Cramond – Page 2 – The NEN – North Edinburgh News

Lauriston Castle launches 2026 centenary programme

To celebrate 100 years since the Castle was gifted to the nation by the Reids, this year’s programme has a strong 1920s theme.

The centenary programme was officially launched with a visit from Councillor Margaret Graham, Culture and Communities Convener, who joined colleagues and volunteers at the castle to mark the beginning of a year-long celebration.

Featuring an exciting and varied selection of events, the programme will include talks, creative workshops, film screenings, and family fun activities. Highlights include:

Immersive heritage experiences inspired by different periods of the castle’s past
Interactive outdoor activities and themed trails for families
Seasonal festivals celebrating culture, craft and community
Costumed interpretation and live performances
Creative workshops, talks and special tours

A highlight of the year will be the original murder mystery plays, composed and performed by Edinburgh Living History, where guests can use their sleuthing skills to uncover the culprit.

In August, the 1920s-inspired scavenger hunt, reflecting popular leisure activities of the era, will have guests following the clues to meet some characters from the past whilst enjoying the beauty of the grounds.

Visitors will be able to enjoy the return of much-loved Japan Sakura, offering another weekend of fun, with the opportunity to take part in traditional crafts and hands-on activities for all ages.

To mark the centenary, guests can also watch a series of film screenings of titles both made and set in the 1920s starting with ‘The General’ (1926).

Many events will be free to attend, with some ticketed experiences available through advance booking. Details of all events are listed on the Culture Edinburgh website.

Culture and Communities Convener Margaret Graham said: “Lauriston Castle is one of Edinburgh’s most treasured sites, and the centenary is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate both its past and its future.

“This programme brings together heritage, creativity and community in a way that reflects the spirit of Mr and Mrs Reid’s generous gift.

“We look forward to welcoming new and returning visitors to discover everything that Lauriston has to offer in 2026.”

Adult Creative Workshop Programme at Lauriston Castle

Our Lauriston adult creative workshop programme for 2026 is now live and bookable.

16 fantastic adult creative workshops for you to explore your creativity in our supportive relaxing setting.

Explore here:

https://cultureedinburgh.com/search?q=Adult%20Creative%20workshops

Appeal following fatal crash near Cramond Bridge

ROAD Policing officers are appealing for information after a fatal crash in Edinburgh.

Around 11.10pm last night – Monday, 2 February, 2026, Police received a report of a crash involving a car and a pedestrian on the A90 near the Kirkliston slip road at Cramond Bridge.

The car involved was a red Ford Fiesta.

Emergency services attended, but the pedestrian, a 36-year-old woman, was pronounced dead at the scene.

No other injuries were reported.

Sergeant Michael Thomson, of Road Policing East, said: “Our thoughts remain with the family and friends of the woman who died at this difficult time.

“I am appealing to anyone who was driving in the area at the time and witnessed the crash to come forward with information.

“I’d also ask that those with dash-cam footage review this to see if it has captured anything of significance.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident 3646 of 2 February, 2026.

A90 remains closed northbound following road accident

The A90 remains closed northbound from Cramond Bridge towards the Queensferry Crossing due to a crash reported to police at around 11.10pm last night (Monday, 2 February, 2026).

Motorists are asked to avoid the area.

Cramond nursery opens to families this Saturday for its Winter Open Day

For parents looking to kick-start their search for the right nursery, Bright Horizons is opening its doors for its Winter Open Day tomorrow – Saturday, 24th January.

Bright Horizons’ Cramond is inviting parents to drop in and speak with early years professionals about places, funding and admissions, with the opportunity to watch your child enjoy some of the activities the nursery has to offer.

What: Bright Horizons Cramond Winter Open Day
When: Saturday 24th January 2026 between 10am – 1pm
Details: Reserve your spot today here: Open Days | Bright Horizons

The open day is designed to be informal and flexible – from brief drop-ins to longer visits – allowing parents to explore the setting at their own pace, meet the team and learn more about The Nurture Approach, Bright Horizons’ unique child-centred framework.

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!

Drop-in Gardening at Lauriston Agroecology Farm restarts TODAY

Drop-in Gardening starts again on Thursday 15 January, and Tuesday 20 January 1pm-3pm …

If you’re looking for a way to learn about growing food …

or to share the knowledge you have…

or for community…

or for some fresh air and gentle exercise…

or to feel like you’re making a difference…

or for a reason to get out the house – try coming along!

Newcomers and beginners always welcome. Please try to arrive 10 minutes before the start time on your first day (12:50pm) – after that, it’s drop-in anytime during the opening hours.

You can get involved with growing fruit and veg in the shared plot, wildlife habitat enhancements, and taking care of the wildflower mound and Community Orchard.

Just come along on a Tuesday or Thursday afternoon and you’ll be welcomed in.

