city centre – Page 17 – The NEN

Opening Saturday: Celebrate Fifty Years of Andy Goldsworthy at the National Galleries of Scotland

Andy Goldsworthy: Fifty Years

National Galleries Scotland exhibition at the Royal Scottish Academy building

26 July – 2 November 2025

Andy Goldsworthy | Fifty Years | National Galleries of Scotland

This Saturday, the largest ever indoor exhibition by Andy Goldsworthy will open to the public, taking over the National Galleries of Scotland in the heart of Edinburgh.

Featuring over 200 works, the show will include major installations made in response to the iconic Royal Scottish Academy (RSA) building, as well as drawings, photographs, films, sketchbooks and archival items dating back to the mid-1970s and spanning fifty years.

Sure to be one of the most talked-about art events of the year and only to be seen in Edinburgh,. Andy Goldsworthy: Fifty Years opens on Saturday 26 July 2025, and is brought to you by National Galleries Scotland.

Tickets are on sale now.

Born in England in 1956, and based in Dumfriesshire, Scotland, for the past four decades, Goldsworthy is internationally recognised for his work with natural materials such as clay, stones, reeds, branches, leaves, snow and ice.

Over fifty years, he has created a unique and highly influential body of work that speaks of our relationship with the land. In Andy Goldsworthy: Fifty Years the land is brought indoors, into Scotland’s capital city.

Working as a teenager on farms near Leeds in Yorkshire, where he grew up, Goldsworthy developed a passion for working with the land: harrowing the fields, bailing hay, picking out and piling stones, feeding cows and sheep.

This is where he acquired many of the skills he uses in his practice today: cutting, digging, gathering, stacking, building. Goldsworthy then studied art at Bradford and Preston, while based in Morecombe Bay.

It was there that he began making ephemeral works in the sand, recording what he made in photographs and film.

Andy Goldsworthy: Fifty Years has been conceived by the artist as a single immersive artwork in response to the space, materials and character of the RSA building. Occupying all of the upper rooms and most of the lower floor, the exhibition is at once beautiful and ambitious in scale.

The interrelationship of humans and the working land is a recurrent theme in Goldsworthy’s art and in the exhibition. He often presents the land as a hard, hostile and brutal place. Fences and barriers feature prominently, in the form of rusted barbed wire stretched across a room, and a massive, cracked clay wall.

As in nature, beauty and danger co-exist.

In dialogue with the oak floor, the vast 20-metre-long Oak Passage fills the largest room, with hundreds of oak branches forming a narrow path through its centre. Made from the leftovers of windfallen trees, the passage acts as a reminder that the gallery floor was once a tree, and that a building is part of nature – just as we are.

Another highlight is the floor of one large room which is entirely covered with stones left over from gravedigging – collected from over 100 graveyards in Dumfriesshire.

With this new work, Goldsworthy explores the metaphorical correlation between the body and the earth. When a body is buried, the body takes the place of the stones, and the stones take the place of the body.

At the other end of the sculpture court, in contrast, a room will contain 10,000 reeds suspended from a halo on the ceiling. They will appear to rain down from the sky and float above the gallery floor at the same time.

Red Flags was originally created for the main square in the Rockefeller Center in New York and installed there for a month in September 2020.

The fifty large canvas flags, individually stained with red earth collected from each of the fifty US states, refer equally to difference and similarity, a work, in the words of artist, ‘that talks of connection and not division.’

The colour red features in many of Goldsworthy’s works in the exhibition, referencing blood and the iron content which makes blood red – another connection between our bodies and the land.

Themes of access to the land and the right to roam have informed Goldsworthy’s work. Another new sculpture, which stretches up the impressive entrance stair at the RSA, is made of sheep fleeces marked with the colour codes of different farmers.

While Andy Goldsworthy is one of the most celebrated figures in contemporary art, his work is seldom seen in exhibitions. He has completed outdoor commissions all around the world, from the Arctic Circle to Tasmania, but the inclusion of his work in museum shows is rare.

Andy Goldsworthy: Fifty Years is by far the largest and most ambitious indoor exhibition of his work ever attempted. Conceived by the artist specifically for the RSA building in Edinburgh, never seen before and never to be seen again, this exhibition is set to cement Goldsworthy’s position as one of the leading artists of our time.

Andy Goldsworthy, says: “The show has come at a particular time for me. I don’t think I’ve ever had an exhibition that has paralleled the work that I’m making in the landscape here in Scotland.

“That’s because the RSA is not far from where I live, so I have been able to make work in Dumfriesshire alongside visits to the RSA, which has become connected to what I am doing outside. I couldn’t have done this exhibition anywhere else.

“Actually, describing it as an exhibition seems wrong – it is a work in its own right.”

Anne Lyden, Director-General at the National Galleries of Scotland, says: “Andy Goldsworthy is a unique artist, he has such vision, and his work is extraordinarily beautiful.

