Whitbread submits a planning application for a new 195-bedroom hotel on Festival Square in the heart of Edinburgh city centre
Whitbread PLC, the owner of the Premier Inn hotel chain, has submitted plans to transform Capital House into a 195-bedroom Premier Inn, with a commitment to investing more than £21 million in the conversion of the existing building into a hotel.
After acquiring the 65,350 sq ft gross office block off Lothian Road last year, Whitbread has been preparing a planning application to change the use of the building to a hotel, which was submitted to Edinburgh City Council on 2nd May.
The plans involve the conversion of the existing building and rear extension of the 1980s office into a latest format Premier Inn hotel with a ground floor restaurant and bar.
The Capital House Premier Inn is expected to generate an additional £8.1 million per year in visitor expenditure through the external spending of more than 56,000 guests which are predicted to stay at the hotel every year. Half of this external expenditure is anticipated to be spent supporting city centre businesses.
The proposals signal the latest commitment from Whitbread to invest in Edinburgh as the business continues to see strong long-term potential for its bedrooms across the capital city.
Jill Anderson, Acquisitions Manager for Scotland at Whitbread, said: ““The visitor economy in Edinburgh is thriving but there remains an unmet demand for additional budget hotel rooms in the city. Capital House represents an excellent opportunity for us to deliver new Premier Inn bedrooms at affordable prices for our customers in a fantastic city centre location.
“The location is ideal for both business and leisure customers. It is sustainable and highly accessible with direct bus, tram and rail networks within a short walk, it’s a stone’s throw from the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) and Exchange District and is close to tourist destinations like Edinburgh Castle, Usher Hall and other theatres.
“We’re thrilled to submit proposals to transform this underused office building and bring life back into this corner of Festival Square. We are investing £21 million into delivering the new hotel which will generate over £8 million of additional guest spend into the Edinburgh economy each year and create more than 30 new hospitality jobs. We look forward to working with Edinburgh City Council to progress the application towards determination.”
Whitbread currently welcomes close to a million visitors to its established network of 14 Premier Inn hotels within the City of Edinburgh Council area. The business calculates its guests staying at these hotels generate more than £32 million in visitor expenditure to the Edinburgh economy every year.
More widely, across the UK & Ireland Whitbread currently offers its customers a choice of more than 85,500 Premier Inn and hub by Premier Inn bedrooms and the company sees the long-term potential for 125,000 bedrooms in these two core markets.
This summer, the Museum of Edinburgh presents two inspiring exhibitions celebrating the powerful relationship between wellbeing, nature, and place, each told through unique creative lenses:
Nature Through Nurture: Wellbeing and the Natural World in Children’s Books
Thu 1 May to Sun 7 Sep 2025
Developed in partnership between the Museum of Childhood and Scotland’s Early Literature for Children Initiative (SELCIE) at the University of Edinburgh, Nature Through Nurture delves into the enduring presence of the natural world in children’s literature over the past 150 years.
Flowers, trees, animals, insects and birds feature heavily in children’s books, set in both the real world and imaginary worlds. Children’s books from the last 150 years will be on display with beautiful illustrations, poetry and information about how to find green spaces throughout Edinburgh.
The positive influences of nature on mental health and wellbeing will be examined alongside a programme of public events for children and families.
Dr Sarah Dunnigan, Senior Lecturer, School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures at the University of Edinburgh and co-founder of SELCIE said:“The partnership between SELCIE and the Museum of Childhood for the Nurture through Nature exhibition beautifully highlights how children’s books can connect young readers to the natural world.
“This collaboration brings together literature, history, and nature in a way that we hope will inspire visitors to explore Edinburgh’s green spaces and reflect on the links between nature and well-being.
“The project has also made accessible many previously uncatalogued books from the Museum of Childhood collection, with several being displayed publicly for the first time. This collection is of great significance, and we look forward to continuing our partnership in the future.
Wellbeing in the City: Feel-Good Places in and Around Edinburgh
Thu 10 Apr to Sun 31 Aug 2025
Created by participants of photography and creative writing courses run by Access to Industry, this exhibition offers personal and heartfelt reflections on the places in Edinburgh that inspire calm, joy, and connection.
