Author: davepickering

Edinburgh reporter and photographer

One in three local children living in poverty

A report published today says that nearly one in three children living in the Forth ward are living in poverty.  The report shows that 13 Scottish councils have wards where more than 30% of children live in pockets of severe poverty, and campaigners are urging  politicians to do much more to tackle this ‘shameful’ social problem.

The Campaign to End Child Poverty has produced a map of child poverty for every ward, council and constituency in the country.  Scottish members of the Campaign to End Child Poverty include Action for Children Scotland, Barnardo’s Scotland, Child Poverty Action Group in Scotland, Children 1st, the Church of Scotland, One Parent Families Scotland, Poverty Alliance and Save the Children.

The map classes children as living in poverty if they are in families on out of work benefits or work tax credits where income is less than 60% of median – before housing costs.  The Campaign to End Child Poverty said the latest official figures showed that overall in Scotland 20% of children live in poverty on this measure.

In Edinburgh, Sighthill/Gorgie shows the highest levels of poverty at 36%, followed by Forth (30%), Portobello/Craigmillar (30%), Leith (29%) and Liberton/Gilmerton at 28%.

Child Poverty Action Group’s John Dickie, speaking on behalf of Scottish members of the campaign, said: “It is shameful that in almost every part of our country there are children who are missing out and seeing their future life chances seriously harmed.  With public spending budgets under severe pressure the need to invest to prevent the numbers of children living in poverty spiralling is greater than ever.”

A Scottish government spokeswoman said: “We are determined to address the root causes of child poverty.  That’s why last year we launched Scotland’s first ever national strategy to tackle child poverty, which will see Scotland’s poorest families benefit from help to increase their household incomes and improve their children’s life chances.”

 

 

Labour talking transport in Stockbridge

What’s the way forward for transport in Edinburgh?  Edinburgh Labour is holding a consultation event in Stockbridge House next week to let local people have their say on transport priorities for the city.

Labour Councilor Lesley Hinds wants hear locals views on transport. (Picture: Thomas Brown)

Inverleith councillor Lesley Hinds, who is also Labour’s Transport spokesperson, explained:  ” I want to listen to a range of views and ideas from a variety of groups and individuals.  I want to feed them into our manifesto promises and Edinburgh Labour wants you to be part of our vision for moving Edinburgh forward after the elections in May.  Here are some of the key issues I believe are facing Edinburgh’s transport system today:

  • How are we going to keep Edinburgh moving in the 21st Century in a way that meets the needs of residents, commuters and businesses, whilst looking after our planet?
  • How do we meet the challenge of an increasing population and car ownership?
  • How do we enable more people to make a positive choice for public transport, walking and cycling?”

The consultation event will take place at Stockbridge House in Cheyne Street on Monday evening from 7pm.  If you are unable to attend but would like to put forward any ideas or comments please contact Lesley Hinds by email at lhinds@blueyonder.co.uk

Fire Service inundated with emergency calls

Lothian and Borders Fire and  Rescue Service received 250 999 calls yesterday as the  area was battered by extreme weather conditions.  John Dickie, Head of  Operations for the Service said: “This figure shows our control room staff were  exceptionally busy, with around 50 to 60 calls expected during this time on an  average Tuesday.”

John Dickie, Head of Operations at Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue.

“Our crews worked closely  with other emergency workers at many of the incidents, with public safety  always at the forefront of their minds. Many incidents involved reports of  unsafe structures, trees and debris blocking roads and road traffic collisions.

“Many of the calls to the  Control Room were with concerns about unsafe structures including fallen  chimneys and guttering. We responded to these incidents to assess the risks,  provide specialist advice to other emergency services and local authority personnel  and make areas safe or ensure cordons are in place as necessary.

“As well as dealing with  weather related calls we also responded as  normal to automatic fire alarm calls, reports of fires and other emergencies.”

Shortly after 9.30am  firefighters were called to a report of an articulated lorry which had  overturned on the A1 south of Dunbar, near to Lafarge cement works. A  32-year-old man was cut free from the wreckage and taken to Edinburgh Royal  Infirmary in an hour- long rescue operation. We dealt with a further three  overturned LGV’s in our area yesterday.

John Continued: “Whilst we  were exceptionally busy we had the appropriate resources in place to respond to  problems caused by today’s high winds, and our firefighters carried out a  commendable job in what were very difficult conditions.”

