Over 65s go FREE at Dynamic Earth this Silver Sunday!
On 4th October, adults over 65 visit free at Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh’s only Science Centre & Planetarium.*
Explore immersive galleries, uncover the story of our planet and experience a presenter-led show or spectacular dome film beneath our 360° Planetarium.
Whether you’re discovering the forces that shape Earth or exploring the wonders of space, there’s something for curious minds of every age.
Simply visit our Ticket Desk on the 4th of October to claim the offer in person with our team.
Recent rainfall has brought a marked improvement in water scarcity conditions across Scotland, with no areas now at Significant Scarcity compared with seven in the previous report.
The latest Water Scarcity Report from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) shows conditions have improved across a number of areas following recent rainfall.
Stonehaven, North Esk, Tay Estuary (North), North Fife, Fife (East Neuk), Whiteadder Water and Berwickshire coastal have all recovered from Significant Scarcity in the last week. The number of areas at Moderate Scarcity has also reduced from five to two, with only Tyne (Lothian) and Tweed catchments remaining at this level.
However, the improvement does not mean water scarcity pressures have ended. River flows, soil moisture and groundwater levels remain low across much of eastern Scotland, and more prolonged rainfall will be needed for a sustained recovery. Without sustained rainfall, the Lower Tweed area could reach Significant Scarcity within the next week.
Among other areas showing recovery this week, Esk (Angus), Firth of Tay and Firth of Forth have moved down to Alert; Deveron and Ythan have moved to Early Warning; and Cree and Spey have returned to Normal Conditions.
Despite the improving overall picture, the underlying indicators continue to show the effects of prolonged dry conditions. River flows remain low to very low across much of eastern Scotland, while the west continues to experience normal to high flows.
Ground conditions also remain dry across parts of eastern Scotland, with only limited improvement in soil moisture in recent weeks. Groundwater levels remain low to very low across much of the east, although levels elsewhere are generally normal or above normal.
Claire Tunaley, Senior Hydrologist in SEPA’s Water Resources Unit, said: “The recent rainfall has helped with recovery, and it is encouraging that we no longer have any areas at Significant Scarcity.
“However, this follows a prolonged period of dry weather and we are not yet seeing a full recovery across eastern Scotland. River flows, soil moisture and groundwater remain low in a number of areas, particularly in the south-east.
“What happens next will depend on the amount and persistence of rainfall we receive. Short periods of rain can improve conditions, but sustained rainfall is needed to replenish rivers, soils and groundwater after a prolonged dry period.”
The latest Water Scarcity Report, together with advice for abstractors and irrigators and SEPA’s Drought Risk Assessment Tool, is available on the SEPA website.
SEPA will continue to publish weekly updates on water scarcity conditions until all areas have recovered to Alert or below.
Current water scarcity levels
Moderate Scarcity: Tyne (Lothian), Tweed
Alert: Don (Aberdeenshire), Dee (Aberdeen), Esk (Angus), Firth of Tay, Firth of Forth, Almond
Early warning: Findhorn, Deveron, Ythan, Tay, Earn
All areas not mentioned above are at Normal conditions
Current data and conditions
The latest information on water scarcity and river conditions is available through:
Scotland can experience flooding and water scarcity at the same time. The two are not contradictory.
Flooding can result from intense rainfall over a relatively short period, while water scarcity reflects the effects of prolonged dry conditions on rivers soils and groundwater. Conditions can therefore vary considerably between different parts of Scotland and individual catchments.
Rain in an area also does not automatically mean water scarcity conditions will improve. After prolonged dry weather, intense rainfall can cause river levels to rise rapidly and lead to localised flooding, but those rises may be short lived. For water scarcity conditions to recover, river flows need to improve sufficiently and remain higher over time.
Dry soils and low groundwater levels can also take longer to recover, meaning sustained rainfall over longer periods may be needed to reverse the effects of prolonged dry conditions.
Water scarcity levels
SEPA uses five levels to describe water scarcity: Normal Conditions, Early Warning, Alert, Moderate Scarcity and Significant Scarcity.
The levels reflect increasing pressure on the water environment. At Significant Scarcity, SEPA may temporarily restrict abstractions from the environment where necessary to protect rivers and ecosystems.
