Due to ongoing high winds and inclement weather in Edinburgh city centre, we regret to announce that outdoor events scheduled for tonight (30th Dec) and tomorrow (Hogmanay, 31st December) are unable to go ahead on the grounds of public safety.
The cancellation includes tonight’s Night Afore Disco Party in West Princes Street Gardens, and on the 31st December, the Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Street Party, Concert in the Gardens, and the Midnight Fireworks from Edinburgh Castle.
We have unfortunately been unable to continue with preparations and necessary set-up for Edinburgh’s Hogmanay outdoor events due to extreme weather and forecast conditions. Therefore, for safety reasons we, along with our event partners, have taken the difficult decision to cancel all outdoor events.
We know that this will be hugely disappointing to all hoping to celebrate Hogmanay in Edinburgh and that people travel from around the world to be here at the Home of Hogmanay.
City of Edinburgh Council Leader Jane Meagher, said: “I know that, like me, many people will be very disappointed. This decision was not taken lightly, however with the ongoing adverse weather condition, public safety must be our number one priority.
“You’ll see from the programme that there are lots of exciting indoor events taking place. For those coming along to them – I know you’re in for a treat and will have a great time. Please make sure you stay up-to-date with the weather and transport on social media.”
Customer Service from point of purchase will be in touch with ticketholders directly with further instructions regarding refunds in due course.
All indoor events are taking place as planned throughout the festival, including tonight’s performance of Swamplesque at Assembly Hall, the sold-out Idlewild concert at the Assembly Rooms, and on the 31st December, the Bairns New Year Revels and New Year Revels at the Assembly Rooms, and sold-out Candlelit Concert at St. Giles’ Cathedral.
We also continue to look forward to the packed First Footin’ and Sprogmanay programme of events on New Year’s Day – a series of free and ticketed indoor music gigs across the city centre, Leith and Portobello.
Edinburgh’s Hogmanay is delivered by UniqueAssembly on behalf of City of Edinburgh Council.
At 6pm tonight Princes Street will shut for Hogmanay.
Edinburgh Trams will be running a split service during this time with trams running from every 10 mins between Edinburgh Airport – West End and Picardy Place – Newhaven.
From New Year’s Day 2025, National Galleries of Scotland is kicking off the 250th birthday of much-loved artist, Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775-1851), with a special celebration.
Visitors to the treasured Turner in January exhibition can marvel at a new selection of over 30 watercolours that have never been seen before in Scotland, in an exchange with the National Gallery of Ireland.
Turner in January: Ireland’s Vaughan Bequest, opens at the Royal Scottish Academy building in Edinburgh at midday on 1 January 2025. The free exhibition includes a watercolour of Edinburgh from 1801 that has never been displayed in the city before.
This once in a lifetime exhibition is a celebratory take on a keenly awaited and much-loved annual tradition that has been taking place since 1901.
Renowned art collector Henry Vaughan owned over 200 drawings, watercolours and prints by Turner, which he divided in his will between galleries in Edinburgh, Dublin and London. 38 of these watercolours were given to the people of Scotland, on the condition that they are only displayed in the month of January, when light levels are at their lowest. Because of this, these works still possess a freshness and an intensity of colour, almost 200 years since they were created.
Now, in an exciting exchange, simultaneous exhibitions will see Ireland’s Vaughan Bequest make a special trip to the National Galleries of Scotland, while Scotland’s Vaughan Bequest will go on display at the National Gallery of Ireland. Those familiar with Turner in Januaryare sure to notice how both collections complement each other. Visitors will be able to marvel in sweeping seascapes, dramatic landscapes and spectacular cities.
The most famous British artist of the 19th Century, Turner’s career spanned over 50 years. He experimented constantly with technique and colour, creating landscapes that still astonish today. In his younger years Turner toured Britain extensively, as war made travel to Europe impossible.
He first travelled abroad in 1802 and from 1819 onwards he undertook sketching tours abroad almost every year, visiting France, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Austria and Switzerland.
