver the second phase of this fantastic neighbourhood.

 “We’re proud to be playing a role in the regeneration of Fountainbridge and to be welcoming residents into this already dynamic community, designed with health, wellbeing and community in mind, that makes it more than an apartment but a home.”

Jamie Snary, Executive Director Asset Management and Operations at Apache Capital said: “The McEwan is another exemplar BTR asset forming part of our prime regional portfolio, bringing another 139 homes into operation adding to the 6,000 units which are either operational or in the development pipeline.

“Alongside welcoming our new residents we have also secured the first commercial occupiers including a convenience-led retailer which will be opening imminently.”

Elliot Robertson, Chief Executive Officer, Robertson Group, said: “Working closely with Moda, we’ve brought new life to a once underused part of the city to create a thriving neighbourhood that has become a welcome addition to Edinburgh.

“This project gave us the opportunity to demonstrate our expertise in operating safely in complex, busy environments while not compromising the quality standards that Robertson is known for.

“A real focus of our approach was to ensure that we provided long-lasting benefits for the local economy and community throughout construction. It’s fantastic that we achieved this by supporting local suppliers, creating jobs, and offering apprenticeships that will help build skills for the future.”

Edinburgh Permaculture Festival

Coming Up This Weekend 🙂 …

The Edinburgh Permaculture Festival Weekend 2025

🗓️ Friday 25 – Sunday 27 July 2025

Join us, all welcome, for an inspiring weekend of visits, tours, workshops, and connection celebrating the richness of permaculture across Edinburgh and beyond! …

This year includes:

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★ Friends of Granton Castle Walled Garden (limited tickets left)

tour and visit, inc. forest garden + mushroom talks 😊

★ Redhall Walled Garden

group visit

★ East Neuk Seaweed (limited tickets left)

Coastal foraging workshop (inc. the intertidal zone + beach cook up lunch)

★ Bowhouse

Short visit

★ East Neuk Market Garden

Guided market garden tour with Connie + talk on Scotland The Bread (miller for 5 years)

★ Syd’s West Lothian 2 Acre Permaculture Small Holding (tickets going fast)

—–

From coast to countryside, walled garden to forest garden, come explore “Using the edges, value the margins” (#Permaculture Principle 11) as part of this year’s festival theme …

Details & Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/…/edinburgh-permaculture…

—–

Discover how small and larger places and spaces can grow big ideas and inspire

—–

#Edinburgh

#Permaculture

#EdinburghPermaculture

#EdinburghFestival

#EdinburghPermacultureFestival

#PermacultureFestival

Acas: ‘A critical national asset’

Acas in-demand ahead of major changes to employment rights

A year of strong results for Acas also marked a significant increase in individual disputes in Britain, according to its latest annual report.

In 2024-25 Acas dealt with over 117,000 individual disputes in Great Britain. Demand is at its highest since the covid pandemic: an increase of 13,000 from 2023-24. Acas helped resolve 9 out of 10 of these early conciliation cases without the need to go to employment tribunal. 

To prevent disputes rising and to reduce the estimated £28 billion cost of conflict, Acas called on Britain’s employers and employees to work together to resolve conflict early. Disputes are always ideally solved within workplaces, without further escalation. 

The news comes as major employment law reform gets underway. 

Acas’s Chair called Acas a ‘critical national asset’ as these reforms come in and heralded the organisation’s success supporting small businesses through change. 

Acas doubled its good practice advice and training interactions over its 2021-25 strategy period from 100,00 to over 252,000 and website advice growing from 9 million in 2021 to 20.5 million in 2025.

Collective disputes were down from 618 in the financial year 2023-24 to 522 in 2024-25. Data from the Office for National Statistics shows days lost to industrial action down from 1.85 million in 2023-24 to 597,000 in 2024-25. 

In 2024-25, Acas resolved or supported progress toward settlement in 93% of collective dispute cases.

acas_annual_report_2024_to_2025_accessibleDownload

Acas Chair Clare Chapman said: “As the government introduces major employment law reform, and with the UK annual cost of workplace conflict estimated to stand at £28.5 billion, this is a reminder that Acas remains a critical national asset. 

“The rise in individual disputes is concerning: just one conflict escalating can cause huge cost and stress to employer and employee. The good news is Acas now resolves 9 out of 10 early conciliation cases without the need to go to an employment tribunal.