Water scarcity levels relate to the water environment and are not an assessment of public drinking water supplies.
DRAT stations and significant scarcity
SEPA monitors a network of long-established low-flow gauging stations across Scotland to identify when river flows have remained unusually low for a sustained period.
The Drought Risk Assessment Tool (DRAT) shows how many days each station has been below Q95, a recognised low-flow threshold. When a station reaches 30 days below Q95, the catchments it represents move to Significant Scarcity and SEPA will impose any abstraction restrictions required.
Each station represents a defined Significant Scarcity area, which may contain one river or several catchments. As a result, the number of DRAT stations reaching the threshold and the number of areas at Significant Scarcity may be different.
How long water scarcity can last
Water scarcity does not necessarily end at the end of summer. Conditions can improve or deteriorate depending on rainfall and how rivers, soils and groundwater respond.
EDINBURGH innovators have secured a string of national awards for university-developed ideas spanning women’s health, the creative industries and disease detection.
Leading the region’s success is WombWise, developed by Edinburgh Napier University Data Engineering graduate Emily Youngs, who was crowned winner of the Create Change Challenge at the 2026 Converge Awards.
The system has been developed to tackle the long delays many women face in securing a diagnosis of endometriosis and polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS). Endometriosis is a chronic condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows elsewhere in the body. It affects around one in 10 women of reproductive age, according to the Endometriosis Foundation.
Through combining data from wearable devices such as smartwatches with an AI symptom tracker, WombWise aims to give women objective evidence they can take to their GP.
Emily Youngs said: “What we’re doing at WombWise is using wearable devices that are already on the market, like Oura Rings and Apple Watches, repurposing that data and looking for pain markers.
“We’re tracking women for pain rather than fertility and pregnancy, trying to see if they’ve got potential signs of endometriosis or PMOS and helping them towards a potential diagnosis.
“I’m just so shocked to even be here, never mind win. I’m very happy”
WombWise was joined by fellow winners in the Edinburgh region, Stage Analytics from Queen Margaret University, which secured the Creative Fusion Prize, sponsored by Mark Logan, for technology that helps event venues and producers make better use of their data. Its real-time dashboards streamline information and provide stronger evidence to support decisions around scheduling shows.
Heriot-Watt University also celebrated success through RecoverPX, led by Helen Bridle, which secured the Ventures Lab Prize as well as a Blue Economy Prize for technology designed to help water companies detect potentially harmful contamination more reliably.
Its first focus is Cryptosporidium, a parasite which can contaminate water supplies and the technology has already been tested by several UK water companies.
Winners from universities across the Edinburgh region continued with Pleiades Dynamics, led by Stephen Spice from the University of Edinburgh, who secured the Space Challenge award in the first year of this new category, funded by Space Scotland and the Higgs Centre for Innovation.
The region’s universities also claimed a runner-up place in the Converge Challenge category, with Heriot-Watt University’s TissueMetrics, led by Michael Crichton and Sara Medina-Lombardero, also picking up The Data Lab special prize.
The Data Lab works with Scottish universities to advance innovation and skills in data and artificial intelligence. TissueMetrics is developing technology to help improve the treatment of inflammatory skin diseases, such as eczema.
AI for the Eye, founded by Michaela Thorne, has developed a non-invasive, AI-powered retinal imaging system designed to transform how bovine tuberculosis is detected in cattle. It rounded off a strong showing for Edinburgh region universities across healthcare, the creative industries and animal health.
Michaele Thorne said: ““The money is going to be used to make the retinal imaging prototype for cattle, which means we’ll be able to take the device onto farms and image live animals. It means we can validate the business and push things forward.
“It was unexpected and really exciting to win. It’s going to do a lot of good for the business.”
Juto Bio, represented by Commercial Lead Jude Taylor from the University of Edinburgh, won the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre special prize (IBioIC). The company uses waste from Scottish whisky distilleries to grow tiny algae, which are turned into natural products that help crops grow. It offers farmers a cheaper alternative to treatments made from seaweed.
Adam Kosterka, Executive Director of Converge, said: “Edinburgh has an extraordinary concentration of academic and entrepreneurial talent and this year’s results demonstrate the breadth of innovation emerging from universities across the region.
