A shuttle bus service will run daily from Tuesday 21 April to connect Davidson’s Mains and Cramond while the 47 bus is out of service on that section of the route.
– Shuttle buses will run every 15 minutes starting from the Tesco in Davidson’s Mains.
– They will run daily from 7am – 7pm.
– They will travel on a loop between Tesco at Davidson’s Mains, along Cramond Road South, Gamekeeper’s Road, and Cramond Road North. We expect the full loop to take around 15 minutes subject to traffic.
– The buses will stop at all bus stops that are usually serviced by the 47 bus along that section of the route.
– Each bus can hold up to 16 people.
There is also a replacement bus service between Cammo and Cramond.
Join us for our Japan Sakura @ Lauriston Castle – a festival spanning 2 weekends (Sat 18/Sun 19 & Sat 25/Sun 26 April), celebrating the blossom at Lauriston Castle.
SHUTTLE BUS SOLUTION TO D MAINS ROUNDABOUT CLOSURE
Important update on 47 bus diversion
We wrote to you yesterday about Lothian Buses’ decision to divert the 47 bus service during the 9 week duration of the roadworks at the Davidson’s Mains roundabout.
The consequence of the change, due to start from Monday, is that the 47 will run along Queensferry Road to the terminus at Cammo without serving Cramond Road South and Whitehouse Road.
As we explained yesterday, it was completely unacceptable to us for Cramond to be left without a key bus link for so long.
We want to thank the literally hundreds of our constituents who have emailed us about this. Please accept our apologies for the fact we’ve not been able to reply to everyone.
We hope you’ll understand our focus over the last 24 hours has been in finding a solution for our constituents who rely on the 47. As councillors, we felt our job was to keep up the pressure on both Lothian Buses and Edinburgh Council officers to get action.
Our strong preference was for Lothian to simply route the 47 right at the Barnton junction and into Whitehouse Road for a loop around Cramond. This would replicate the old route of the service. We pressed Lothian to consider this.
However, Lothian have refused to adopt this temporary route because of their concerns over the impact it could have on the timings of the service as a whole.
Nevertheless, we have now managed to secure an important new alternative service which we hope will help –
We’ve had it confirmed tonight that that a free to use shuttle bus will be available for Cramond residents. This will operate between Cramond and Cammo. People can then connect to the 47 bus for journeys along Queensferry Road and onward.
This will be up and running by the middle of next week – ahead of the schools returning from their Easter break. We will share more specific details of when we have them.
We know this shuttle service is far from ideal – however, it will mean people can still get public transport to connect to the 47 bus service when they need it.
We also want to make sure the work in Davidson’s Mains is completed as quickly as possible so things return to normal just as soon as they can.
We will of course keep you informed as we get more information.
Davidson’s Mains roundabout closed from Monday (13 April) for work to improve road safety. There will be no access for vehicles from Cramond Road South, Main Street or Quality Street.
The city council is working hard to limit disruption and working closely with Lothian Buses to put alternative plans in place for Cramond residents from next week.
Join the Walking Group this Monday, 9th March at 10am for our next walk to Davidson’s Mains Park.
We’ll be setting off for a fun-filled morning of exploration, so don’t forget to bring your walking shoes, a waterproof jacket, and a bag for your essentials.
This is a fantastic opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals and immerse yourself in the beauty of our local areas.
Date: Monday 9th March
Time: 10am -1.30pm (meet at the centre for 10am)
Lunch: Picnic lunch provided, but bring a bag, walking shoes and a waterproof jacket, please
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.”
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!
Stores across the country have been overwhelmed by the generosity of customers who donated at the Tesco Winter Food Collection.
An incredible 1.48 million meals’ worth of long-life food items were donated to the collection between 24 November and 29 November across the retailer’s large and Express stores, including 41,804 in and around Edinburgh.
More than 2,000 volunteers helped store colleagues throughout the collection where every item donated provides much-needed support for food redistribution charities FareShare and Trussell in the run up to Christmas.
