city centre – Page 5 – The NEN – North Edinburgh News

Happy 15th Anniversary, NEN blog!

NEN PUBLISHED OUR FIRST BLOG POST ON THIS DAY IN 2011

The very first NEN blog post was published on this day in 2011. The post read:

Hello, and welcome to the brand new NEN blog.

For those of you not already familiar with the newspaper, we are a local community paper serving the North Edinburgh community. We’ve been here for over thirty years.

This blog, along with our new Facebook page and Twitter stream, represents our first foray into the world of social media. We really want to encourage more participation, more questions and ideas from the North Edinburgh community – both online and offline – and hope that these new tools will help us to do that.

We already have a good website, where you can always find the latest edition of the printed newspaper. The blog won’t be replacing that, but will instead be there to show people the latest news about the area, and also to help us cover the current funding crisis we are facing as an organisation.

Above all, we want to include your input on the blog – be it ideas for stories, comments, pictures and events. So get in touch!

The NEN’s website was sadly deleted when funding ceased but our social media presence continues on both Twitter and Facebook and the blog is still going strong with 10 – 12 posts daily.

2025 was the NEN blog’s busiest ever year with 36,000 visitors. As I write this we’ve published more than 38,000 posts – all of these remain accessible online – and we’re currently on a run of publishing on 2749 consecutive days.

When the NEN office in Crewe Road North closed much of the NEN archive material was lost, but thankfully some of our picture library was salvaged and can now be found at granton:hub (Madelvic House), where the volunteer archive team has also collated all remaining hard copies of the North Edinburgh News newspaper.

Hopefully, between the physical archive and the NEN blog, you can find all you need to know about our community’s rich history – and we’re adding to that history every day!

The Real Mary King’s Close celebrates another record-breaking year as visitor numbers continue to rise

VISITORS FROM 147 COUNTRIES FUEL RECORD YEAR

One of Edinburgh’s leading visitor attractions, The Real Mary King’s Close, has reported another record-breaking year after welcoming 296,726 guests in 2025, marking continued year-on-year growth and reinforcing its position as one of the Capital’s most popular experiences.

The latest figures represent an impressive 5% increase on 2024, when the attraction welcomed 282,525 visitors, making 2025 the third consecutive record year for The Close. Located beneath Edinburgh’s historic Royal Mile, the attraction continues to draw strong interest from both domestic and international audiences keen to explore the city’s hidden history.

Traditionally one of Edinburgh’s peak summer months, July saw 38,079 visitors undeterred by warmer weather, instead choosing to step below the Royal Mile to uncover Auld Reekie’s rich heritage, hidden streets, and stories from the city’s past.

Over the course of the year, The Real Mary King’s Close welcomed visitors from 147 countries, underlining its global appeal. International guests travelled from as far afield as the Åland Islands, Belize, French Polynesia, Kyrgyzstan, Mauritius, Namibia and Nepal, alongside key tourism markets in Europe, North America and Asia.

The visitor site’s reputation is further reflected in its online performance, now boasting over 5,780 reviews across Google and Tripadvisor, with 93% rated four stars or higher, positioning it among Edinburgh’s highest-rated cultural experiences.

Alongside its core offering, The Real Mary King’s Close continued to expand and diversify its programme in 2025, launching two new tours while seeing strong ongoing demand for its established special experiences. Introduced in April, Carnage and Contagion: The Plague Tour welcomed 574 guests; Coffee & Closes, in partnership with John’s Coffee House, attracted 884 guests in its first year.

These new additions sat alongside the continued success of specialist and limited-run experiences, which allow returning visitors the opportunity to delve into different facets of Scotland’s history, including the Dr Arnott Experience, which welcomed 3,043 guests, and four Underground Unlocked free-flow events that together welcomed 976 guests.

Retail performance also remained strong, with historically inspired merchandise proving particularly popular. Best-selling items included the Plague Dr Shopper bag, with 5,363 units sold, and the Plague Ducktor, which sold 3,538 units during the year.

Paul Nixon, General Manager at The Real Mary King’s Close said: “Achieving another record-breaking year is a fantastic milestone and demonstrates the overwhelming appetite for immersive, high-quality historical experiences in our Capital City. Our dedicated team welcomed nearly 300,000 guests in 2025, from 147 different countries.

“We are continuing to evolve our offering through new tours and experiences while staying true to what makes The Close distinctive – its powerful storytelling, authenticity and a deep connection to Edinburgh’s past. It’s so encouraging to see consistent growth across both the peak and shoulder seasons, and we’re excited to build on this momentum.”