Fire Service inundated with emergency calls

Lothian and Borders Fire and  Rescue Service received 250 999 calls yesterday as the  area was battered by extreme weather conditions.  John Dickie, Head of  Operations for the Service said: “This figure shows our control room staff were  exceptionally busy, with around 50 to 60 calls expected during this time on an  average Tuesday.”

John Dickie, Head of Operations at Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue.

“Our crews worked closely  with other emergency workers at many of the incidents, with public safety  always at the forefront of their minds. Many incidents involved reports of  unsafe structures, trees and debris blocking roads and road traffic collisions.

“Many of the calls to the  Control Room were with concerns about unsafe structures including fallen  chimneys and guttering. We responded to these incidents to assess the risks,  provide specialist advice to other emergency services and local authority personnel  and make areas safe or ensure cordons are in place as necessary.

“As well as dealing with  weather related calls we also responded as  normal to automatic fire alarm calls, reports of fires and other emergencies.”

Shortly after 9.30am  firefighters were called to a report of an articulated lorry which had  overturned on the A1 south of Dunbar, near to Lafarge cement works. A  32-year-old man was cut free from the wreckage and taken to Edinburgh Royal  Infirmary in an hour- long rescue operation. We dealt with a further three  overturned LGV’s in our area yesterday.

John Continued: “Whilst we  were exceptionally busy we had the appropriate resources in place to respond to  problems caused by today’s high winds, and our firefighters carried out a  commendable job in what were very difficult conditions.”

Fire Service inundated with emergency calls

Lothian and Borders Fire and  Rescue Service received 250 999 calls yesterday as the  area was battered by extreme weather conditions.  John Dickie, Head of  Operations for the Service said: “This figure shows our control room staff were  exceptionally busy, with around 50 to 60 calls expected during this time on an  average Tuesday.”

John Dickie, Head of Operations at Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue.

“Our crews worked closely  with other emergency workers at many of the incidents, with public safety  always at the forefront of their minds. Many incidents involved reports of  unsafe structures, trees and debris blocking roads and road traffic collisions.

“Many of the calls to the  Control Room were with concerns about unsafe structures including fallen  chimneys and guttering. We responded to these incidents to assess the risks,  provide specialist advice to other emergency services and local authority personnel  and make areas safe or ensure cordons are in place as necessary.

“As well as dealing with  weather related calls we also responded as  normal to automatic fire alarm calls, reports of fires and other emergencies.”

Shortly after 9.30am  firefighters were called to a report of an articulated lorry which had  overturned on the A1 south of Dunbar, near to Lafarge cement works. A  32-year-old man was cut free from the wreckage and taken to Edinburgh Royal  Infirmary in an hour- long rescue operation. We dealt with a further three  overturned LGV’s in our area yesterday.

John Continued: “Whilst we  were exceptionally busy we had the appropriate resources in place to respond to  problems caused by today’s high winds, and our firefighters carried out a  commendable job in what were very difficult conditions.”

Severe Weather – Midday Update

Scotland continues to be lashed by gale force winds, causing widepsread travel disruption.  As at midday, this is the picture in Edinburgh, where a gust of 102mph was recorded earlier this morning:

Forth Road Bridge – closed due to high winds

Waverley Station – all rail services currently suspended

Edinburgh Airport – all incoming flights cancelled and outgoing flights severely disrupted

Local Roads:

M9 City Of Edinburgh – M9 closed in both directions between J1, A8 (Newbridge) and J2, B8046 (Old Philpstoun), because of an overturned lorry. Police directing traffic.

A720 City Of Edinburgh – A720 Edinburgh City By-Pass in Edinburgh closed and slow traffic westbound between Calder Junction and Hermiston Gait, because of an overturned lorry. Diversion in operation – A71. Travel time is 20 minutes.

A71 City Of Edinburgh – A71 Calder Road in Edinburgh partially blocked in both directions between Calder Junction and the B701 Wester Hailes Road junction, because of fallen street light. Police directing traffic.

City Of Edinburgh – North St David Street closed in both directions between the Thistle Street junction and the Queen Street junction, because of unsafe building. Police directing traffic.