The panoramic Edinburgh from below Arthur’s Seat (1801) will be on display in the city it depicts for the first time. A moody view of Auld Reekie captured on Turner’s first visit to Edinburgh in the summer of 1801, dark storm clouds loom over Edinburgh Castle, rain pouring on the horizon as cows drink peacefully in the foreground.
When Turner first visited the Alps in 1802, the trip transformed his understanding of landscape, which was reflected in his boundary-pushing depiction of the mountains, rocks and glaciers.
In The Great Fall of the Reichenbach, Switzerland (1802), Turner emphasises the sublime drama and majestic height of the 200-hundred-foot waterfall by including a tiny, ant-like figure on a rocky outcrop to indicate scale.
Both the Scottish and Irish Vaughan Bequests include expressive watercolours painted on Turner’s visit to the Aosta valley in the Alps in 1836, where the artist uses a great variety of watercolour techniques – scratching out, sponging out and working freely in wet watercolour – to depict his beloved mountains.
Venice, city of light and water, held a special fascination for Turner. His third and final visit was in August 1840, when the stormy summer weather inspired a series of tempestuous watercolours recording dramatic atmospheric effects around the city. Storm at the Mouth of the Grand Canal (1840) comes to Edinburgh from Ireland’s Vaughan Bequest.
Also on exhibition will be The Doge’s Palace and Piazzetta, Venice (1840), a golden evening view of gondolas and fishing boats clustered against the backdrop of Venice’s most celebrated buildings.
Ireland’s Vaughan Bequest includes outstanding examples of watercolours created to be engraved and published as a print series. A highlight of the exhibition will be A Ship against the Mewstone, at the Entrance to Plymouth Sound (c.1814), from Picturesque Views on the Southern Coast of England.
A Royal Navy ship is shown labouring in heavy swell at a notorious danger point on the Devon coast. In this series, Turner aimed to record the landscape and working lives of places and people living along the south coast. In Clovelly Bay, North Devon (c.1822), another jewel-like watercolour from the same series, he shows in great detail the work of quarrying limestone.
Also on show will be A Shipwreck off Hastings (c.1825), which was probably produced for Turner’s Ports of England print series.
Turner in January: Ireland’s Vaughan Bequest truly is a first for Scotland, with most displayed in their original frames and even Henry Vaughan’s original display cabinet.
Charlotte Topsfield, exhibition curator at the National Galleries of Scotland, said: “Exchanging Vaughan Bequest Turners is an idea that Edinburgh and Dublin have been discussing for a long time.
“We are so excited to be working together on this historic swap in Turner’s anniversary year.
“It will be such a marvelous celebration for the people of Scotland to enjoy – a real once in a lifetime opportunity to commemorate a very special painter.”
Anne Hodge, exhibition curator at the National Gallery of Ireland said: “I am delighted that in January 2025 visitors to the National Galleries Scotland will be able to see Turner’s wonderfully expressive vision of a rainy Edinburgh along with all 31 watercolours that Henry Vaughan decided to leave to Dublin.
“It is a great privilege for me to have worked so closely with colleagues in Edinburgh to make this project a reality.”
Turner in January: Ireland’s Vaughan Bequest opens at the Royal Scottish Academy building at 12pm on 1 January and is free to visit.
This exhibitionhas been created in partnership with the National Gallery of Ireland. It is supported thanks to players of People’s Postcode Lottery and Sir Ewan and Lady Christine Brown.
The countdown to the New Year has begun as Edinburgh’s Hogmanay prepares for four days of events to ring in 2025, running from 29 December to 1 January.
With only two weeks to go until New Year’s Day itself, this year’s First Footin’ programme boasts a packed line-up of free and ticketed gigs to kick off the New Year in iconic venues across the city.
Funded by the Scottish Government’s Festivals EXPO Fund, January 1st 2025 sees the First Footin’ programme go even further than before, with artists playing live sets in Portobello Town Hall and Leith Arches as well as historic landmarks St. Giles’ Cathedral and Greyfriars Kirk, and contemporary venues Greyfriars Hall and Eve at Virgin Hotel, Fruitmarket Warehouse and bars throughout the city centre, including Cold Town House.