In addition, more than £300,000 was donated to both charities thanks to customers rounding up their bill at the till to the nearest pound and online donations throughout the collection period. When combined with Tesco’s financial support of the charities, it equates to more than £2m in funding in 2025.
Trussell research shows over 14 million people in the UK are now facing hunger, including 3.8 million children. They predict that their community of foodbanks will need to give out an emergency food parcel every ten seconds this winter to meet the need.
FareShare continues to see high levels of need and say that more than a third of its partners now primarily serve families with children, or services for children. Research carried out by the charity’s network partner, The Felix Project, recently found that almost a quarter of UK working parents have had to turn to a food support service in the last year.
Donations to Trussell help food banks to provide emergency food parcels to people who cannot afford the essentials, while donations to FareShare support thousands of frontline local charities in communities across the country.
This winter will see heightened levels of demand for both charities’ services with the Christmas holidays being a particularly difficult time for families due to the increased costs that occur at this time of year.
Tesco UK CEO Ashwin Prasad said: “As ever, we have been overwhelmed by the generosity of Tesco customers who have shown how much they value the hard work of our partners Trussell and FareShare in their local communities.
“I just want to say a huge thank you to everyone who donated and made this such a special event in stores across the UK. Every single item donated really helps to make a huge impact in communities across the UK supported by Trussell and FareShare.”
FareShare Chief Executive, Kris Gibbon-Walsh, said: “Once again, the generosity of Tesco customers at the Winter Food Collection has been humbling. The long-life items collected will go to 8,000 charities across the UK, helping to support people during the winter months.
At a time when many people are forced to choose between keeping warm and eating, demand for these local charities’ services is higher than ever. The food that we can provide thanks to the Winter Food Collection makes a real difference, helping to bring people together, strengthen communities and support those in need.
“Thank you to every single person that donated an item of food, topped up their shopping bill or generously gave their time to volunteer in store. Your support will help provide a meal for someone facing hardship this winter, enable them to connect with other vital services, and make a positive difference. Thank you.”
Matthew van Duyvenbode, co-chief executive of Trussell, said: “We are so grateful to Tesco for supporting our community of food banks through the coldest season by organising the annual Winter Food Collection.
“Crucially, it’s thanks to you – Tesco customers – who donate food and money so generously. By doing this, you’re ensuring food banks can continue to help people in your local community who are facing hunger and hardship. Thank you for your kindness. When we all play our part, we can end hunger for good.”
With both charities requiring ongoing support, Tesco shoppers can continue to donate food at permanent collection points at every Tesco store in the UK or make a donation after their online shop until the end of February.
RESIDENTS AT STRACHAN HOUSE CARE HOME ENJOY CHRISTMAS ACTIVITIES WITH BEAVER VISITORS FROM LOCAL CHURCH
Residents at Strachan House care home, in Edinburgh recently enjoyed Christmas bingo, card making and carol singing with a visiting group of local Beavers from Davidson’s Mains church.
The event, which took place on evenings throughout the week welcomed the group of Beavers to enjoy music, games and activities with residents at the home.
The children and residents were supplied with plenty of Christmas snacks whilst they enjoyed their games and activities and the home now have a beautiful display of hand-crafted Christmas cards to enjoy throughout the season.
General Manager, Frances Fisher of Strachan House care home said: “The residents at our home had a great time enjoying this intergenerational activity.
“The Beavers were able to share with us their stories, crafting abilities and their beautiful singing voices. This event brought so much joy to residents, staff and the Beavers alike”.
Strachan House care home is run by Barchester Healthcare, one of the UK’s largest care providers, which is committed to delivering personalised care across its care homes and hospitals.
Strachan House provides residential care, nursing care and dementia care for 83 residents from respite care to long term stays.
Join us at Lauriston Castle on Sunday 5 October to celebrate Silver Sunday.
Silver Sunday is the national day for older people, which is co-ordinated by Age UK.
Age UK’s Silver Sunday is a national day where people of all generations can come together by hosting fun and free activities for older people. It is a day where older people can meet new people, visit new places, try new activities and connect with their local communities and the generations around them.