Each member of the photography course has chosen a place in and around Edinburgh that makes them feel good. The group visited every place nominated to take photos and have selected their favourites to present in the exhibition.
The creative writing group have produced short pieces of writing about places or activities in Edinburgh that make them feel well.
Helen Murray, Encompass Caseworker from Access to Industry said: “Access to Industry are delighted to have been able to work with Museums and Galleries Edinburgh on the joint project, Wellbeing in the City – feel good places in and around Edinburgh.
“We support clients with complex barriers to employment, many of whom have suffered trauma, isolation and marginalisation. This project has been run with our wellbeing through photography group, PAGE, and our Creative Writing group.
“It has enabled participants to enjoy improved wellbeing on trips they have chosen and reflect on what makes them feel well. We are now extremely pleased to be able to share these places and that sense of wellness with local residents and visitors from far and wide.
City of Edinburgh Council Leader Jane Meagher said: “These exhibitions beautifully highlight how nature and place shape our sense of wellbeing from childhood through adulthood.
“By showcasing stories, creativity, and lived experience, this summer the Museum of Edinburgh invites us all to reconnect with the natural world and discover the restorative spaces that exist all around us.”
Foysol Choudhury MSP Celebrates Scotland’s Most Promising Culturally Innovative Music Start-Up
On Friday, April 25, Mamba Sounds, a creative-tech company based in Edinburgh, celebrated the launch of its groundbreaking music streaming platform and company at the RBS building in St Andrews Square, Edinburgh.
The event marked a significant milestone for the company, which has already achieved remarkable success in the music industry, spearheading collaboration with top African talent.
With over 2 billion cumulative streams driven through its playlisting network, Mamba Sounds has proven the commercial viability and global reach of its platform model. Artists promoted via Mamba Sounds, including artists such as ‘BoyBreed’, ‘Kokoë’, and ‘Eugy’, have reached audiences in more than 190 countries, including key streaming markets such as the UK, US, Nigeria, France, and Brazil.
They are driven by their work in building infrastructure for the future of African and global music and supporting artists through tech-enabled tools, curation, and fair growth strategies.
To date, the collective has generated over 10 million streams, secured 335+ major playlist placements, and reached 9.66 million+ listeners. Campaigns have delivered 115 chart placements, 14.6K+ Shazams, and over 1.48 million video views across key platforms.
The company has curated and supported the careers of over 300 artists across genres and geographies through its platforms like Afrolister and internal campaigns. Notably, 70% of the talent supported identifies as Black or multicultural, reflecting Mamba Sounds’ core mission to amplify underrepresented voices in music.
Mamba Sounds is backed by Innovate UK’s Creative Catalyst Grant and the RBS Entrepreneur Accelerator, positioning it as one of Scotland’s most promising creative startups. At the launch event, the company unveiled two scalable tools designed to empower artists with development resources, music distribution insights, and analytics to grow their careers independently.
Looking ahead, Mamba Sounds has been invited to showcase its work at the Scottish Parliament on 19 June, 2025, further highlighting its cultural relevance and policy-aligned innovation, sponsored by Foysol Choudhury MSP.
This recognition underscores the company’s impact not only within the music industry but also in shaping conversations around creative entrepreneurship and representation. Founder Leo Fakhrul is also set to speak at the All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) at the African Union in Addis Ababa on May 13, further spotlighting Scottish creative innovation on the global stage.
The launch event was a celebration of Mamba Sounds’ achievements and its commitment to driving change in the music industry. With its innovative platform, global influence, and dedication to supporting diverse talent, Mamba Sounds is set to redefine the landscape of artist development and music distribution.
This is the type of work that should be supported and championed. Congratulations to the whole team, especially Leo Fakhrul and Ziyad Alrasbi for their leadership and dedication to their craft.
Commenting, Foysol Choudhury MSP said:“I am proud to offer my support to this dedicated group of young entrepreneurs, who truly are paving the way for this new wave of Scottish innovation and creative-tech companies to thrive with inclusivity at the forefront of their mission.”