Lothian Buses have also issued the following information:

Due to the severe weather the following services have been diverted

Service 1 (Fountain Bridge  Closed) diverted via angle park West approach road, Lothian Road

service 2  hermiston gate closed operating via South  Gyle access

Service 3 diverted via A7 via Hardengreen, Dalhousie road into Newtongrange onto route

service 7 via Pilrig Street Ferry Road

service 10 terminate at Duke street

service 14 operating via Pilrig st, Ferry Road and North Junction Street

service 15 terminting at Fairmilehead

service 16 operating via Pilrig Street, Ferry Road and North Junction Street.

service 19 will operate via Portobello Road in both directions

service 20 will not operate through the Calders

service 21 (to Royal Infirmary ) diverted via  Fillyside Seafield Road.

service 22 Via Pilrig Street North Junction Street

service 23 to terminate at Greenbank

Service 25 will operate via Fillyside-Seafield road onto route at Leith Links

service 34 and 35 diverted via Angle Park Terrace,West Approach Road and Lothian Road and also will terminate at Duke Street

service 44 — Eastbound diverted from Jock`s Lodge via PiersHill Terrace; west Bound via NorthField Broadway and Portobello Road

Service 49 diverted via Seifield Road-Leith Links also not operating through Dalkieth Centre (via Melville road to Hardengreen. (not able to serve Tesco Hardengreen)

North St David Street Closed — All Services diverted Leith Street

West Approach Road Closed West Bound – all servoces diverted Morrison Link Haymarket,Dalry Road onto Gorgie.

Services 12 26 31 48 X48 100 and N26 diverted eastbound at Haymarket, click here for details.

Service 41 diverted both directions at Queensferry Road, Queensferry Terrace. Buses diverted via Craigleith Crescent, Ravelston Dykes and Queensferry Terrace due to a road closure.

For details of Princes Street diversions click here.

All other services operating on normal routes.

 

Conditions are expected to ease later this evening but in the meantime Lothian and Borders Police advise that only absolutely necessary journeys should be made.

 

An A – Z of 2011: Part Two

More milestones and miscellany from 2011

N

N is for News of the World.  Rupert Murdoch’s pride and joy, once the biggest selling English language newspaper in the world, printed for the last time in July as a result of the phone hacking scandal.  The final headline: ‘Thank You & Goodbye’.

N is also for Names.  Jack was the most popular choice of boy’s name in 2011 while Sophie topped the list for the girls.

O

O is for Oscars.  The King’s Speech was the big winner in 2011, winning Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Original Screenplay Oscars.

O is also for Old Firm. While the Glasgow giants continue to dominate Scottish football, the ‘ugly sisters’ haven’t had their troubles to seek in 2011.  Rangers have a huge tax demand hanging over them and new owner Craig Whyte came under the spotlight for past business practices. Celtic, meanwhile, had the dubious distinction of being dismissed from European competitions no less than three times before Christmas.  There were also letter bombs to prominent Celtic figures and manager Neil Lennon was assaulted.  New legislation to tackle sectarianism and bigotry was introduced but will changes to the law have any impact on the behaviour of some of the more ‘diehard’ fans?

P

P is for Minimum Pricing for alcohol.  The SNP government failed to get this through parliament during their last term but now, with a working majority at Holyrood, the way is clear for legislation to be passed to tackle one of Scotland’s biggest and most entrenched social problems.  Health chiefs are delighted, the licensed trade and supermarket chains less so.  Farewell, two litre bottles of strong cider for 99p.

P is also for Pensions.  Public sector trade unions took to the streets in a series of well-supported strikes to protest about changes to pension provision.  Workers are being asked to work years longer and to contribute more to their pension schemes.  Unions say it’s wrong that workers – including many low-paid – should pay the price for banker’s greed and mistakes.  The government remains unmoved and pensions will remain a live issue in 2012.

Q

Q is for Queen Elizabeth.  The Royals had a very successful 2011 with two weddings (see below) and a well-received tour of Canada.  The only concern was the hospitalisation of Prince Philip in December with a heart problem.  The 90 year old Duke of Edinburgh was forced to miss the traditional Boxing Day shoot at Sandringham, which was a disappointment for Philip but good news for the pheasants.  Prince Philip has since been discharged and is ready to tackle a full programme of events to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012 – much, much more on this story in the months ahead.

R

R is for Riots.  England was hit by a series of riots in August, initially sparked off by the shooting of a young man in Tottenham.  Just what his death had to do with the subsequent looting, arson and vandalism wave which spread like wildfire across the country is unclear, however.

R is also for Rugby World Cup.  The event was held in New Zealand this year.  New Zealand won – Scotland and England under-performed.  No surprises there, then.