For more information about The Real Mary King’s Close and bookings please visit:

www.realmarykingsclose.com

St. Mark’s: Your Unitarian Church

Although it has been stolidly nestling between Victorian buildings for nearly 200 years, St. Mark’s Unitarian Church in Castle Terrace, the only Unitarian church in Edinburgh, is one of the city’s best-kept secrets (writes MARTYN BAGULEY).

Unitarianism isn’t a New Age religion – there have been Unitarian congregations in Edinburgh since 1776 – but the meaning of the name has changed with time.

Originally used to affirm the oneness of God as opposed to the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, it has evolved to represent a ‘unifying’ home for all of us who are on different spiritual journeys, from Christians to atheists.

Whilst drawing on the inspiration of Christianity and other religions, philosophies and nature, it encourages members to be open-minded and develop their own spiritual paths.

The welcome you will receive on arriving and the peaceful atmosphere of the church sanctuary are not unique to St. Mark’s, but you will find that aspects of the service are. Led by either the resident minister, The Rev. Janine Sim, a visiting minister or lay preacher, there may, or may not, be readings from the Bible, but there will be thought-provoking readings from secular works and references made to other religions.

There will be moments for meditation or prayer, a sermon on the theme of the service – which can be found up to 3 days before the service by Googling https://www.edinburgh-unitarians.org.uk – musical interludes when a talented pianist plays the superb Weinbach grand piano (worth coming just for that!) and probably three hymns.

Some, but not all, of the hymn tunes may be familiar to you, but the words may not be. Don’t worry: you can sit or stand and just quietly reflect on the meaningful words.

After the service you can enjoy light refreshments in the adjacent church hall where you will probably meet and make friends with people from not only Edinburgh but also from many other places in Britain and the world.

Who knows – you make want to come again – and again.

Teens charged after incident involving bladed weapons in city centre

Two males, aged 17 and 15, have been arrested and charged after a report of people with bladed weapons seen in Edinburgh city centre yesterday.

Officers, including specialist firearms officers, were called to Rose Street around 2.55pm on Friday, 16 January, 2026.

No one was reported as injured.

The 17-year-old is due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday, 19 January.

The 15-year-old will be reported to the relevant youth justice authorities.

Detective Inspector Alan Sharp said: “We are grateful for the support shown by the public to our investigation so far.

“Further enquiries remain ongoing to establish the full circumstances. I would urge anyone who may have been in the area at the time and has not yet spoken to police to get in touch.

“You can call 101, quoting reference 1999 of 16 January, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”

The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo announces biggest-ever charity donation of £1.5 million

Landmark contribution marks the Tattoo’s largest ever investment in arts and cultural organisations

The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo has announced the largest charitable donation in its history, awarding a monumental £1.5 million to good causes following the success of its 2025 Show, The Heroes Who Made Us.

The record-breaking total will support 15 military and arts charities, significantly increasing funding across the Tattoo’s full charity portfolio and ensuring vital support reaches organisations working with communities and individuals most in need.

Between 2016 and 2019, the Tattoo donated £1 million annually to charitable causes, before contributions were impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Setting an ambitious goal to return to and surpass this figure by 2025, the organisation has now exceeded expectations, marking a major milestone in its 75-year history.

The announcement follows an additional £157,000 donation to St Columba’s Hospice, generated through a 2025 initiative that saw 75p from every ticket sale donated to the Edinburgh hospice.

The charity milestone comes as the organisation looks ahead to its 2026 Show, A Call To Gather, with creative ambitions continuing to evolve under the Tattoo’s Creative Director, Alan Lane (above).

The Show is inspired by tradition rooted in Scottish identity, which saw the gathering of the clans become a gathering of nations, allies, friends, and kindred spirits, all with a shared purpose. The call has gone out to attend the must-see Tattoo performance in the summer of 2026.

Bill Morris LVO, Board Chairman of The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, said: “This extraordinary £1.5 million donation represents the very heart of what the Tattoo stands for which is using our global platform to make a meaningful difference.

“The success of the 2025 Show has allowed us not only to honour our past, but to invest in causes that will have a lasting impact on lives across the UK and beyond.

“We are immensely proud of what has been achieved and grateful to everyone who played a part in reaching this milestone.”

Jason Barrett, Chief Executive of The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, said: “2025 was a monumental year for the Tattoo, and it’s incredibly special to see that success translated into tangible support for so many charitable causes.