Creative Scotland and British Transport Police will move into the Waverley Court Partnership Hub.
They will join SEPA, Visit Scotland, Skills Development Scotland and Balfour Beatty, which are already based at the Council headquarters on East Market Street. Scottish Water is also due to move into the building later this year.
The decision by the Council’s Finance and Resources Committee to lease the space will grow the number of organisations based in Waverley Court to eight and annually raise £1.7m in total.
British Transport Police will move into the courtyard by the end of 2025, occupying about 40 desks, while Creative Scotland will move into the ground floor this autumn, occupying 60 desks.
The council will continue to retain at least 60% of the desk space within Waverley Court and discussions will continue to take place with other interested public sector partners.
Councillor Mandy Watt, Finance and Resources Convener, said: “We’re looking forward to welcoming Creative Scotland and the British Transport Police into Waverley Court, which is quickly becoming a true Partnership Hub, with organisations from all sides of the public sector joining forces to make greater use of the space and share expertise.
“By welcoming these organisations in, we are generating significant income for the Council and making sure our Headquarters are operated in the most sustainable, efficient, and collaborative way.”
Hundreds of buildings have been brought back into use and over £10 million has been raised for council services thanks to new tax-raising powers adopted by the council.
Since 1 April 2024, following changes to Scottish Government legislation, a 200% Council Tax charge has been applied to second homes. At the same time, non-domestic rates relief on empty commercial properties has been capped at three months.
The move has encouraged the occupation and active use of at least 206 commercial properties and 52 homes, helping to stimulate the local economy and lived in homes during Edinburgh’s Housing Emergency.
Finance and Resources Convener, Councillor Mandy Watt, said: “By making these changes, we’re not only raising millions of pounds for the council at a time when we face huge financial challenges – we’re successfully encouraging property owners to bring buildings back into their proper use.
“It is well known that Edinburgh faces a chronic shortage of housing, which led us to become the first city in Scotland to declare a housing emergency. it is in the whole city’s best interests to allow those who have more than one home to contribute where they can towards addressing this crisis and supporting their local services.
“Likewise, I’m pleased to see our new rate relief policy working well. It’s about enhancing communities, stimulating the economy and putting underused buildings to better use. Some of these properties have been empty for years and under the previous regulations owners didn’t have to pay rates.”
EDINBURGH CELEBRATES THE START OF SUMMER WITH BELTANE FIRE FESTIVAL
Last night, thousands of revellers gathered on Calton Hill to mark the turning of the seasons and reconnect with nature through this year’s re-wilding-themed Beltane Fire Festival.
Just under 7000 people joined in celebrating this powerful Edinburgh tradition, immersing themselves in a vivid, elemental journey of fire, rhythm and transformation.
The night was filled with drumming, hundreds of performers and plenty of fire – illuminating Calton Hill with a fierce and joyful energy. An unseasonably hot day with the clearest of skies made Beltane Night a night to remember!
Jenny Bloom, Beltane Fire Society’s Chair said: “Another year, another magical Beltane! As we roll into summer and carry the May Queen’s message of renewal with us, a huge thank you to the hundreds of volunteers and thousands of witnesses who made it all happen.
“What a night! See you at Samhuinn!”
The modern Beltane Fire Festival has been running since 1988 and is the spring and summer counterpart to Samhuinn Fire Festival, which is held at Holyrood Park on 31 October.
The events are immersive experiences, which involve modern re-imaginings of ancient celtic festivals to mark the turning seasons.
The Beltane Fire Society is a charity run by volunteers, dedicated to marking the fire festivals of the ancient celtic calendar and keeping traditional Scottish skills of street theatre, music and pageantry alive.
Climate justice campaigners from groups including Extinction Rebellion Edinburgh, Biofuelwatch, Fuel Poverty Action, Stop Burning Trees, Protest in Harmony and Parents for Future Scotland have staged a musical and dance demonstration in Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh as part of a UK-wide mobilisation for Drax’s AGM which is taking place in London today.