We’ve got outdoor work kit you can borrow, plus gloves, and we supply all the tools. Just bring yourself.

Access notes and FAQs are on our website here:

http://www.lauristonfarm.scot/…/drop-in-gardening…/

If you have any questions or need some support to get started, please contact us!

Edinburgh Agroecology Co-op: Lauriston Farm Tour

Welcome to the first Lauriston Farm Tour of 2026!

Find out what a difference 12,000+ tree and hedgerow saplings are making to this urban farm …

Sunday 1 February 11am (finishes 2pm)

£6 with solidarity options of £3 or £9

Book tickets on Eventbrite: https://tr.ee/1yCViS

If you’re curious to learn more about Lauriston Agroecology Farm – and especially about why we planted so many trees – come along to our farm tour on Sunday 1st February.

Farming with trees (‘agroforestry’) was once commonplace, and nearly got swept away by large scale industrial agriculture and monocrop growing. We will share how we are reviving it here at Lauriston Farm, with all the hope and excitement this brings.

You’ll hear from the folk who look after the trees on the farm – sharing what we’ve done, why we’ve done it, and what we’ve learned so far + then all return to the Community Kitchen for soup, bread and chat from 1pm-2pm.

(If you want to make a day of it, please stay on for the Orchard Wassailing in the afternoon)

Who is This For?

We welcome all curious visitors, including total newcomers with no previous knowledge about farming or trees, as well as farmers and growers and anyone interested in a career or volunteering in this type of work. The tour is aimed at adults or interested young people (the free event in the afternoon is more suited to children).

Accessibility Notes

This is a walking tour across the farm, lasting around 1.5hrs, potentially also suitable for all terrain/off road wheelchairs or mobility scooters, but probably not standard wheelchairs. The ground is rough, and will be wet and muddy in parts. We will be in groups of 15-20 people.

Please contact us if you have any accessibility questions or requests

Police appeal following attempted theft of supermarket ATM

Detectives in Edinburgh are appealing for information following the attempted theft of an ATM in Barnton early this morning.

The incident happened around 2.50am on Wednesday, 7 January, 2026 at a supermarket in Whitehouse Road.

A black Nissan Navara is understood to have been used in an attempt to steal the ATM which then drove deliberately at a police car. The police officer was not hurt.

The driver exited the Nissan Navara and got into a vehicle which could be an Audi A3 with another two men.

The vehicle made off in the direction of Maybury Road. The Nissan Navara was recovered at the scene.

The three men were dressed in black clothing with face coverings.

Detective Inspector Alan Sharp said: “We are keen to speak to anyone who was in the area at the time and saw anything suspicious.

“As part of enquiries, we are carrying out a review of CCTV and conducting door to door enquiries.

“I would ask residents to check doorbell footage to see if you have captured anything that can assist our enquiries. I would ask motorists to do the same and check dash-cam footage.”

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101 quoting incident number 0257 of 7 January, 2026, or alternatively anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Edinburgh Scouts swap Santa Sleigh for Santa Fe in festive fundraiser

Vertu Hyundai Edinburgh East and West are helping Santa Claus and the Craigalmond Scout Group spread festive cheer and raise money for charity by lending a Hyundai SANTA FE to tow their Christmas sleigh through the streets of Edinburgh.

From 7th – 13th December, the specially branded SANTA FE will support the Scouts’ annual sleigh ride, a tradition that sees volunteers dressed as elves and Santa himself greeting families along the route.

This year, the sleigh will travel through Cammo, Cramond, Barnton, Craigmount, Silverknowes and Parkgrove each evening, with children invited to stop the sleigh for a photo with Santa and donate to the cause.

Funds raised will support Cancer Card, and help finance the Scout group’s expeditions.

*01/12/25 Vertu Motors Hyundai 390 Calder Road, Edinburgh*

The initiative was spearheaded by Sandra Smit, CMA Accountant at Vertu Hyundai Edinburgh East and West, and Scout Leader with the Craigalmond group. Her own children are members of the Scouts, making the event a personal highlight of the season.

The dealerships responded enthusiastically to the request, fitting the vehicle with a roof rack to help transport gifts and decorating it to reflect the festive spirit.

Sandra said: “The sleigh ride is something our community looks forward to every year. It’s magical for the children and meaningful for the Scouts.

“Having Vertu Hyundai Edinburgh East and West donate the use of the SANTA FE to pull Santa’s Sleigh means we can reach more families and raise even more for the causes we care about.”

Arun Raghu, CMA General Manager at Vertu Hyundai Edinburgh East and West said: “When Sandra approached us, we didn’t hesitate. The Scouts do fantastic work locally, and this is a brilliant way to support them while bringing Christmas joy to the community.

“The SANTA FE might not fly, but it’s certainly going to make an impression!”