“We call on all Britain’s employers and employees to work together to resolve conflict early. Small businesses particularly need support to avoid the damaging consequences of conflict.

“Our 2021-25 strategy helped thousands of small businesses through change. Acas doubled its good practice advice and training interactions and increased awareness of Acas support among small and medium-sized businesses from 83% to 90%.”

Results delivered 2021-25 against long-term Ambitions

·       Acas helped resolve 9 out of 10 of early conciliation cases without the need to go to employment tribunal. 

·       Just 5% of early conciliation notifications now result in a tribunal hearing, saving time, money and further stress for all parties.

·       The Acas website reached twice as many people – web sessions recorded on the website more than doubled from 9 to 20 million.

·       Use of Acas good practice advice and training doubled to over a quarter of a million interactions.

·       Increased awareness of Acas support among small and medium-sized businesses from 83% to 90% and among individuals from 56% to 77%. 

Results delivered in the 2024/25 operational year

·       Acas collective conciliation team facilitated confidential talks in over 522 disputes, resolving or supporting progress toward settlement in 93% of cases. Pay was the leading cause dispute and cases are down from 618 last year.

·       Acas dealt with 117,951 Early Conciliation cases, the highest number since Covid, up on 104,884 in 2023/24.

·       Advice and training had a quarter of a million interactions, a 78% increase on 2023-24. 

·       The Acas helpline answered 600,000 calls from employers and employees in Great Britain, a 3% increase from 2023-24.

·       There was 91% positive engagement of users from the website (exceeding 90% KPI target). There were 20 million sessions in 2024-25 compared to 18 million in 2023-24, an 11% increase.

·       Acas trained over 41,000 people in good workplace practice, with 94% of attendees saying their course met their objectives (exceeding 90% KPI target).

·       E-learning services were accessed by more than 57,000 users, an increase of 13,000 on 2023-24.

Mother launches water safety awareness charity after losing 8-year-old son to drowning

Timely with the warmer weather across the UK this summer, a mother is launching a charity in honour of her son’s life after tragically losing him almost year ago to drowning.

Rebecca Hinde lost her 8-year-old son, Joshua Hillstead, to drowning in River Arrow in Alvechurch, Alcester, on 23 July 2024. Marking the first anniversary since his death, Becky is founding The Joshua Hillstead Foundation charity.

The newly founded charity will be launched on Saturday 26 July at Wythall Park for a memorable day. Filled with fun activities for children, there will also be local food stalls on hand for everyone to enjoy.

Becky’s mission and determination to fight for wider water safety awareness has seen her support national charity, the Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK), with initiatives such as Water Smart Schools, to help share free education with young children.

In June, Becky also went to Westminster, joining RLSS UK to help lobby at Parliament for class-based water safety education to be included across all schools in the National Curricula in England.

Becky Hinde, speaking on the launch of The Joshua Hillstead Foundation, said: “The 22nd July 2024 was the day my life changed forever. At around 9:30pm, I received a call that ensured life would never be the same again.

“My lovely son Joshua had fallen into the River Arrow and was being taken to Birmingham Children’s Hospital. His heart had stopped beating, but paramedics had got it beating again. Once at the hospital, he suffered a pulmonary haemorrhage and was having seizures.

“He was put onto a ventilator and the doctors worked tirelessly but unfortunately he stopped responding and we had to make the hardest decision to turn off the machines and let him go. He passed away on 23rd July at 10:46pm, the day before his ninth birthday. 

“As Joshua’s mother, a piece of me died that day too. Every day my heart breaks all over again. I will never get to see my son again, I will never get to kiss or cuddle my child again and I will never get to see him grow into a man. He will never get to grow up, fall in love or feel how wonderful it is to hold your own child. He had so much life ahead of him and I’m so proud to have been his mum.

“He was the most wonderful, kind caring boy with so much love for his family. I see now just how loved he was and how many people are feeling the deep pain of his loss, his sister trying to reconcile with not being able to save him and living without the person she was the closest to, his little brother who tells me all the time that he misses his Joshy, and his friends trying to understand a loss that they should never have to feel at such a young age.

“I couldn’t be there to help save my son as he wasn’t with me at the time of the accident, so now my goal is to help other families and prevent others from feeling the devastation we feel every day. 

“In honour of Joshua, my family and I have created The Joshua Hillstead Foundation. Our aim is to help raise awareness and empower children through education on the dangers of natural waterways.