This year’s programme includes an incredible line-up of Scottish artists including Valtos, DJ Hayley Zalassi, Zoe Graham, Dara Dubh, who gathered today at First Footin’ venue Cold Town House to mark two weeks to go until the gigs. First Footin’ also features Karine Polwart, NATI, Spyres, Mama Terra, Bee Asha, Broken Chanter, Eyve, Lewis McLaughlin, Grayling, Afterlands, and more.
On being part of First Footin’, Glasgow anti-punk band Dead Pony said; “We’re super excited to play this year’s First Footin’. We can think of no better way to start the New Year than to crank our amps up and blast some tunes at – possibly – weary revellers.
“Everyone’s hangover is about to get blown to smithereens by the Dead Pony Doof Wagon. Strap in!”
Edinburgh’s Hogmanay co-Director Al Thomson said: ‘We are so pleased to present another spectacular First Footin’ event on New Year’s Day.
“This year’s programme is bigger than ever and packed full of incredible artists from across Scotland and beyond. Audiences can explore the expanded event footprint, discovering their favourite new artists in spectacular venues, and start 2025 in the company of friends old and new. With so much to see, make sure you plan your day well to catch your favourite acts’
Acclaimed folk singer-songwriter Karine Polwart will host a stunning performance to mark the turning-of-the-year with ‘Come Away In’, a commissioned project welcoming special guest musicians Lori Watson and Corrina Hewat, along with 200 community choir singers, celebrating crossing the threshold of the New Year in the embrace of massed voices and song. Alongside Choir Director Stephen Deazley, Karine Polwart and the community singers will fill the stunning St Giles Cathedral with music on the 1st January.
The tranquil surroundings of Greyfriars Kirk will once again transform into a vibrant hub of Scottish music, featuring Skye natives Valtos, who have taken the Trad and Electronic music worlds by storm, artist and composer Kate Young, Edinburgh born indie artists Lewis McLaughlin and internet sensation NATI (solo).
A showcase of the very best in contemporary Scottish music at Virgin Hotel, presents artists nominated for the SAY Award 2024, featuring Dead Pony, Spyres, Broken Chanter and Edinburgh rap and spoken word artist Bee Asha.
Pictured: Dara Dubh
Scottish musical duo Norman&Corrie will welcome audiences to the St. Andrew Square Speigeltent, challenging traditional notions of folk and jazz with new pieces translated from ancestral melodies. Shetland pianist Amy Laurenson, winner of the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2023, and Glasgow artist Harry Gorski-Brown performing fiddle, pipes and vocals, are special guests.
For classical music-lovers, Fruitmarket Gallery presents a diverse programme of music for viola and cello performed by acclaimed Canadian cellist Christian Elliott and Fiona Winning, Principal Violist of the Royal Philharmonic and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestras.
New venue Leith Arches presents some of Scotland hottest new acts including Mama Terra; Glaswegian Pianist, Composer & Producer Marco Cafolla & Saxophonist Konrad Wiszniewski, Mama Terra are hotly tipped by JazzFM, Loch Lomond folk-pop singer-songwriter Liv Dawn, Edinburgh rock band Low Tide, and grunge-fuelled rock from Dutch Wine.
Portobello Town Hall is home to a free afternoon of ceilidh dancing with Bella McNab’s Dance Band, with Brazilian and Cuban big-band flair from community street band Shunpike Social Club.
Pictured: Zoe Graham
In the evening, BBC Radio Scotland’s Vic Galloway and Andy Wake (The Phantom Band) bring their spectacular club night Vitamin C out to Portobello Town Hall on New Year’s Day featuring alt-rock legends The Vaselines, infectious indie-dance from Sacred Paws and Django Django’s Dave Maclean for an epic DJ set.
Meanwhile, Leith Arches hosts a celebration of House and Old Skool, with an all-female line-up led by DJ Hayley Zalassi, and special guests SWATT TEAM and Disco T*TS, Leith Arches is guaranteed to keep you dancing into 2025.
