Day: January 6, 2026

Primary schools in Edinburgh given chance to win specifically curated Burns Supper from Aldi

Aldi’s first-ever Great Scottish Supper brings pipers, poetry and haggis to Scottish primary schools

Aldi Scotland is giving primary school pupils in Edinburgh the chance to enjoy a truly traditional Burns Supper, complete with all the trimmings, including a bagpiper. 

The UK’s Cheapest Supermarket 2024 is set to host its first-ever Great Scottish Supper, with one primary school class winning an unforgettable Robert Burns celebration.

As one of the country’s biggest supporters of Scottish food and drink, Aldi Scotland is encouraging the next generation to sample some of the nation’s most-loved dishes while taking part in celebrations that honour Scotland’s national poet.

Schools across the country are invited to take part, with one primary school class set to receive everything they need to host a memorable Burns Day feast, including the traditional haggis, neeps and tatties, as well as more contemporary dishes such as haggis bon bons and vegetarian haggis. A bagpiper will also perform the ceremonial piping-in of the haggis.

To participate, primary school classes of any age are invited to submit original Scots poems, giving pupils the opportunity to engage creatively with Scottish heritage and literature in true Burns style.

Poems should capture the spirit and traditions of Robert Burns by telling his story in a modern and imaginative way.

The initiative is open to any primary school class in Scotland. To enter, schools should send their original poems to  to  scottishcompetition@aldi.co.uk by Friday 23rd January 2026. Schools can submit more than one poem per class.

Alan Leslie, Buying Director, at Aldi Scotland said: “As one of the most loyal supporters of Scottish food and drink, we believe we have a responsibility to ensure Scots of all ages can experience our most iconic culinary traditions. Burns Day is the perfect occasion for our youngest generation to enjoy some of the outstanding produce Scotland is famous for.

“Centuries after his lifetime, Robert Burns remains Scotland’s most celebrated poet, and what better way to honour his legacy than by encouraging young people to explore their own creativity?

“We’re really looking forward to reading the poems from primary classes across the country and are excited to bring our first-ever Great Scottish Supper to a deserving school.”

As Which?’s Cheapest Supermarket of 2024, Aldi continues to offer some of the best value deals on locally sourced Scottish food and drink.

For Burns Day, shoppers can pick up a selection of traditional and contemporary dishes, including:

  • Specially Selected Wagyu Chieftain Haggis, £5.99, 908g
  • Frasers Vegetarian Haggis, £2.09, 454g
  • Upper Dysart Ladder Haggis ‘N’ Mash, £1.99, 400g
  • Cosmos Haggis Pizza, £3.25, 420g
  • Simon Howie Chocolate Haggis, £4.99, 454g
  • Simon Howie Haggis Truffles, £3.49, 500g
  • Simon Howie Sweet Chilli Haggis Bon Bons, £2.45, 240g
  • Simon Howie Curried Haggis Bon Bons, £2.45, 240g
  • Punjab Pakora Square Sausage Bites with spicy chili dip, £1.89, 200g
  • Punjab Pakora Iron Brew infused chicken pakora, £1.99, 200g
  • Bells Burns Supper Pie, £2.49, pack of two

Aldi’s diverse range of locally produced products are available at all of Aldi’s 112 Scottish stores. Available while stocks last.

Entries for the Great Scottish Supper open on 6 January, and will be accepted until Friday 23 January. The winning class will be contacted by January 30. 

The winner will receive a £100 Aldi voucher to cater for their celebrations, with the supermarket also arranging a bagpiper for the event.

 scottishcompetition@aldi.co.uk. 

Witness appeal following Queensferry Road crash

Road Policing officers are appealing for information after a serious crash in Edinburgh.

The incident happened around 12.30am on Thursday, 1 January, 2026 on Queensferry Road near Dean Bridge and involved a male pedestrian and a white Suzuki Ignis.

Emergency services attended, and the pedestrian, an 81-year-old man, was taken to hospital for treatment to what are described as serious injuries.

No other injuries were reported.

Officers are appealing to those in the area at the time to come forward with information.

Sergeant Christopher Bright, of Road Policing East, said: “We are appealing to anyone who witnessed the crash or who has any information to come forward.