“We want to introduce comprehensive water safety and first aid in schools across the UK in order to prevent any further accidents such as Joshua’s.

Our goal is to help all children to understand undercurrents, tides, ice, cold water shock, whilst also highlighting surrounding dangers such as sand banks, rocks, weeds and sudden drops. We endeavour to give them the knowledge and tools to keep themselves and others safe around water. 

“People say to me that they couldn’t imagine what it’s like to lose your child, I hope no-one ever does – it’s a pain that never goes away. It’s complete desperation for so many things we take for granted every day, from a cuddle, to a kiss or even just to smell his scent. It’s being completely lost and not knowing what to do because there’s no words or actions that will ever take this feeling away. 

“We strongly feel that water safety should be a part of the National Curriculum as there are too many accidents occurring every year where children are drowning. Even one child drowning is too many. This is so very important and is needed to ensure that no other parent has to feel the way I feel. 

“We need to educate our children to help keep them safe. We can’t be there for them 24/7 but we can definitely give them the skills and knowledge to keep them safe.”

Edinburgh’s royal community garden celebrates five years and hundreds of educational visits

A public garden at the end of the Royal Mile is celebrating its fifth anniversary, having welcomed thousands of visitors and engaged hundreds of local children and adults in events and workshops since it opened in 2020.

The Physic Garden at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, located just outside the monarch’s official residence in Scotland, is a free-to-visit garden that can be enjoyed year-round by the people of Edinburgh and visitors to the Palace. Its fifth anniversary will be marked by an episode of the longstanding BBC Scotland gardening programme Beechgrove Garden, airing this week.

The Physic Garden is located beside the Palace’s Abbey Strand Learning Centre, and over the past five years, more than 360 pupils from schools both local and further afield have taken part in educational sessions, with children learning how plants were used historically as remedies to improve health and wellbeing.  

A further 400 ethnobotany students, members of community gardens and nature-lovers of all ages have taken part in guided visits and events, reviving the garden’s centuries-old original purpose of teaching the medicinal properties of plants. 

The Physic Garden was opened in 2020 to recreate some of the earliest recorded gardens in the Palace grounds, with three distinct sections each representing different periods in the Palace’s 900-year history.

Raised beds of herbs, flowers, and other useful plants reimagine the physic garden that was established in the Palace grounds 350 years ago by the doctors Sir Robert Sibbald and Sir Andrew Balfour, two founding members of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

Created in 1670 to teach students about the medicinal properties of plants and to provide pharmacists with fresh medicinal ingredients, the Palace’s original physic garden was the first of its kind in Scotland and the forerunner to the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.

The new physic garden contains medicinal and culinary plants that would have grown in the 17th-century garden, including fennel – once used to aid eyesight and as an antidote to poisonous mushrooms – and lavender, bergamot and lemon balm, used for scents, dyes and insecticides.

A flowering meadow of medicinal plants including daisies, previously used for coughs, and mallows, an old treatment for scurvy, evokes the 15th-century monastic gardens of Holyrood Abbey, once one of the grandest medieval abbeys in Scotland, the ruins of which can still be seen today on a visit to the Palace.

The third area delights in late winter and spring with crocuses and tulips planted in geometric patterns, typical of 17th-century gardens. With such a variety of plants and styles, the garden has year-round appeal for locals and visitors curious to learn about local history and historic natural remedies.

Abbey Strand gardens Palace of Holyroodhouse Edinburgh.Photograph David Cheskin.

Chris Walker, Learning Manager, Royal Collection Trust, said: ‘The Physic Garden is an oasis at the end of the Royal Mile, providing a welcoming green space in the city centre where locals and visitors alike can get outside, enjoy nature and learn some fascinating local history.

‘We are delighted that almost 800 people have taken part in exciting activities where nature, science and history meet, in addition to the countless others who enjoy this free community garden every day. Like our forebears 350 years ago, we understand the benefits of spending time in nature for our physical and mental wellbeing, and we hope the garden can be enjoyed for many more years to come.’

Tying in with the anniversary, BBC Scotland’s Beechgrove Garden paid a visit to the Physic Garden, with its presenter and gardener George Anderson retracing the garden’s history alongside Emma Stead, Curator at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, and Johanna Lausen-Higgins, Garden History Lecturer at the Education department of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.