“WombWise is addressing a significant challenge in women’s health, while the success of Stage Analytics, RecoverPX, Pleiades Dynamics, TissueMetrics, AI for the Eye and Juto Bio shows just how varied university entrepreneurship in the Edinburgh region has become.
“These are very different ventures, but they share our ambition to take strong ideas beyond the university environment and turn them into something capable of delivering real-world impact.”
That ambition sits at the heart of Converge, which works with staff, students and recent graduates to develop the commercial skills, expertise and connections needed to turn promising university ideas into sustainable businesses.
Backed by the Scottish Funding Council, a network of corporate partners and Scotland’s universities, the programme combines practical business support and training with equity-free funding.
Paul Devoy, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Funding Council, said: “We’re proud to have been able to support Converge’s impact on Scottish innovation and entrepreneurship for the past 15 years.
“The Converge Awards are a fabulous way to celebrate the university-led innovation that plays an important part in Scotland’s ambition to be amongst the world’s most innovative nations.
“All the participants in this year’s programme have contributed to new thinking and entrepreneurship, and this year’s winners and finalists represent exceptional creativity in solving global challenges.”
Formed in 2011, Converge has become a driving force for university-led innovation, supporting more than 1000 academic entrepreneurs who have gone on to establish over 500 companies.
Businesses taking part in the Converge programme have a three-year survival rate of 86%, significantly above the national average. This reflects both the strength of innovation emerging from universities and the quality, support and rigour of the programme.
Building on that milestone, Converge is preparing to launch Converge 2.0 in 2027, an evolved offering which will broaden its support and introduce more tailored, sector-specific pathways for ventures at an advanced stage of development.
Edinburgh resident Vineet Lal has expressed his thanks to William Purves Funeral Directors for going above and beyond to organise his parents’ funerals held six years apart.
Vineet’s mother, Saroj Lal, passed away in 2020 during the Coronavirus pandemic. Despite the restrictions placed on funeral services, Vineet believes William Purves did everything possible to create a special and meaningful event.
This included commissioning a videographer to capture the day on film and organising the funeral procession to pass locations of personal significance, including the Edinburgh Hindu Mandir, on the journey from the family home to Mortonhall Crematorium.
The Edinburgh funeral director safely stored Saroj’s ashes throughout the pandemic, after which they were returned to the family for an immersion ceremony held at Edinburgh’s Ganga Ghat.
The ceremony held particular significance for the family; in the 1990s, Saroj championed the establishment of Ganga Ghat on the River Almond in Edinburgh, marking the first designated location in Scotland for Hindu and Sikh communities to perform Asthi Visarjan – the ritual scattering of a deceased loved one’s ashes into flowing water.
Vineet said of his mother’s funeral: “Despite the restrictions posed by the pandemic, William Purves delivered a memorable, personal funeral.
“The team suggested creative ways to celebrate Saroj’s life and personality throughout the ceremony and organised a videographer to film much of the day for future generations to look back on.
“Their support leading up to the event, on the day and long after went above and beyond what I could have expected of a funeral director.”
When his father, Amrit, died in 2026, Vineet turned to the independent funeral director once again. Having captured recordings and video clips of his father talking about his life in the intervening years, Vineet wanted to repurpose the material to present at the funeral, effectively allowing Amrit to tell his own story – and say his own goodbye.
William Purves Funeral Directors obliged the request, pulling the clips together into a presentation, stitching it with music and streaming it during the funeral. Recordings of Saroj were also incorporated, as were many of the couple’s accomplishments and cherished moments.
The clips were presented just a few feet away from Amrit who lay at rest in an open casket for Antim Darshan – a traditional practice for Eastern cultures. This meant all guests had the chance to pay their respects in their own way.
Vineet thanked the funeral director for their efforts: “A huge credit to everybody at William Purves for rising to the occasion, providing technical expertise and team support for both the home service and cremation, and guiding me through each step so that we could transform my vision into a reality.
“What started as an idea became, after much editing and rehearsing, a life-changing experience not just for me but for everyone who attended the funeral. We gave it our all and I cannot thank William Purves, and everyone else involved, enough for the work they put in to help achieve this dream.”