“Andy Goldsworthy: Fifty Years is incredibly special, bringing the land indoors, and only at the National Galleries of Scotland. I’m so excited for everyone in Edinburgh to have the opportunity to visit this wonderful exhibition this summer.”

Andy Goldsworthy: Fifty Years is a National Galleries Scotland exhibition at the Royal Scottish Academy building, opening on 26 July 2025.

Tickets are on sale now!

OMNI celebrates 20 years of iconic giraffe sculpture with Edinburgh Zoo

Edinburgh’s OMNi Centre is marking the 20th anniversary of its beloved giraffe sculpture, Dreaming Spires, with a line-up of colourful celebrations, including playful party hats, exciting giveaways and a creative community initiative.

Created in 2005 by renowned Scottish artist Helen Denerley, the towering giraffes – affectionately named Martha and Gilbert – have become more than just a striking piece of public art.

Sculpted entirely from scrap metal, they were designed to inspire imagination, spark conversation, and encourage people to look ahead and think big. Over the years, they’ve also become a beloved local landmark and a natural meeting point for friends, families, and visitors alike.

This enduring role as a gathering place has inspired OMNi’s recent brand refresh and new tagline: ‘Let’s Meet at OMNi’. As the centre undergoes a £5 million refurbishment, the giraffes remain a symbol of creativity, connection and community – values that are central to OMNi’s vision for the future.

To kick-start the celebrations, OMNi has adorned the giraffes with colourful party hats complete with playful tassels, just in time for the buzz of Edinburgh Fringe. A new information stand beside the sculpture invites visitors to learn about the giraffes’ story and their place in the city’s cultural fabric.

Eilidh Parker, OMNi Deputy Centre Manager, said: “We’re thrilled to celebrate Dreaming Spires’ 20th Anniversary during this exciting time of transformation.

“As OMNi’s refurbishment gets underway, we’re full of anticipation and excitement for what’s ahead. Huge thanks to our partners at Edinburgh Zoo and Helen Denerley for making this moment memorable.

“Here’s to the next 20 years of growth, creativity and collaboration.”

From today, 23 July, OMNi will launch a 4-week social media competition with four Vue cinema tickets, four sets of Edinburgh Zoo tickets and giraffe plush toys up for grabs each week, courtesy of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), the wildlife conservation charity which runs the zoo.

A local primary school initiative in August will round off the celebrations with a design project co-created with Helen Denerley and RZSS.

Helen Denerley, Dreaming Spires Sculptor and Scottish Artist, said: “When I was invited to tender for a sculpture at the Omni Centre, the brief was to relate to the history of the site. I decided it would be more fun and interesting to look forward to our future and aspirations, rather than dwelling on the past.

“I always hoped that the giraffes would create their own history, and twenty years on I am delighted to see how much they have been taken to heart by locals and visitors alike.”

Continuing the momentum, OMNi has also announced a 12-month corporate partnership with the wildlife charity to support conservation efforts at Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park. As part of this collaboration, OMNi is adopting a resident giraffe at the Zoo – further cementing its commitment to wildlife, education, and community engagement.

Phillip Mathis, Learning Manager at Edinburgh Zoo, said: “We are absolutely thrilled that OMNi has committed to supporting our wildlife conservation charity over the coming year.

“This partnership will not only shine a light on our mission to create a world where nature is protected, valued, and loved, but also inspire young people across Edinburgh to think creatively about how they can help wildlife in their everyday lives, recognising the cultural importance of our sites.

“With the exciting design project launching later this summer, we can’t wait to see the incredible ideas local primary schools will bring to life.”

The anniversary celebrations coincide with OMNi’s transformation into a more vibrant, welcoming space. While the refurbishment is underway, OMNi and its brands remain open and fully accessible. Visitors can follow progress and updates via OMNi’s website and social media channels.

OMNi is open 6am – 1am, Monday to Sunday. Individual brand opening times may vary, including Bank Holidays.

Edinburgh Unicorns Named in Gaelic Tradition After Being Reunited With Their Horns

Two prominent Edinburgh sculptures have been given new names after being lovingly restored to their former glory as part of a wider conservation project at one of the city’s most iconic visitor attractions.

Perched above the historic Scotch Whisky Experience at the top of the Royal Mile, the pair of unicorns, long stripped of their horns by time and weather, have now been fully reinstated through a major heritage-led restoration of the building.

A naming competition, launched in partnership with Forever Edinburgh, attracted hundreds of creative suggestions from locals and visitors alike.

The winning names, Deoch and Doras, were chosen by the public in a witty and affectionate nod to the Gaelic phrase deoch an dorais, meaning “a farewell drink” or “one for the road”, literally “drink of the door.”