In the episode, which will air on BBC Scotland and BBC Two from Thursday, 17 July onwards (Monday 21 July, 14:00 on BBC Scotland, Thursday 24 July, 06:45 on BBC Two) , Anderson discovers the historic uses of the medicinal and culinary plants still growing in the garden today, including Lady’s Bedstraw (Galium verum), used in the past to repel ticks and lice in bedchambers.

He also views a rare copy of the Hortus Medicus Edinburgensis from the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh’s archives – a catalogue of the 3,000 plants growing in the Physic Garden in the 1680s.  

Physic garden Abbey Strand building Holyroodhouse,Edinburgh.Photograph David Cheskin.29.09.2020.

Royal Collection Trust will offer a programme of events and school sessions in the Physic Garden celebrate the anniversary:

Flower Arranging Workshop

24 July 2025, 09:30–12:00

After a tour of the garden’s flowers, florist and Royal Warrant holder Lottie Longman will show participants how to harvest foliage from the wildflower meadow to create a bouquet to take home.

Floral Wreaths Workshop

3 September 2025, 09:30–12:00

After a tour of the Physic Garden, Lottie Longman will teach participants how to create beautiful wreaths of freshly picked flowers, which can be dried naturally at home.

Plants, Painting and Potions Schools Session

Available for schools to book in termtime, 1 hour

In this outdoor learning session, pupils will learn how the canons of Holyrood Abbey lived 900 years ago, growing flowers, herbs and vegetables to eat and concoct natural remedies. Children will learn how to use quills and gather flowers, leaves and twigs to make and record their own remedy.

Holyrood’s Herbal Hospital Schools Session

Available for schools to book in termtime, 2 hours

School groups will learn how Holyrood Abbey’s medieval canons grew medicinal plants to help and heal their local community, before hearing the story of the two 17th-century Scottish doctors who created the Physic Garden and making their own traditional remedy. The visit includes access to the Physic Garden, the Palace of Holyroodhouse Gardens, Holyrood Abbey, and the Abbey Strand Learning Centre.

Learning Resources

Free learning resources including worksheets and scavenger hunt trails are available to download for all schools and visitors to the garden.

Environmental Standards Scotland asks residents in Edinburgh for their views on new five-year Strategy 

Environmental Standards Scotland (ESS) has launched a public consultation on a draft of its new Strategy that will set the direction of work for the organisation for the next five years.

The consultation will give organisations and members of the public in Edinburgh with an interest in ESS’ role the opportunity to provide their views and help shape the final Strategy, which will be submitted to Parliament later this year.

The draft Strategy sets out a clear framework for how ESS will ensure public bodies in Scotland are complying with environmental law, as well as how ESS will scrutinise the effectiveness of environmental law in Scotland, and how it is implemented and applied.

The document includes an updated vision and new strategic objectives for the organisation, and sets out a fresh approach to prioritisation within its work. The consultation will also seek feedback on ESS’ proposed response to a recommendation made to ESS by Scottish Ministers following the Scottish Government’s review of environmental governance.

Mark Roberts, Chief Executive of ESS, said: ‘This consultation will enable us to refine our final Strategy which will be submitted to the Scottish Parliament for approval later this year.

‘Environmental law directly and indirectly impacts every resident, business and community in Edinburgh so we’re keen to hear from as wide a range of people and groups as possible. I would encourage anyone with an interest in our work to take part.’

ESS was established in October 2021 to ensure environmental laws and standards are adhered to in Scotland, replacing the European Union’s scrutiny and enforcement role after Brexit.

ESS’ first Strategy covered the period from 2022-2025. During this time, ESS has investigated compliance with a wide range of environmental law on issues including the management of special protection areas for birds, air quality and wrasse fishing. The organisation has also examined the effectiveness of environmental law in areas such as storm overflows, marine litter and soils.

ESS’ full draft Strategy can be viewed here

Consultation closing date: 29 August 2025

Access the ESS consultation here

RNIB’s Cafe VI officially open

Café VI, Edinburgh’s newest community café, is officially open!

Whether you want a quiet place to relax or a catch-up with others, we’ve got something for everyone, plus we have fresh sandwiches, homemade cakes and all sorts of other tasty treats.

Our space has been designed with accessibility and community at its heart, and everyone is welcome. Plus, you’ll be supporting people with sight loss!

If you’d like to visit, the address is 12–14 Hillside Crescent, Edinburgh, EH7 5EA, and we’re open from Monday-Friday, 10am-3pm.

We’d love you to join us – pop by and say hello!