S

S is for Alex Salmond, Scotland’s foremost politician by a distance in 2011.  The SNP’s historic victory in May initiated the resignation of three party leaders in Scotland – Labour’s Iain Gray, Tory Annabel Goldie and Lib-Dem Tavish Scott.  The three main opposition parties now have new leaders in place – Johann Lamont, Ruth Davidson and Willie Rennie – but will any of them be able to land a telling blow on Wee Eck?

S is also for St Paul’s Cathedral, scene of an anti-capitalist protest camp which brought about the resignation of a number of senior church figures in November.  So far protests have not brought about the resignation of any penitent bankers, though.

T

T is for Trams.  Edinburgh’s longest running story was never far from the headlines again in another turbulent year for the beleaguered project.  However a ‘milestone’ was reached in December when the tram depot at Gogar was finally completed and handed over to the city council.  Still no trams on the streets of Edinburgh, though – completion date of the now much-truncated route is 2014.

T is also for Tsunami.  Japan was struck by an earthquake and massive tsunami in March, killing over 18,000 people and making tens of thousands more homeless.  The cost of rebuilding the stricken area is expected to reach over £150 billion.

U

U is for unemployment.  UK unemployment reached a 17 year high in August with 2.57 million people registered unemployed.  The jobless total for 16 -24 year olds was particularly high at 991,000 – a jobless rate of 21.3%.  It’s expected that the unemployment rate will reach 2.85 million in 2012 as more jobs are lost in the pubic sector, with little sign so far that the private sector will be able to provide more job opportunities.

V

V is for racing driver Sebastian Vettel.  The young German carried all before him in 2011, gaining eleven Grand Prix victories for his Red Bull team over the course of the Formula One season.

W

W is for Wedding.  Not one but two Royal Weddings in 2011 – the nation’s sweethearts Kate and Wills were married at Westminster in April, while Zara Phillips wed rugby player Mike Tindall in a relatively ‘low-key’ ceremony in Edinburgh’s Canongate in July.  The public cost for policing that ‘private family affair’ – a ‘low-key’ £400,000!

X

X is for X Factor.  Girl band Little Mix won it this year.  End of story – move on.

X is also for Xmas (well, nearly).  This year’s Christmas Number One was The Military Wives with Gareth Malone’s ‘Wherever You Are’.

Y

Y is for YouTube.  The most watched video of 2011 was Justin Bieber’s ‘Baby ft. Ludacris’ with 468, 272, 752 hits.

Z

Z is for Zoo and the arrival in Edinburgh of two pandas from China in December.  Yes, unemployment’s rising, everybody’s feeling the pinch, the Euro’s in crisis and the trams are nowhere to be seen but hey – we’ve got Tian Tian and Yang Guang!  It’s pandamonium!

 

Happy New Year!

An A – Z of 2011: Part One

Some highlights and lowlights of things that made the news in 2011 …

A

A is for Arab Spring, the biggest story of the year.  Starting in Tunisia, a series of popular uprisings engulfed the Middle East with regimes toppled in Egypt and Libya.  This story will continue to develop well into the New Year.

A is also for Afghanistan.  US forces are now leaving the country, but it remains doubtful that democracy will flourish there in the aftermath of a ten year conflict that has cost the lives of almost 400 British troops.

B

B is for Berlusconi.  With his country’s economy in crisis, the colourful Italian politician was finally forced to resign in November following a succession of scandals – remember Bunga, Bunga?  It’s unlikely we’ve heard the last of ‘Il Cavaliere’, however.

B is also for Bin Laden, finally captured and killed by US forces in Pakistan in May following a manhunt that lasted for over ten years.

C

C is for cyclist Mark Cavendish, surprise winner of the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year.

D

D is for Defection.  Forth councillor Elaine Morris jumped from the Lib Dems into the arms of the SNP in July.  Councillor Morris said:   “Leaving the Lib Dems has been one of the most difficult decisions I have made but the SNP offer a clear political leadership, principled policies and vision for Edinburgh that I know I and many other Lib Dems across the city support”.

D is also for Diamond Jubilee.  Her Majesty celebrates 60 years on the throne next year and we’ve all been invited to join in the celebrations which centre on a June weekend.  We’ve certainly not heard the last of this – prepare for saturation coverage as the media goes into Royal overdrive.

E

E is for Europe and Eurozone.  The Eurozone crisis was one of the biggest stories of the year and promises to remain so this year too.  Put simply, too many countries have too much debt and can’t agree the best way to tackle the crisis.  This story will run and run in 2012, and it’s unlikely there will be a happy ending.