“We are of course proud to continue our long-standing support for our military colleagues, but this year also marks our largest ever donation to the arts. At a time when arts organisations are under increasing pressure, this contribution recognises the powerful connection between the arts, performance and the military – a connection that the Tattoo embodies so successfully.

“This achievement belongs to our performers, our teams, and the audiences who joined us night after night and sets an exciting foundation as we enter 2026.”

The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo returns for their 2026 Show, A Call to Gather, from 7 – 29 August and tickets can be purchased at:

edintattoo.co.uk/tickets

or on the phone on 0131 225 1188.

Encore Bars Group acquires The Globe Bar in Edinburgh

Specialist business property adviser Christie & Co has announced that The Globe Bar on Niddry Street has been acquired by hospitality operator Encore Bars Group, adding to the group’s growing city centre portfolio.

Encore Bars Group operates several venues across the city including The Boston Bar on Hanover Street, Freddy’s on Frederick Street, and Westside Rodeo on George Street.

The new owners ran The Globe Bar in its current format over the festive period before closing after Hogmanay for a full refurbishment. They plan to reopen the venue in February 2026 with a new concept.

Edward Fox, Director at Encore Bars, said, “We are delighted to be setting some roots in the Old Town for our expanding group. We have been looking for the right venue, and definitely feel we have found it at The Globe.

“We can’t wait to add our personality and touch to the venue in the New Year, aiming to open in February 2026 with our next concept.”

Simon Watson, Senior Business Agent at Christie & Co commented, “We are delighted to get this deal over the line for Edward and the team at Encore Bars. It is an excellent location to expand their business into Edinburgh’s Old Town.

“Our role goes beyond selling agents, and through our established network and contacts we are also able to identify acquisition opportunities.

“We welcome confidential, no‑obligation discussions for those looking to explore their options in the hospitality sector.”

Return to Middle-earth as The Lord of The Rings Trilogy celebrates it’s 25th anniversary at Vue

One of the most iconic and beloved fantasy trilogies of all time, The Lord of The Rings, is returning to the big screen at Vue venues in Edinburgh – marking a quarter of a century since audiences fell in love with the epic adventures of Frodo and the fellowship.

Based on the legendary book series by J.R.R. Tolkien, the extended editions of this epic saga will be shown at Vue, giving fans the chance to experience the trilogy as it was meant to be seen.

Directed by Peter Jackson, the trilogy received a combined total of 30 Academy Award nominations and won 17 Oscars upon its original release, cementing its place as one of the most celebrated achievements in cinematic history.

Set in the realm of Middle-earth, Frodo Baggins leads a group of hobbits, who find themselves tasked with a quest to destroy the One Ring, a perilous mission that could determine the fate of the world and stop the dark forces of Mordor, led by the Dark Lord Sauron.

Joined by the wizard Gandalf, the human ranger Aragorn and other unforgettable characters such as Legolas and Gimli, audiences are invited to follow this motley crew across treacherous terrain and epic cinematic battles in one of cinema’s most beloved and ambitious stories.

Robert Smith, General Manager of Vue Edinburgh Omni, said: “The Lord of the Rings trilogy is simply made to be seen on the big screen so, to mark 25 years since its release, we’re thrilled to return to Middle-Earth at Vue.

“Whether you’ve simply walked to Mordor many times before or are venturing into the world of J.R.R. Tolkien for the first time, we’re excited to welcome audiences to enjoy this iconic trilogy at Vue.”

To find out more, visit myvue.com

The Lord of the Rings – 25^th Anniversary screenings take place on:

The Fellowship of the Ring (Extended) – From 16 – 29 January

The Two Towers (Extended) – From 18 – 27 January

The Return of the King (Extended) – From 25 January – 4 February

Witness appeal following Queensferry Road crash

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

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

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

No other injuries were reported.

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

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

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

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

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

City Council: Business Drop-in

You’ll be surprised at the range of ways the Council supports Edinburgh’s businesses to help them succeed.

Join us at the Assembly Rooms on 3 February 2026 to talk with our teams and some of our partner organisations that support businesses. It’s your chance to ask questions, share your thoughts, and learn more about how we work for, and with, businesses to make our city a better place.

Get answers to practical questions – from business rates and what licences you may need for new businesses and much, much more.

3 February 2026 10am to 1pm

Assembly Rooms, George Street Edinburgh EH2 2LR

Free but please register https://mtcedinburgh.eventbrite.com