Drax is the UK’s single largest carbon emitter and the world’s biggest tree burner.
The ‘Love Trees, Axe Drax’ protest featured speeches, dancing by the Scotland Tree Gees to ‘Staying Alive’ by the Bee Gees as well as singing led by Protest in Harmony, including Drax-themed lyrics to ‘Hit the Road Drax’ and ‘Money Money Money’ by Abba.
The Edinburgh demonstration is part of a wider online and in-person mobilisation for Drax’s AGM today, with other protests happening in York, Liverpool and outside the AGM in London to call for an end to Drax’s tree-burning subsidies.
In 2024, Drax received £869 million in green subsidies from UK energy bills, whilst making nearly £1.1 billion in profit and giving its CEO, Will Gardiner, a salary of nearly £3m.
In February this year, the Government announced plans to use UK energy bills to extend Drax’s renewable subsidies until 2031, contrary to the advice of the Climate Change Committee [4], and with no obligation for the company to capture any of the carbon dioxide it emits.
Sally Clark from Biofuelwatch said: ‘There is nothing green or sustainable about Drax’s tree burning, climate-wrecking emissions and harm to communities and wildlife. The Government needs to reconsider its catastrophic plans to grant huge new tree-burning subsidies for Drax.
‘If we are to keep global temperature rises below 1.5 degrees and ensure a liveable future for all, we need to protect and restore the world’s forests, not allow big polluters like Drax to log and burn them.’
Cathy Allen from Extinction Rebellion Edinburgh said: ‘It is shocking that Drax is receiving billions in renewable subsidies from our energy bills to burn trees and pollute communities around the world.
“This is the opposite of green energy and the government’s plans to waste even more of our money on new subsidies for Drax will be a disaster for the planet if they go ahead.
‘If the Government is serious about climate leadership, it should invest in real solutions like warm homes and wind and solar power, not send our futures up in smoke with even more money for Drax’s climate-wrecking tree burning.’
Drax has repeatedly been accused of driving ‘environmental racism’ by communities in the Southern US living near Drax’s pellet mills, which emit harmful pollutants linked to asthma, cancer and pulmonary health issues.
Earlier this month, the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality refused Drax’s permit application to expand air pollution at its wood pellet mill in Gloster, Mississippi due to public health concerns and following multiple fines for Drax over air pollution violations.
Merry Dickinson, Lead Campaigner for the Stop Burning Trees Coalition said: ‘Today, Drax is gathering with its shareholders to discuss the profits it’s made from ripping off bill payers, burning forests and polluting communities abroad.Drax’s profits are built off scamming bill payers, destroying vital forests and polluting Black and low income communities in the US.
‘It is a disgrace that the Government has just granted Drax more of our money to continue polluting our planet. We will not stand by and allow Drax’s destruction to go unchecked. The future is in real green energy and green jobs, not Drax’s dirty tree burning and pollution.’
Stuart Bretherton from Fuel Poverty Action said: ‘To stick further costs onto our energy bills, to continue subsidising record breaking profits from Drax’s destroying and burning of vital forests, is criminal.
“It’s not hard to find the solutions that could reduce bills and boost energy security without betraying our climate targets and harming communities here and abroad.
“This government should be looking at why the unit price of electricity is still tied to that of gas, forcing us to pay far more to heat our homes this way even though renewable electricity is much cheaper to produce.
“And why are we paying out huge sums of public money for wind and solar farms to switch off during the highest periods of production, when this excess clean energy could power our homes for next to nothing, literally for free?”
Last week, a new report by the Public Accounts Committee raised concerns that wood-burning companies like Drax are ‘marking their own homework’ when it comes to meeting sustainability standards.
BBC Panorama investigations have found that Drax is continuing to log primary forests in British Columbia in Canada and the company has failed more than once to report that it is sourcing wood to burn from previously untouched forests in Canada.
Safeguarding Scottish Dance Traditions for the Future
MONDAY 28 APRIL, 18:30
On the eve of International Dance Day, the Pomegranates Festival (25-30 April) will discuss and demonstrate through dance, the importance of safeguarding Scottish traditional dance in an international context.