F

F is for Forth Bridge.  Thanks to advances in technology, they have at last stopped having to paint and repaint the Forth Bridge.  The ‘never-ending’ paint job finished in December.

F is also for Fireworks and one of the quirkiest news stories of the year.  Oban’s Guy Fawkes celebrations went badly wrong when a scheduled twenty minute fireworks display lasted barely a minute due to a ‘technical hitch’, with all the fireworks going off at once!  Happily for the people of Oban the show was reran later in the month, and lasted a good bit longer!

G

G is for Ghaddafi.  The Libyan dictator was captured and killed in October

G is for Gerry Rafferty, the talented but troubled Scottish songsmith whose classic songs include ‘Baker Street’ and ‘Stuck In The Middle With You’.  Gerry finally lost his battle with the bottle and died in January.

H

H is for Hearts and Hibs.  Hearts owner Vladimir Romanov seems to have fallen out of love with the game, leaving Hearts players waiting months for their wages.  And with Hibs languishing perilously close to the foot of the SPL despite changing their manager (again), have Edinburgh teams ever had a worse year?

I

I is for Inflation.  Despite efforts to control it, inflation remains stubbornly high at 4.8%.  Prices continue to rise while most people find their income – pensions and wages – falling in real terms.  Economic recovery?  Not any time soon.

J

J is for Jimmy Savile.  It’s many years since Jim fixed it for anyone, but the irrepressible DJ passed away in October.  Among many other achievements Sir James Wilson Vincent Savile OBE was the first and last presenter of BBC’s ‘Top of the Pops’.

J is also for Steve Jobs.  The Apple founder who gave us the Ipod, the Iphone and the Ipad also died in October.

K

K is for North Korea.  ‘Dear Leader’ Kim Jong-Il died last month and was replaced by his son Kim Jong-Un.  Will that mean policy changes in the world’s most secretive country?  No.  Increased tension around the South Korean border? Most definitely.

L

L is for Landslide.  The voting system meant it should never happen, but the SNP won 69 seats to gain a clear overall majority when they swept to victory in the Holyrood elections in May.

L is also for Leveson Inquiry.  The investigation into press standards and ethics  began in August following phone-hacking revelations and will run well into the New Year.  It’s already clear that phone hacking was not the work of just one rogue reporter but was widespread among tabloid newspapers.  Expect some more murky details of dubious practices to emerge.

M

M is for March, the month that saw the final publication of North Edinburgh News after thirty years following council budget cuts. The NEN was perhaps the highest profile casualty of the cuts, but March was a miserable month for all local voluntary projects as budget cuts brought about redundancies, reduced services and curtailed opening hours.

N-Z follows tomorrow

What were your highlights of 2011?  Email us at northedinnews@gmail.com

A Happy New Year from all at NEN

Welcome to 2012!  North Edinburgh News wishes you all the very best for the New Year and we look forward to keeping you up to date with everything that’s happening in our community in the year ahead.

If you’ve got local news we want to hear about it – so remember to email northedinnews@gmail.com or telephone 0792 540 5972.

It may be the holiday period but time doesn’t stand still and things do move on – while doing some last-minute shopping in Morrisons at Granton on Hogmanay I couldn’t help but notice a member of staff clearing away Christmas produce and filling the aisle with (and I kid you not)  … Cadbury’s Creme Eggs!

Can I therefore be the first person to wish all our readers a happy, healthy and peaceful Easter?

Stay safe for a Happy Hogmanay

With the big night upon us, organisers of Edinburgh’s world famous street party are urging revellers to be warm, to stay safe and to enjoy all that Edinburgh has to offer this Hogmanay.  City of Edinburgh Council, Lothian and Borders Police, NHS Lothian, G4S Events and the Met Office mt earlier this week and offer advice to help revellers bring in the New Year safely.

Councillor Robert Aldridge, Environment Leader, said:  “”To make sure you and your friends have the best possible time seeing in the bells at Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Street Party, take some simple steps to look after yourself: dress for the weather, bring your New Year cheer in plastic bottles, and use your common sense.  It’s also a good idea to heed the advice from police and stewards, who will be working extremely hard on the night to make sure everyone enjoys themselves safely.

“Look after yourself and your friends and help us welcome 2012 in style at the official ‘World’s best Hogmanay celebrations’.”