Return of Free Music Festival in the heart of Edinburgh

The Brand New Heavies, Bemz, Tamzene, and Cortney Dixon lead the line-up for St James Quarter Sessions

St James Quarter Sessions is back for its third year (15th to 24th August ’25) with a packed line up of heavy hitters and up and coming talent taking over the East End of the city.   

Happening during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe at the city’s leading retail and lifestyle destination, St James Quarter, this year’s festival programme sees over 60 acts performing across the impressive, canopied development, including the Level 6 rooftop, with panoramic views of Scotland’s capital and castle – providing one of the most unique festival stages in the UK. 

Hot on the heels of the band’s well-received 30th anniversary tour, 90s icons The Brand New Heavies, will be bringing iconic acid-jazz hits such as “You Are The Universe” and “Midnight At The Oasis” to Edinburgh. Fans can expect a stacked set of classic tunes, heavy bass lines and hypnotic rhythms from one of the band’s that helped to establish acid-jazz in popular culture in the 90s. 

Coming off the back of rave reviews from this year’s UK festival scene, Winner of the Scottish Music Awards’ ‘Sound of Scotland’ award and previously BBC Introducing’s ‘Scottish Act of the Year’, Glasgow rapper Bemz will be kicking off this year’s main event with a banging Friday night performance on the Level 6 Castle View stage. Having toured with the likes of The Snuts, Bemz has been building a reputation as a leading light in Scotland’s hip-hop scene.

Fresh from making her Glastonbury debut this year, Cortney Dixon is poised to set the rooftop on fire with a riotous set of indie-pop anthems. Expect fuzz laden guitars and a raucous performance from the North East’s latest hot property on the music scene.

Grassroots music champions Wide Days will be taking over the Castle View stage with their ‘New From Scotland’ series, showcasing Scotland’s hottest new talent. Festival-goers can enjoy the industry’s top picks of future Scottish stars on Friday 22nd before they reach the masses.  

Slated for the Level 3 Yellow Stage and hailing from the small Scottish town of Cromarty, critically acclaimed Highlands singer songwriter, Tamzene will be bringing her unique sound to Sessions. Riding the waves of a career that’s pacing towards stardom, Tamzene will deliver an intimate set of R&B‑tinged pop ballads set to mesmerise festival goers with candid lyricism and haunting melodies that draw on a nuanced mix of Irish, Jamaican and Highland roots. 

Nigerian-born and Edinburgh-raised, James Emmanuel will also be bringing his soulful sounds to the Yellow Stage on Level 3 of the Galleria. Raised as the son of a preacher, he first found his voice in gospel choirs, a grounding that shaped his soulful sound from the beginning. Now backed by BBC Introducing, James draws inspiration from legends like Marvin Gaye and Bobby “Blue” Bland, James brings a timeless quality to stories that feel deeply personal and human.

On the back of their very first headline tour after releasing their debut album in 2024, Scottish duo The Laurettes will be bringing their unique take on Celtic-folk to the Sessions stage, supported by their all-female band.

Elsewhere on the bill will be Dara Dubh, Beth Miller, Ant Thomaz, Indoor Foxes, Dictator, Justine Beverley and more home‑grown talent taking over stages throughout St James Quarter.

Festival-goers can sign up for free tickets, set times and stage information by downloading the St James Quarter App, which allows everyone to stay updated with events happening throughout the destination for Sessions and beyond.

Susan Hewlett, Festival Creator at St James Quarter, said: “At a time when festival ticket prices have never been higher and independent venues are closing across the country, we’re not only putting on this incredible line-up for free, but also giving existing and emerging artists the platform to continue being heard and discovered.

“We’ve even got clean toilets, no mud, and food and drink venues on tap – what more could you ask from a free music festival in one of the best cities in the UK.”

The warm-up to this year’s St James Quarter Sessions will champion Edinburgh’s rich grassroots music scene by offering the next generation of Scottish stars a series of pop-up busking performances appearing throughout the destination.

Running throughout August, musicians can apply for a paid performance slot with applications via www.stjamesquarter.com  

St James Quarter has continued to back grassroots musicians this year, partnering with Forth 1’s Boogie In The Morning for a talent search that will let one winner bag a rooftop stage performance slot, a cash prize of £1000 and recording time at W Edinburgh’s in-house studio, with four runners‑up being offered sets on the festival’s Yellow Stage.