“We know that this was a busy evening with it being Hogmanay and that there were a number of pedestrians and vehicles in the area at the time, so we’d ask those who have yet to speak to us to get in touch.

“In addition, we’d ask those with dash-cam footage to review this to see if it has captured anything significant.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 0161 of 1 January, 2026.

Shoppers help raise almost £19k for children’s charity, CHAS

Kind-hearted visitors at The Centre, Livingston have helped raise a total of £18,985.54 for its charity partner, Children’s Hospices Across Scotland, (CHAS), which it has continued to support around the festive period since 2022, hosting various events, including the recent first-ever Elf School.

The charity, which has been supporting babies, children and young people with life-shortening conditions and their families for over 30 years, has also been gifted free pop-up space in the shopping centre to host their own fundraising and awareness events and marketing support.

CHAS is the only charity providing children’s hospice services in the country. They have two hospices, one in Rachel House in Kinross and Robin House in Balloch on the edge of Loch Lomond. The hospices provide palliative and end-of-life care, as well as respite for the entire family, in a home-from-home environment and counselling support for families.

The aim is to help give children the freedom to be themselves, to play outside, laugh, sparkle, smile and have treasured moments of joy, and spend precious time with their loved ones to create special memories.

Over the years shoppers have also kindly donated funds at the mall’s first-ever space-themed event in October last year, a movie night, Elf Walks and fashion events.  

Shoppers who enjoyed free visits to see Santa in December also kindly donated to the charity.

Zhenya Dove, Community Fundraiser at CHAS, said: “We are so grateful to everyone at The Centre, Livingston and to the entire community for their incredible support over the festive season.

“Your generosity brings light into the uncertainty many families in our care have to live with. 

“It gives them a chance to make memories they will treasure forever. That joy happens because of you. Thank you for helping us fill not just the holidays, but the entire year with moments worth remembering.” 

Patrick Robbertze, Centre Director at The Centre, Livingston, said: “CHAS is an incredible charity doing amazing work to help children and their families to create magical moments together at such a difficult time in their lives.

“We want to say a huge thank you to everyone who helped us to raise this fantastic amount of money over the years, including our visitors, retailers and our team, to ensure they can continue to help even more children and their families.”

NHS waiting lists fall

Prolonged progress on planned care

NHS Scotland long waits have fallen for the sixth consecutive month with significant year-on-year increases in activity, according to new figures published today.

Public Health Scotland data shows that the number of patients waiting over 52 weeks for an outpatient appointment fell by 12.8% in a single month between October and November 2025 – numbers are now lower than April 2025. Inpatient and day case treatment waits of 52 weeks are also down compared to April 2025.

Backed by £135.5 million of targeted Scottish Government funding, the figures show progress in other areas, including:

  • a 6% drop in the waiting list for new outpatient appointments between April and November 2025
  • more than 265,000 inpatient / day case procedures carried out over a 12-month period to November 2025, a 3.8% increase on the previous year
  • over 1.3 million outpatient appointments in a 12-month period to November 2025, up 2.8% from the previous year.

Health Secretary Neil Gray said: “These figures demonstrate real and sustained progress in reducing waiting times for patients across Scotland, ensuring thousands more people receive the care they need. 

“We have delivered record investment of £21 billion for health and social care, with £135.5 million of additional funding targeted at specialty areas with the longest waits. 

“There is still much more to do, but I am encouraged that we are demonstrating consistent month-on-month improvement. We remain committed to ensuring no patient waits longer than 52 weeks by March 2026.” 

Granton Youth Clubs back next week

GRANTON YOUTH at ROYSTON WARDIEBURN COMMUNITY CENTRE

Our Youth Clubs return next week and we’ve adjusted the timings on Mondays EVER so slightly to allow our team more time to make sure we are delivering the best groups possible!

We’re looking forward to welcoming the 330+ young people we have worked with so far this term and of course, yourself if you are interested in joining us!

Please see our posters for details on the youth clubs you can attend!

As always, our full provision, info on our team, and up to date news are all listed at www.grantonyouth.com and you can follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and X for regular updates!