One of the winners, Archie Hamilton, noted the Harry Lauder song, A Wee Deoch An Doris, which captures the spirit of the tradition, as he explained the inspiration behind the names: “Deoch an dorus’ just seemed natural for the Unicorns, our national animal.

“With Gaelic being our national language, plus the whisky link through the old Harry Lauder song, what better option!”

Julie Trevisan Hunter, Marketing Director at The Scotch Whisky Experience, said: “We were genuinely moved by the imagination and thought that people put into naming the unicorns.

“Many of the more than 1,500 suggestions reflected deep affection for Scotland’s culture, language and folklore, which is exactly the kind of connection we hope to inspire as we bring the world of Scotch whisky to life. ‘Deoch and Doras’ captured something uniquely Scottish while being warm, fun and rooted in tradition.”

Among the many entries were names drawn from Scottish landscapes and whisky regions and history, and some playful puns such as Whisker & Snifter. Others favoured names from popular children’s stories, reflecting the unicorns’ imaginative appeal across generations, and there were many Gaelic references.

Ealasaid MacDonald, Ceannard (CEO) of Bòrd na Gàidhlig, the main public body for promoting and developing Gaelic language and culture in Scotland, praised the decision to use Gaelic, saying: “I was delighted to hear from the Scotch Whisky Experience that Gaelic featured so prominently in their highly successful search for strong Scottish names for their unicorns.

“This highlights the understanding and appreciation of Gaelic when we celebrate the old and the new in Scottish culture, underlining its importance as a national cultural and economic asset. I’m sure the newly restored Deoch and Doras will provide a warm Gaelic welcome to everyone that visits.”

The unicorn restoration is part of a major project to preserve the integrity of The Scotch Whisky Experience’s historic site while enhancing its visitor experience. Susan Morrison, Chief Executive of The Scotch Whisky Experience explained that:

“The building’s recent conservation programme has been guided by a deep respect for our setting next to Edinburgh Castle and a commitment to our role as gateway for the appreciation of Scotland’s national drink and rich cultural heritage.

“Deoch and Doras now feel not only restored but brought back to life by the public, with names that will interest and spark curiosity in visitors at the threshold for years to come.”

Thee more Palestine protesters arrested in Edinburgh

Three men have been arrested in Edinburgh under the Terrorism Act 2000 for showing support for a proscribed organisation.

Around 1.30pm, a 58-year-old man was arrested by officers in the vicinity of the Scottish Parliament for displaying a sign showing support for a proscribed organisation.

Earlier, two men aged 78 and 60 years, were arrested for showing support for a proscribed organisation at a protest in Edinburgh on Saturday, 19 July 2025.

Reports will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.

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’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.

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 (15^th to 24^th 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 30^th 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 22^ndbefore 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.

Stories of Belief at St James Quarter

EDINBURGH INTERFAITH ASSOCIATION EXHIBITION

Visit Edinburgh Interfaith Association’s #Edinburgh900 exhibition “Stories of Belief: Celebrating 900 Years of Faith Communities in Edinburgh” at the St James Quarter from 16 – 23 July.

For more information visit tinyurl/storiesofbelief

‘Summertime Streets’ changes to begin next week in city centre

With the summer festivals season fast approaching, the city council is making temporary changes to the way some of our city centre streets operate between Thursday 24 July and Sunday 7 September 2025.

During this busy period the population of our city effectively doubles, which brings challenges for residents, businesses and visitors.

These temporary changes, which include removing or restricting vehicle traffic, are designed to make our streets easier and safer to walk around.

George Street and several streets in the Old Town will be impacted. A full list of streets along with further information is available on our website.

There is also specific advice for blue badge holders, home deliveries, loading and services for businesses, places of worship and special arrangements.

Transport and Environment Convener, Councillor Stephen Jenkinson said: “As we prepare to welcome the world to Edinburgh for our summer festivals, we’re making sure that these higher visitor numbers are managed safely and properly.

“We’ve made temporary changes to our city centre streets successfully during this period for many years and I’m sure that this summer will be no different.

“I’d like to thank our residents and businesses for their understanding and patience as we get ready to showcase and enjoy our city’s unparalleled cultural offering once again.”

Clifton Terrace assault: Police release CCTV image

Police have released an image of a man they believe may be able to assist with their investigation into a serious assault in Edinburgh that took place on Clifton Terrace around 12am on Sunday, 2 February 2025.

Serious assault on Clifton Terrace, Edinburgh

The man in the image is described as white, in his late 20s to mid-30s and of slim build. He was wearing a dark blue jacket, black jogging bottoms, white trainers, a black Adidas rucksack and a dark coloured baseball cap.

Detective Sergeant Mark Asquith said: “We would encourage this man, anyone who may recognise him, or anyone with information about this incident to get in touch.”

Anyone who can assist is asked to contact Police Scotland via 101, quoting reference number 0034 of 2 February 2025. Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where information can be given anonymously.