Jim Watson, Public Weather Service Advisor for the Met Office, said:

“The weather is currently looking good for the Edinburgh Hogmanay celebrations, generally dry but with the possibility of some showers reaching the City. Although temperatures are likely to stay above freezing the strong southwest wind will mean that it will feel cold. As always revellers should dress for the conditions and wrap up warm.”

Dr. David Farquharson, Medical Director, NHS Lothian said:  ““We want everyone to have fun at Hogmanay and a few simple precautions will help make sure that celebrations are a night to remember – for all the right reasons.  If you are heading for the street party, you will probably be outside in the cold for several hours. It’s worth remembering that alcohol lowers your body temperature, so warm clothes are vital.  It’s also important for people who take regular medication to make sure they have what they need with them.  When it comes to drinking, it is best to pace yourself and have a meal beforehand to soak up some of the alcohol – starchy foods are best. It is also a worthwhile tip to try drinking a soft drink or water in-between having an alcoholic drink.  The temperature will drop throughout the night and icy weather can lead to nasty slips and trips, which in turn may mean a trip to the minor injuries unit or even the accident and emergency departments so try and take extra care when out and about.”

Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Street Party organisers are offering a few extra tips for revellers to bear in mind:

-Follow the instructions on the Hogmanay Street Party tickets

-Dress for the weather

-Look after each other and arrange a meeting point

-Think about how to get home

-Police and stewards are on duty to look after everyone’s safety – bags may be searched on entry

-Revellers are encouraged not to bring under 16s to Street Party on the 31 December.

-People under the influence of too much alcohol may be refused entry

-No one will get in unless they have an Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Street Party ticket

-Don’t bring glass into the arena

-Pay bars and food outlets are located within the Street Party Arena.

The three day festival began in style with the last night’s annual Torchlight Procession but the biggest draw to the programme is undoubtedly tonight’s Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Street Party.  Now in its 19th year, the world famous event  welcomes 80,000 revellers from around the world to the ‘Home of Hogmanay’. With seven live music stages featuring headliners including Festival favourites The Vaccines and Friendly Fires, superstar DJ Mark Ronson, Celtic superheroes Peatbog Faeries and Capercaillie, Fringe Favourites Frisky & Mannish and The Cuban Brothers alongside an unmissable mix of artists including Kassidy, Wild Beasts, Jaymo & Andy George and Rura.  Throw in one of the world’s largest New Year fireworks displays and a host of surprises and you have the ultimate Edinburgh’s Hogmanay experience.

On the same night, Concert in the Gardens headliners Primal Scream will be having their own party beneath Edinburgh castle and are joined by special guests, Bombay Bicycle Club, Sons and Daughters.  The Concert in the Gardens is opened by Matt Norris and the Moon, the new, unsigned Scottish band from Edinburgh, winners of this year’s Hog The Street Competition.

If you like a bit more birl with the bells, then The Keilidh is the place to be. Dance the night away on the outdoor ceilidh dance floor on Mound Precinct to the very best in traditional music with Hugh McDiarmid’s Haircut, Ceilidhdonia and The Sensational Jimi Shandrix Experience.

GETTING HOME: Lothian Buses will be running free services from various departure points around the City Centre to return revellers safely home after the Street Party. For the first time Edinburgh’s Hogmanay have teamed up with Citylink Buses to offer late night buses to destinations outside Edinburgh after the Hogmanay celebrations.  Revellers will be able to travel home from the Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Street Party to a range of destinations in Glasgow, Fife including Dunfermline, Kirkcaldy and St Andrews, Dundee, Perth and Kinross.  Tickets cost £30 and can be booked online or by calling 0871 266 3333.  Passengers wishing to travel on these services are required to pre-book their ticket to guarantee a seat.

The fun continues on Sunday 1 January with the Loony Dook, the annual dip in the River Forth at South Queensferry at 11.00am.  Revellers are also invited to come and play at the all new event, The New Year Games, which will take place in the Grassmarket and around the Old Town. Two teams – the Uppies and Doonies – will play games in four stunning venues – Dancebase, The Hub, St Giles Cathedral and the National Museum of Scotland.

Working with innovative Scottish artists and game design studio Hide&Seek, Edinburgh’s Hogmanay has re-imagined some of the traditional Scottish street games with the support of the Scottish Government’s Edinburgh Festivals Expo Fund. Giant board games, re-imagined classics, secret missions and a huge playground in the Grassmarket invite residents and visitors to play, participate or just spectate in a fun-filled afternoon of mental stimulation and physical challenges.

So enjoy yourself – but stay safe!