Andrew Purves, William Purves COO and Funeral Director, commented: “We were honoured that Vineet chose William Purves to organise the funerals of both his mother and father.
“Placing your faith in a funeral director is a deeply personal act of trust, and one which we do not take lightly. It was a privilege to help realise Vineet’s vision and celebrate the remarkable stories of both Saroj and Amrit.”
Vineet added: “My parents’ funerals have given me an important insight into the funeral industry, and the compassion, empathy and emotional intelligence of those who work within it.
I am hugely impressed by the way that they carry themselves, and I’m so grateful to the funeral directors, embalmers and wider team that cared for my parents.”
A 36-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection with a number of high-value housebreakings across Scotland.
The incidents happened at various addresses in the Edinburgh, Glasgow, Midlothian, West Lothian and East Renfrewshire.
The man was arrested in the Newcastle area and is due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday, 5 October, 2026.
A team of detectives are continuing to work with partners, including police services across the UK, investigating acquisitive crime as part of Operation Virion.
Detective Superintendent David MacGregor said: “Whenever a home is broken into, the impact on the householder, their families and the local community is significant. We are very aware that many of the items stolen have a significant sentimental value as well as financial value.
“Our enquiries remain ongoing into this series of housebreakings. We are determined to disrupt the activity of those involved and will do everything in our power to bring them to justice.”
Anyone with any information can contact Police Scotland via 101 or alternatively, make an anonymous report to the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
73 brand new affordable homes are now complete at Murrayburn Gate and ready to hand over to new residents
Delivered in partnership with CCG Scotland Ltd these modern, energy-efficient homes have renewable heating, solar panels and landscaped communal spaces.
New residents are expected to move in over the next 2 – 3 weeks.
Edinburgh College’s Waterfront Nursery has become the first non-local authority early years setting in Scotland to secure a national certification for serving fresh, local and sustainable food.
The nursery, which is operated by the College, gained the Food for Life Served Here (FFLSH) Bronze certification, for serving food that’s good for health, the environment and the local economy. The nursery serves 34,000 meals each year.
Nursery Manager Catherine Buchanan and Chef Lukasz Szyszka received the FFLSH Bronze certificate from Food for Life Scotland’s Business Development Manager – Scotland Sue McVey during a celebration event at the nursery.
The Food for Life Scotland (FFLS) programme, led by Soil Association Scotland and funded by Scottish Government since 2009, provides a framework through which local authorities and public sector sites can ensure they are serving good food.
This is done by meeting a set of standards to achieve the FFLSH certification at Bronze, Silver or Gold level.
Since 2024, Food for Life Scotland’s remit has expanded to support caterers to achieve the certification in the wider public sector. Waterfront Nursery has become the 26th Scottish public sector site to do so. Through the process of gaining the certification, Waterfront Nursery has increased the amount of scratch cooked food on the menu.
As part of the Food for Life Served Here Bronze certification, Waterfront Nursery also ensures that a minimum of 75 percent of dishes are cooked from scratch using unprocessed ingredients. Meals are also free from undesirable trans fats, sweeteners and additives, and use free range eggs, higher welfare meat and ingredients from sustainable and ethical sources.
Waterfront uses produce from a wide range of sustainable providers, including the likes of Bonaly Farms for milk, Blacketyside Fruits for strawberries, and East Lothian Produce for cabbage, potatoes and parsnips.
Catherine Buchanan, the Manager of Waterfront Nursery, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to have received this recognition from Food for Life Scotland, which highlights our dedication to providing our early learners with the absolute best quality of food possible.
“Ensuring our children are well-fed with fresh, local and sustainable food is just part of our approach, which always has our learners at its very heart. This award is the culmination of months of hard work from so many people at Waterfront, and we’d like to thank every single person involved in getting us to this stage.”
Sarah Gowanlock, Programme Manager, Food for Life Scotland, said: “We’re thrilled to welcome Waterfront Nursery to the Food for Life Scotland programme and congratulate them on being the first non-local authority early years setting to achieve the Food for Life Served Here Bronze certification for their meals service.