Leading the discussion will be Steve Byrne Director of TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland), and an expert advisor to UNESCO on intangible cultural heritage. Joining Steve will be Rachel Hosker of the Centre for Research Collections, University of Edinburgh, Árpád Vörös, recipient of a knighthood for his lifetime contribution towards Hungarian folk dance and Sebastian Wanless, Chair Elect of the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society.
The discussion will start with demonstrations of traditional dance accompanied by live music including Scottish Country Dance, Highland and Polonaise, Leading the display and accompanied on the bagpipes by Stephen Clark will be Eilidh Gammons, twice Junior World Champion in Highland Dancing, followed by Lily and Lucy Clark – all students at Helensburgh’s Margaret Rose School of Dance, run by Margaret MacInnes, a recipient of the British Empire Medal for services to Highland dancing.
Edinburgh-based members of the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society Andrea Ritchie, Eilidh Garden, Faye McNeil, Rachel Shankland, Andrew Nolan, Jürgen Munz will perform a fine selection of Scottish Country Dances.
These will be followed by a short display of Polonaise(performed by members of Parzenica, Scotland’s Polish Folk Dance Group – Anthony Carter, Fiona Lynch, Natalia Nowak and Renata Grillanda.
The Polonaise was inscribed in UNESCO’s list of intangible heritage and list of humanity to be safeguarded in December 2023. It is hoped Scotland’s traditional dances will be put forward for inscription when the UK Government opens its list to nominations for intangible cultural heritage later this year.
Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) encompasses the rich tapestry of traditions, expressions, and practices that communities inherit from their ancestors and pass on to future generations. It resides in the realms of knowledge, skills, rituals, music, dance, language, and other forms of expression and is a dynamic and living heritage that constantly evolves, reflecting the collective wisdom, creativity, and identity of diverse communities worldwide.
Wendy Timmons and Iliyana Nedkova, Festival Co-curators said: “We are delighted that this year’s Pomegranates Festival is themed around traditional dance and intangible cultural heritage, especially at a time when Scots are soon to be invited to nominate their favourite traditions to be included on an official living heritage list.
“Later this year, submissions for the list will be encouraged from all sectors of society, including the traditional dance communities and people who have brought dance traditions from overseas to the UK.”
Sebastian Wanless, Chair Elect of The Royal Scottish Country Dance Society (RSCDS) said: “We are thrilled to participate in theFourth Pomegranates Festivaland to showcase Scottish country dance on the eve of the UNESCO International Day of Dance.
“For over a century, we have championed the vibrant tradition of Scottish country dancing—an energetic blend of lively music, joyful movement, and deep-rooted culture. More than just steps and tunes, Scottish country dance is a unique social phenomenon that welcomes everyone, everywhere.
“Together with dancers from around the world, let’s celebrate movement, culture, and unity in the lead up to this special day.”
Speakers:
Steve Byrne was appointed as Director of TRACS in 2023. A noted performer, researcher, folklorist and community activist, Steve trained at the School of Scottish Studies at Edinburgh University, before embarking on a distinguished creative career. Steve is a founding member of Scottish folk bandMalinky and has contributed to the digitisation of vital early recordings of Scottish music and storytelling.
Rachel Hosker is the University Archivist and Research Collections Manager. Rachel originally trained as an archivist, and now manages archivists, librarians and curators responsible for the University’s cultural heritage collections and welcomes IASH fellows to the Centre for Research Collections at the University. Rachel is Chair of the UK UNESCO Memory of the World Programme.
Árpád Vörös (Budapest) is a dancer and folk dance teacher. He was awarded a Knighthood of Hungarian Culture in 2020 for the care of Hungarian folk dance. From 1990, for ten years, he was a teacher at the Árpád Bókay Elementary School in Pestszentlőrinc, and founded the TÉBLÁB Dance Ensemble. Today, he is the president of the foundation that operates the school and a professional assistant and choreographer of several ensembles in Transylvania, Felvidék and Vojvodina, as well as an ethnographic researcher of the region.