In the evening, the music continues with the First Footin Sessions with Cold Town Beer, live events throughout the Grassmarket and New Town bars, featuring a feast of music from foot-stomping trad from Eamonn Coyne & Friends, to a special set from SAY Award nominees Afterlands’ in Cold Town House.
First Footin’ is just one of the offerings available from the four-day Edinburgh’s Hogmanay programme. Local residents and visitors from across the globe will come together to bid farewell to the final few days of 2024 and welcome in the New Year with an unmissable programme of live music and exceptional entertainment, including the world-class Midnight Moment fireworks and a celebration like no other at Edinburgh’s Street Party.
The celebrations kick off on the 29th December with the spectacular Torchlight Procession and the 30th sees a host of events including Idlewild headlining the Night Afore Concert at Assembly Rooms, and Hot Dub Time Machine warming up New Year’s partygoers with the Night Afore Disco Party in West Princes Street Gardens.
On Hogmanay night itself New Year Revels and its all-night ceilidh makes a welcome return to Assembly Rooms, while Princes Street and Princes Street Gardens will host 55,000 party goers at the world-famous Street Party featuring Hot Dub Time Machine, BBC Radio 1 DJ Arielle Free, Peatbog Faeries, Valtos and much more.
The iconic Concert in the Gardens Hogmanay show this year will welcome Texas for a 35th anniversary greatest hits show joined by special guest Edinburgh’s own Callum Beattie and Carla Easton. There’s plenty for the whole family across the four-day festivities with the Bairns Revels, Sprogmanay Family Ceilidh at Assembly Roxy, Sprogmanay at Portobello Town Hall and more.
Edinburgh’s Hogmanay 2024/25 is supported by Principal Funding Partners City of Edinburgh Council and Major Partners the Scottish Government’s Festivals EXPO Fund and Essential Edinburgh, all working together to create spectacular Edinburgh’s Hogmanay celebrations for Scotland.
Further information and tickets for Edinburgh’s Hogmanay 4-day celebrations are available now from www.edinburghshogmanay.com.
Gordon’s Trattoria, a cherished Italian gem situated on Edinburgh’s historic Royal Mile, has been acquired by Merchant Leisure.
Gordon Scott, who opened the restaurant in 1982, recently announced his retirement and has sold the venue for an undisclosed fee to his close friend Jim Tullis, owner of Merchant Leisure.
Merchant Leisure have announced they wish to keep the restaurant as it is for the time being, and continue ‘serving up authentic Italian cuisine made with passion and the finest ingredients.’ Locals and tourists alike have long enjoyed the restaurant’s authentic cuisine and prominent location, offering customers ‘the heart of Italy in the heart of Edinburgh’.
Classic Italian dishes populate the menu including ‘Tagliatelle Reale’ – plump King Prawns paired with delicate asparagus and cherry tomatoes, simmered in olive oil, garlic, white wine and parsley. A range of pizzas such as the ‘Primavera’ – topped with parma ham and a balsamic glaze drizzle – are joined by much-loved sharing options like ‘Focaccia’ and a selection of chicken-based dishes such as ‘Pollo Dianne’ – cooked in mushrooms, onions, French mustard and a brandy cream sauce.
Merchant Leisure owns bars & restaurants across the city including The Newsroom, The Piper’s Rest, Burgers & Beers Grillhouse and The Railbridge. Their speakeasy venue Jackson the Tailor, located at the top of Leith Street and inspired by the speakeasy culture of the early 20th century, was recently shortlisted for a prestigious design award by the British Institute of Interior Design.
Commenting on the takeover, Arthur Mustard, Managing Director at Merchant Leisure Ltd, said: “We are very excited to announce our ownership of Gordon’s Trattoria.
“It’s such an honour to take over an Edinburgh establishment with such rich history and loyal customers. Our plan is to keep the venue as it is for now, serving authentic Italian food in the heart of Edinburgh.
“We look forward to welcoming new customers, as well as meeting the locals who make this restaurant so special.”
Gordon’s Trattoria is the sixth venue to be listed under the Merchant Leisure umbrella and will continue serving authentic Italian cuisine in the heart of Edinburgh’s historic Royal Mile.