“The early years are a crucial period for developing healthy diets. We’re delighted that children at the nursery will be eating more scratch cooked and sustainable food every day.
“The Food for Life Scotland team can offer support to public sector caterers across Scotland, to follow in the footsteps of Waterfront Nursery and our other public sector certification holders in Scotland.”
People across Scotland are being encouraged to prepare and be aware by understanding the information available to them as the latest seasonal outlook points to an increased likelihood of wetter and more unsettled conditions later this autumn and into early winter.
The current El Niño is now the strongest in the observational record and increases the chances of wetter and stormier conditions across north-west Europe, including the UK. But El Niño is only one influence on our weather and cannot tell us exactly when or where severe weather or flooding will happen.
That uncertainty makes it important to understand flood risk before severe weather arrives, know where to look for information and think about how flooding could affect the places that matter to you.
As Scotland’s flood warning authority, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) is highlighting the practical steps people can take to prepare and be aware, alongside the network of monitoring, science and specialist expertise behind Scotland’s flood information.
Across Scotland, SEPA monitors water levels at 392 locations and operates more than 280 automated rain gauges. Many are small pieces of infrastructure people may pass without ever knowing what they are, but the information they collect helps specialists understand changing conditions and contributes to Scotland’s flood forecasting services.
Eleanore Cooper, SEPA’s Head of Environmental Forecasting, Warning and Informing, said: “Being prepared means knowing your flood risk and looking ahead. Being aware means understanding what information is available, what different flood messages mean and where to find the latest information when conditions change.
“Flooding doesn’t have to come through your own front door to affect you. That’s why we encourage people to think about the places that matter. It could disrupt the road you use to get to work, your workplace, local services you rely on or somewhere friends or family live.”
Prepare: know your risk and look ahead
When unsettled weather is approaching, the Scottish Flood Forecast provides a three-day outlook showing where flooding from rivers, surface water and the sea may occur and the potential impacts.
Produced by the Scottish Flood Forecasting Service, a partnership between SEPA and the Met Office, the forecast is updated every day.
Be aware: know what information is available
Different sources of flood information are designed to do different jobs.
Regional Flood Alerts provide early information when flooding is possible across a wider area and can cover flooding from rivers, the coast or surface water.
Local Flood Warnings provide more targeted information when flooding is expected in defined communities where SEPA has the monitoring and forecasting capability to provide them.
People can register with Floodline to receive Flood Alert and Warning messages for the areas that matter to them and get information sent directly to them. That can include where they live, work or regularly travel through, as well as areas where friends or family live.
Eleanore added: “No single source tells you everything about flood risk because they are designed to do different things.
“The Scottish Flood Forecast helps you look ahead to what is expected over the next few days. Flood Alerts give early information across a wider area, while local Flood Warnings provide more targeted information where that service is available.
Knowing what’s available and how those different sources work together means you are better prepared when conditions change.
“And Floodline isn’t just about your home address. You can keep an eye on the places that matter to you, whether that’s your workplace, somewhere you regularly travel through or where someone you care about lives.”
People should also continue to follow weather forecasts and warnings issued by the Met Office, particularly during periods of heavy or persistent rain.
The science behind the information
Behind Scotland’s flood information is a network of monitoring, forecasting and specialist expertise that most people never see.
At river gauging stations across the country, equipment continually monitors changing water levels. SEPA teams also make physical measurements to understand the relationship between the level of a river and the amount of water flowing through it.
Because rivers and channels change over time, equipment and measurements are regularly checked to make sure the information remains reliable.
That information is brought together with data from SEPA’s rain gauge network, weather forecasts, computer modelling and specialist judgement to help flood forecasters understand how conditions are developing.
Bruce Campbell, SEPA Hydrometry National Team Manager, said: “People can pass one of our gauging stations without ever knowing what it is or what it is doing. But sites like these across Scotland are essential so we can continually monitor what our rivers are doing.
“The equipment is one part of a much bigger system. Our teams maintain the monitoring network, take measurements and check the data, which is then used alongside rainfall information, weather forecasts, modelling and the expertise of our flood forecasting colleagues.
“All of that work happening behind the scenes helps us build the best possible picture of developing flood risk and provides useful information to communities and first responders across Scotland.”