(PLEASE NOTE Pitt Groups are not back until 27th January and we will announce this in a separate post)

GY x

#grantonyouth

#grantonyouthclubs2026

#grantonyouthmixtapeclub

Make Your Mark at St Columba’s

This year, our much loved art group ‘Make Your Mark’ returns, but with a small change! Instead of a weekly group for five weeks, we’re changing it to a monthly group, running for five months!

This group is a creative space where patients and carers can explore and experiment with materials and connect with each other. A new technique or media will be introduced each session for participants to try, should they wish. However, the space can also be used to work on personal creative projects, utilising the studio space and artistic support.

This is an extremely popular group, so booking is required. Book via the Wellbeing page on the website, or by contacting the arts team on arts@stcolumbashospice.org.uk

Winter Gathering at Granton Castle Walled Garden

🍎 WASSAILING at GRANTON CASTLE WALLED GARDEN

🍎 SUNDAY 18 JANUARY 1 – 3pm

Join us in the orchard for our annual Wassailing: a joyful winter gathering to sing, share, and mark the turning of the year together.

Led by Penny Stone, we’ll sing traditional and contemporary wassailing songs, spend time outdoors, and celebrate the season as a community. Apple-based food and drinks will be available by donation.

All are very welcome — whether you come to sing along, listen, or simply enjoy the atmosphere!

Wrap up warm and come celebrate winter with us 🌿

#Wassailing

#GrantonCastleWalledGarden

#EdinburghEvents

#WinterCelebration

#CommunityEvent

#OrchardWassail

#EdinburghGardens

#LocalEdinburgh

#SeasonalTraditions

#OutdoorEvents

#CommunityGarden

New cyber action plan to tackle threats and strengthen public services

New measures will be introduced to make online public services more secure and resilient

  • £210 million plan to strengthen cyber resilience across government
  • Government Cyber Unit to coordinate risk management and incident response across departments
  • Leading firms with strong track record of cyber security to drive best practice through new Software Security Ambassador Scheme

New measures will be introduced to make online public services more secure and resilient, so people can use them with confidence – whether applying for benefits, paying taxes or accessing healthcare. 

Backed by over £210 million, the Government Cyber Action Plan published today (Tuesday 6 January) sets out how government will rise to meet the growing range of online threats. Driven by a new Government Cyber Unit, the plan will rapidly improve cyber defences and digital resilience across government departments and the wider public sector, so people can trust that their data and services are protected.  

It underpins UK Government plans to digitise public services. This will make more services accessible online, reduce time spent on phone queues and paperwork, and enable citizens to access support without repeating information across multiple departments. This approach could unlock up to £45 billion (note) in productivity savings by using technology effectively across the public sector. 

However, realising these benefits depends on trust. As services move online, they must be secure and resilient. Cyber attacks can take vital public services offline in minutes, disrupting lives and undermining confidence. The new plan addresses this challenge head-on. 

Released as the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill has its Second Reading in the House of Commons, the Bill sets out clear expectations for firms providing services to government to boost their cyber resilience.

From energy and water suppliers to healthcare and data centres, strong defences throughout supply chains will help keep the water running and the lights burning – facing down the cyber attackers who want to grind our country to a halt.   

The plan will lead to: 

  • clearer visibility of risks: shining a light on cyber and digital resilience risks across government, so we can focus efforts where it matters most
  • stronger central action on the toughest challenges: taking decisive, joined-up action across departments on severe and complex risks that no single organisation can solve alone with a dedicated team overseeing coordination
  • faster response to threats and incidents: reacting quickly to fast-moving cyber threats and vulnerabilities to minimise harm and speed up recovery by requiring departments to have robust incident response arrangements in place
  • higher resilience across government: boosting resilience at scale, with targeted measures to close major gaps and protect critical services

Digital Government Minister Ian Murray said: “Cyber-attacks can take vital public services offline in minutes – disrupting our digital services and our very way of life.  

“This plan sets a new bar to bolster the defences of our public sector, putting cyber-criminals on warning that we are going further and faster to protect the UK’s businesses and public services alike. 

“This is how we keep people safe, services running, and build a government the public can trust in the digital age.”