Four Seasons in Faith, a captivating new exhibition that highlights the rich and diverse faith communities within the city has opened at the Museum of Edinburgh.
The exhibition has been shaped by Museums & Galleries Edinburgh’s ‘Keep the Faith’ project, which worked in collaboration with the Edinburgh Interfaith Association and faith groups from across Edinburgh to curate a collection that reflects how communities would like to see their celebrations of faith represented within the museum collection.
The exhibition showcases a wide array of objects donated and loaned by members of some of Edinburgh’s major world faith communities, offering visitors a unique insight into how people embody their faith in the city today.
With the help of a group of community curators from different religious backgrounds, the exhibition tells the stories of these communities and explores how faith is celebrated throughout the year in Edinburgh.
Highlights of the exhibition include:
a Buddhist prayer wheel from the Edinburgh Tibetan Buddhist Temple
a pair of Shabbat candlesticks and a Kippah and Talitt belonging to a Jewish American immigrant now chair of the Edinburgh Interfaith Association
a Muslim prayer mat brought from Pakistan to Edinburgh in the 1970s.
The exhibition also includes items that highlight the role of faith in the broader Edinburgh community, such as hand-drawn artwork created by members of a parents and toddlers group run by the Baha’i community and St James the Less Episcopal Church, as well as a knitted hat issued by the Mission to Seafarers in Leith, a charity supporting seafarers’ mental health worldwide.
In addition to these more traditional items, the exhibition gives voice to lesser-known religious practices in the city. Visitors will discover objects used by the Heathens of Lothian in their rituals, as well as an exploration of how these practices influence Edinburgh’s vibrant festival calendar, including events like Beltane and Samhain.
As part of its ongoing work with community curators, the Museum of Edinburgh will also be creating a short film documenting the diverse faith practices in the city today. This film will feature oral history interviews and inter-faith conversations recorded at various places of worship across Edinburgh, providing a vital addition to the Museum’s social history collections. The film will be showcased at the exhibition’s closing event and will be made available on the Museum’s online channels.
Culture and Communities Convener Cllr Val Walker said: “Four Seasons in Faith is an important reflection of Edinburgh’s rich, diverse, and evolving cultural landscape, celebrating the faiths that shape the city’s identity and the people who practice them.
“Visitors to the museum can learn all about the traditions, celebrations, and stories that shape Edinburgh’s spiritual landscape throughout the changing seasons.
“The exhibition is also accompanied by a programme of events led by our community curators and their community contacts which will be a vital addition to our social history collections and will give context to the existing faith collections and the new material we have collected throughout this project.”
THE SCOTCH WHISKY EXPERIENCE SECURES THREE MAJOR AWARD WINS
The Scotch Whisky Experience, an internationally renowned whisky tourism destination by Edinburgh Castle, has achieved an exceptional series of wins at three major award ceremonies: The Scottish Thistle Awards, The Scottish Whisky Awards and The World Drinks Awards.
The national Scottish Thistle Awards named The Scotch Whisky Experience Scotland’s Best Visitor Attraction. The organisers, VisitScotland, describe the award as recognising “attractions which provide world class service with an authentic, memorable Scottish experience” and commended The Scotch Whisky Experience for “helping the world fall in love with Scotland and Scotch Whisky.”
This distinction places The Scotch Whisky Experience among past honourees such as the Burrell Collection, underscoring its contribution to Scotland’s global cultural appeal.
The Scottish Whisky Awards also recognised The Scotch Whisky Experience as Tourism Destination of the Year. Completing the hat trick, on 5 December The Scotch Whisky Experience won the major category of Visitor Attraction of the year at the World Drinks Awards’ Icons of Whisky 2025.
Chief Executive Susan Morrison, said, “Each award reinforces our mission to provide an unforgettable experience for every visitor, connecting them with Scotland’s rich whisky heritage.
“I am especially grateful to the visitors, partners and our dedicated and passionate team for making all these achievements possible”.