The same forecasting expertise also supports Scotland’s emergency preparedness. The Scottish Flood Forecasting Service produces a daily Flood Guidance Statement for Category 1 and Category 2 responders, helping local authorities, emergency services and other organisations prepare for and respond to potential flooding.
People can view the Scottish Flood Forecast, current Flood Alerts and Warnings and register for Floodline through SEPA’s website at sepa.org.uk/flooding
8 in 10 workers say that flexible working is important in a job
Acas updates its Code of Practice on flexible working to reflect upcoming new changes to the law
A new survey from workplace expert, Acas, found that nearly 8 in 10 employees (78%) said that flexible working was important in a job.
The YouGov poll asked employees about the importance of flexible working in a job and only 20% said it was not important.
The Employment Rights Act 2025 introduces new changes to the law that employers must follow if staff request flexible working.
If employers are considering rejecting a request, they will have to follow a new process to first consult with their employee. An employer can only then reject a request if it is reasonable to do so.
Acas has launched a consultation on updates to its existing Code of Practice on requests for flexible working to reflect these new law changes and encourage good practice.
Acas Chair, Baroness Maggie Jones, said: “Our poll reveals that flexible working continues to be a popular requirement for employees in a job. When it works well, it can benefit employers, staff and the wider economy.
“Acas’s updated Code will help employers and employees understand the new law, reach fair and effective decisions and prevent disputes. We are keen to get views on whether it is clear and practical.”
The upcoming law changes set out that an employer may only refuse a flexible working request if they feel it is reasonable to do so. Employers will also need to take specified steps to consult with their employee about a request, unless they accept it in full.
Minister for the Future of Work, Kate Dearden, said: “Flexible working isn’t just about where or when people work. For businesses it’s an important part of retaining talent and building a stronger workforce, and for workers the right flexibility can be the difference between staying in a job or leaving it.
“Next year, we’re helping more workers fit their job around everyday life, providing more protections that mean if flexible working suits them and their employer, they are free to do so without fear of a reasonable request being turned down.”
The revised Code explains how and when employers should consult employees and supports both sides to have constructive conversations about what may be possible. It helps employers reach reasonable decisions based on four principles:
reaching decisions based on evidence
adapting where possible to enable a request
working together to find solutions
acting transparently and consistently
These principles are relevant to organisations of every size and sector, although how they are applied will depend on the circumstances, including an employer’s size, resources and operational needs. The Code is intended to support a fair and reasonable approach, not to prescribe the same outcome in every workplace.
Timewise CEO, Clare McNeil, said: “Acas’s updated Code will be a valuable and necessary step in turning the Employment Rights Act into legislation that works in practice, not just in principle.
“Our work shows that even shift-based and site-based roles have more room for flexibility than employers often realise. The organisations that get ahead of this stand to gain the most through better retention, better wellbeing and thousands more people able to access and stay in work.”
The new changes to the law around statutory flexible working requests are expected to take effect in Autumn 2027.
The consultation on the new draft Code of Practice can be found at:
Such a change could involve a transfer of legal responsibility from local authorities to NHS Boards. The First Minister has indicated the Scottish Government’s intention to also replace the current 14 territorial NHS Boards with two strategic health boards.
Social care and social work services in Scotland are currently operated through local Health & Social Care Partnerships, which bring local authorities and NHS Boards together to ensure integration in the planning and delivery of community health & social care services.
The Scottish Government’s Programme for Government proposals have been considered by Council Leaders at recent meetings on the 11th and 25th of September, where Councillors have expressed serious concerns regarding the impact of the social care plans.
Commenting today (2nd October 2026), COSLA’s Health & Social Care Spokesperson, Councillor Paul Kelly said:“Individuals are shaped by the people, the buildings, the services and society around them.
“At its heart, social work and social care support are about seeing a whole person and supporting them to live a full life in the community. Social care and social work play an essential role in supporting people to retain their independence, often in their own home, and to help people live well.
“A proposal to incorporate social care into a large health infrastructure could risk medicalising disability, care and support, instead of building on progress towards independent living.
“Social care and social work must be seen as an equal partner to the NHS, not subsumed within it.”