Today’s plan is also bolstered by further steps to take the UK’s cyber defences further and faster. 

A new Software Security Ambassador Scheme will now help drive adoption of the Software Security Code of Practice – a voluntary project designed to reduce software supply chain attacks and disruption. 

Software underpins the economy as a core component of all technologies that businesses rely on. Yet weaknesses in software can cause severe disruption to supply chains and the essential services the public use every day with more than half (59%) (note) of organisations experiencing software supply chain attacks in the past year. 

These issues can be addressed by embedding basic software security practices across the software market. Among others, Cisco, Palo Alto Networks, Sage, Santander and NCC Group will come on board as the scheme’s ambassadors, championing the Code across sectors, showcasing practical implementation, and providing feedback to inform future policy improvements. 

Cyber risk to the public sector remains high. The plan responds with £210 million to spark a step change in public sector cyber defences, holding organisations to account for fixing vulnerabilities. This includes setting clear minimum standards and investing in more hands-on support to minimise the impact when incidents do occur.

Cyber resilience is central to the government’s mission of national renewal. Secure, reliable digital public services help protect citizens, support growth, and deliver better value for taxpayers, while maintaining trust in the services communities rely on every day.

Thomas Harvey, Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), Santander UK said: “We are pleased to be an ambassador for the UK government’s Software Security Code of Practice and it reflects our broader commitment to collective resilience. 

“By advocating for these standards we’re not just protecting Santander and our customers, we are helping to build a more secure digital economy for everyone.”

‘Plan ahead and look out for each other’: Swinney plea as winter bites

Resilience room updated on impacts of snowfall

The Scottish Government’s Resilience Room (SGORR) convened yesterday to discuss ongoing efforts to recover from the recent heavy snow in northern Scotland and preparations for further snow and ice warnings.

The meeting was chaired by Justice Secretary Angela Constance and attended by First Minister John Swinney, Cabinet Secretaries, the Met Office, transport operators, Police Scotland, local authorities, resilience partnerships and utilities companies.

First Minister John Swinney has asked people to continue to follow advice on staying safe in winter and thanked those involved in supporting others.

Mr Swinney said yesterday: “The cumulative impact of the heavy snowfall across northern Scotland has been significant and there has been a huge effort to keep transport moving and public services open.

“At present, there is still some travel disruption but trunk roads are open and rail, ferry and air services are working to get back to normal as quickly as possible. Likewise many schools are closed today but remote learning is in place for young people, while contingency plans are in place for affected health and social care services.

“There will be further snow and ice, with yellow warnings in large parts of Scotland and temperatures set to remain cold, so impacts will continue to be felt in the coming days which could include transport problems and I would encourage everyone to plan ahead, look out for each other and pay close attention to  the range of weather and travel advice available.

“I want to thank everyone who has worked so hard, day and night, to keep Scotland open and moving. Public services have been collaborating well in sharing information and vehicles, while I have heard of truly exceptional efforts by farmers, volunteers and members of the public offering to clear local roads, dig out cars and keep people safe. That community spirit is truly heartening to hear.

“Ministers will continue to keep the situation under review.”

Assistant Chief Constable Alan Waddell said: “Local resilience partnerships are continuing to meet to co-ordinate and deliver the response to disruption experienced by communities in the north and north east of Scotland following heavy snowfall over the weekend.

“We have been working closely with resilience partners across local authorities, other emergency service partners, transport partners, NHS and health and social care partnerships, and other local organisations to support communities affected by adverse weather and keep public services open where possible.

“Some services may be impacted by adverse weather, and I would encourage the public to check on neighbours or relatives, if they are able to do so safely.

“Heavy snow and ice means driving conditions are likely to continue to be hazardous in some areas. Our advice is to plan ahead and consider if your journey is really necessary.

“If you need to travel, please fully clear your vehicle windows of snow and ice before you drive, drive to the conditions, be prepared for delays and allow extra time for your journey.”

Met Office weather warnings are available on the Met Office website.

Flood alerts are issued by the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency and can be viewed on their website. 

Advice on preparing for severe weather can be found on the Ready Scotland website.