In addition to the organisation’s recognition, Marketing Director Julie Trevisan-Hunter was named one of the Top 100 Women in Tourism, an accolade recognising leadership and influence in Scotland’s tourism and hospitality sectors.
Adding to the trophy cabinet, Annika Schneider, PA to the CEO, was named Rising Star at the regional Scottish Thistle Awards.
Chief Executive Susan Morrison also received The Scottish Whisky Awards’ Jim Swan Award, which honours lifetime contributions to the whisky industry.
James Robertson, Chair of the Scottish Whisky Awards, explained: “Susan represents a vital part of the success of Scotch whisky and that is our tourism economy. She leads a team which inspires newcomers to whisky and teaches ways to appreciate and learn about Scotch.”
Susan Morrison reflected on the evolution of whisky tourism over her career: “During my career I have seen the Scotch whisky and Scottish tourism industries come ever closer together, celebrating the best aspects of Scotland and, in my view, the best people.
“To have been part of this journey has been a true honour. The absolute icing on the cake is seeing so many people – both visitors and team members – who established their love of Scotch with us at The Scotch Whisky Experience.
“We look forward to helping visitors from around the world fall in love with Scotch whisky in 2025.”
Road policing officers are appealing for information following a serious crash in Edinburgh city centre.
Around 1.50pm yesterday (Sunday, 8 December, 2024), police received a report of a crash involving a 63-year-old male pedestrian and a double decker bus on George Street.
Emergency services attended and the pedestrian was taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh Hospital for treatment to serious injuries. There were no reports of any other injuries.
The road was closed to allow enquiries to be carried out and re-opened around 9pm.
Sergeant Jamie Humpage said: “Our enquires are ongoing to establish the full circumstances and I am appealing to anyone who witnessed the crash and hasn’t already spoken to officers to get in touch.
“I would also appeal to anyone who was in the area at the time and who may have dash cam or private CCTV which could assist to contact us.”
Anyone who can assist is asked to call Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 1703 of Sunday, 8 December, 2024.
After wowing audiences across Australia and smashing box office records at Edinburgh Fringe 2024, everyone’s favourite ogre-inspired burlesque and drag parody is coming to Edinburgh to celebrate Christmas! Swamplesque is the award-winning, critically acclaimed, burlesque parody show from Far Far Away! This ‘outrageously fun’ (The Advertiser, Adelaide) show offers its audience a smorgasbord of performance styles.
Tickets from £21.00
Time 21:00
Age 16+ (Restriction) – Nudity, Strobe Lighting, Scenes of Sexual Nature
JASON BYRNE: NO SHOW (06 Dec – 07 Dec)
There’s no show like a Jason Byrne NO SHOW. NO SHOW is a show with no comedy safety net. By the end of NO SHOW you’ll have experienced a once in a lifetime show or NO SHOW. Jason, along with the audience, will begin NO SHOW with no show whatsoever. Witness Jason use his infamous audience interactions with a sprinkle of props, both on and off the stage, to create NO SHOW! Your ‘full-on, double-up, gasping-for-oxygen hilarious’ (Chortle.co.uk) NO SHOW will never be repeated.
Tickets from £25.50
Time 19:00
Age 14+ (Guideline) – Strong language/swearing, Babies are not allowed in the venue – Children under 2 years
Val McDermid and Nicola Sturgeon in The Company of Books (15 Dec)
Book lovers can join Val McDermid and Nicola Sturgeon for a special festive inconversation event on Sunday 15 December at Assembly Hall, for In the Company of Books. The two will be joined by special guests Alan Cumming and Paula Hawkins to explore the joys of reading, and a few glasses of mulled wine.
Tickets from £24.00
Time 16:00
THE BUBBLE SHOW (21 Dec – 22 Dec)
This is no ordinary bubble show; it’s an original, interactive adventure, where the fusion of magic, storytelling, and science converge in a breathtaking display of bubble artistry. And leading the charge is none other than the legendary Highland Joker, actor, storyteller and Guinness World Record Holder, renowned as one of the foremost bubble artists in the world!