Wendy Timmons (Chair) is a Senior Lecturer in Dance Science and Education at the University of Edinburgh, and co-producer of the Pomegranates Festival. She has many years of professional arts practice, and is well experienced in teaching and training dance artists, young dancers and dance teachers.
Alongside her teaching, research and programme development, Wendy has undertaken many knowledge exchange and applied Dance Science and Education research projects. She is currently Convenor for the Traditional Dance Forum of Scotland and the Health & Wellbeing Trustee at Dance Base.
The Pomegranates Festival (25 – 30 Apr) is the annual platform for the diverse 250+ individual and organisational members of the Traditional Dance Forum of Scotland to teach, learn and perform in new dance theatre and screen dance shows, as well as new productions and residencies.
This is the fourth edition of Scotland’s annual festival of international traditional dance, initiated, curated and produced by the Traditional Dance Forum of Scotland. It is presented in partnership with TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland), Moray House School of Education and Sport, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh Central Library, Dance Base and the Scottish Storytelling Centre.
In 2025 the Pomegranates Festival is funded by Creative Scotland Multi-Year Funding through TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland); the City of Edinburgh Council and University of Edinburgh through the Edinburgh Local Community Fund.
An early morning international remembrance service, to mark the 110th anniversary of the Gallipoli campaign in the First World War, took place yesterday (Friday, April 25).
ANZAC Day, the annual Remembrance of all the Australian and New Zealand citizens who have served in conflicts and peacekeeping operations around the world, coincides with landings on Gallipoli during the First World War, in which the two southern nations were involved.
Representatives of Legion Scotland and Poppyscotland joined members of the Australian and New Zealand communities, as well as veterans and current servicemen and women in a touching wreath-laying ceremony at Comely Bank Cemetery, Edinburgh, at 5am.
The event was led by Rev Dr Karen Campbell and also featured Scots Guards piper Mark Macrae and bugler Iona Macfarlane. A similar dawn service took part at the same time at the Western Necropolis in Glasgow.
Later at 11am, Edinburgh’s Lord Provost Robert Aldridge and Government representatives from Scotland, the UK, Australia, France, and Turkey took part in Legion Scotland’s annual ANZAC and Gallipoli Day Service at the Scottish National War Memorial inside Edinburgh Castle.
The ceremonies take place to remember the events at dawn on April 25th, 1915, when the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC), together with British, French, and Russian forces landed on the Dardanelles Peninsula (now part of Turkey) at the start of the Gallipoli campaign.
This ended in a stalemate, with troops withdrawing in January 1916, with a total of more than 100,000 soldiers killed over the nine-month period.
Dr Claire Armstrong, OBE, Chief Executive of Legion Scotland, said: “This annual event allows us the chance to remember the service and sacrifices of ANZAC servicemen and women through the years, as well as our own soldiers who fell during the Gallipoli campaign.
“It is our opportunity to also reflect on the extraordinary courage of our Armed Forces community, both past and present, as well as the enduring friendship between our countries.”
The Consulate General of India in Edinburgh organized a solemn remembrance ceremony yesterday to honour the victims of the tragic terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir, on 22 April 2025.
Over 100 members of the Scottish and Indian communities in Scotland came together in a powerful display of solidarity with India and in condemnation of terrorism.
Consul General Siddharth Malik addressed the gathering, reaffirming India’s unwavering resolve to combat terrorism and reiterated Hon’ble PM’s statement that India will pursue the perpetrators of the Pahalgam terrorist attack to the ends of the earth, ensuring justice for the victims and their families.
On 22 April 2025, a group of heavily armed terrorists launched a brutal attack in the Baisaran Valley near Pahalgam, a picturesque tourist destination. The terrorist attack claimed the lives of 26 innocent people. More than 17 others were injured.
The victims were attacked when they were enjoying vacation at Pahalgam. The attack, the deadliest in the country since the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, has sparked widespread outrage and grief across India and the international community.
The Consulate General of India in Edinburgh extend deepest condolences to the families of the victims and wish for the speedy recovery of those injured.