Whether you’re a wide-eyed child or a child at heart, prepare to be captivated by the spellbinding wonder of bubbles! So come one, come all, and let your imagination soar as we dive headfirst into the spectacular world of bubbles!
Forever Edinburgh has unveiled a new charity drive today, which will see it collaborate with local tourism businesses to provide hundreds of free experiences to those most in need this festive season and beyond.
‘Resident Rewards Edinburgh Gives Back’ is being delivered via Forever Edinburgh’s ‘Resident Rewards Edinburgh’ programme, local tourism businesses, and the One City Trust, an independent charity, which supports those living in poverty or facing social inequality in Edinburgh.
Almost 500 leisure and cultural experiences will be available for One City Trust to distribute amongst its network of partners and community groups in areas such as homelessness, youth empowerment, mental health, older people, disability support, food poverty, refugees and migrants.
The scale of the initiative has been made possible thanks to the generous donations of local businesses, who have match-funded experiences purchased by Forever Edinburgh’s Resident Rewards Edinburgh programme.
This will include tickets to venues such as Edinburgh Castle, Gladstone’s Land, Go Ape Dalkeith and Camera Obscura & World of Illusions. Residents can also explore the rich stories of the capital with Mercat Tours or delve into the chilling tales at The Edinburgh Dungeon.
Camera Obscura
Tastings and tours have been organised at Johnnie Walker Princes Street, Port of Leith Distillery and Lind & Lime Gin, along with a visit to the renowned Scotch Whisky Experience. Dining highlights include The Brasserie at The Scholar, Ten Hill Place Hotel, Fazenda Rodizio Bar and Grill and The Roseate Edinburgh.
Forever Edinburgh’s Resident Rewards Edinburgh programme was launched in 2021 to reconnect residents with their city via a range of discounts, offers and exclusive experiences at attractions and venues throughout Edinburgh.
Working with local businesses, it has helped to drive the local economy, encouraging residents to get out and explore new experiences, especially at non-peak times of the year and beyond the city centre.
Edinburgh’s Lord Provost, Robert Aldridge, said:“These fantastic donations are hugely welcome and will help nearly 500 people in the city to create lasting memories. Everyone should have the opportunity to experience being a tourist in their home city, and to enjoy the incredible events and attractions we have on offer.
“Forever Edinburgh is on a drive to make sure the city’s tourism offering is truly inclusive and these contributions will be gifted to local people through our charity partners, adding to the 8,400 discounts and experiences exclusively for residents that have already been enjoyed.
“It gives a chance to people who otherwise would not be able to experience these great attractions, and I’d like to extend my gratitude to all organisations who have stepped up to make the new initiative possible and who have exceeded our expectations. Their generosity is supporting the One City Trust in its efforts to tackle inequality across our communities.”
Julie Trevisan-Hunter, Marketing Director at The Scotch Whisky Experience, added: “We have been working with Forever Edinburgh’s Resident Rewards Edinburgh since it launched in 2021.
“In that time, it has helped us to reach new audiences and attract people already living on our doorstep to come along to visit. We are delighted to support this campaign, knowing the impact it will have on those living in challenging circumstances and perhaps not able to enjoy some of Edinburgh’s iconic experiences as often as they would like.”
Resident Rewards Edinburgh Gives Back launched on Wednesday with experiences open for use until spring 2025.
Participating businesses and experiences include:
Camera Obscura & World of Illusions
Department of Magic
Edinburgh Bus Tours
Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Marine Academy
Fazenda Rodizio Bar & Grill
Go Ape Dalkeith Country Park
Gladstone’s Land
Johnnie Walker Princes Street
Lind & Lime Gin
Mercat Tours
Port of Leith Distillery
The Scotch Whisky Experience
Surgeons Quarter – Ten Hill Place Hotel
The Roseate Edinburgh
The Edinburgh Dungeon
The Brasserie at The Scholar Hotel
Registered Scottish charities or constituted community groups across Edinburgh can nominate individuals to receive a voucher. To speak to One City Trust about nominations, please contact: admin@onecitytrust.com.
For further information about Resident Rewards Edinburgh, visit:
