New funding for social care, hospices and non-domestic rates relief
The Finance Secretary has welcomed Scottish Liberal Democrats support for the Scottish Government’s 2026-27 Budget.
Investment will be brought forward to update the Budget in a number of areas, including:
A further £2.9 million for the hospice sector, to delivery pay parity for staff with the NHS Agenda for Change
An additional £20 million to the Local Government Settlement for social care – which can be used towards funding the Real Living wage for adult and childcare sectors
Further strengthening the non-domestic rates package for licensed hospitality and music venues, meaning rates relief for eligible premises liable for the basic and intermediate property rates will rise to 40% for the next three years, subject to a £110,000 cap per business
Ms Robison said: “This Budget and our wider spending plans are focused on the priorities of the people of Scotland – ramping up cost of living support, driving further improvements in the NHS and supporting our landmark efforts to eradicate child poverty.
“We have been clear that we would seek to work constructively to deliver on these priorities and the Liberal Democrats have engaged in our discussions in a positive manner throughout the Budget process.
“There are a range of areas where we share priorities and have acted upon – such as the college sector, hospices, and social care. With that agreement now in place to secure a majority in parliament in support of the Bill, I am confident we will make lives better for people in Scotland.”
COSLA has welcomed the budget announcement by the Scottish Government of an additional £20 million for local government to use for social care, which can be used towards funding matters such as the Real Living Wage for adult and childcare services.
Cllr Paul Kelly, COSLA’s Health and Social Care spokesperson, commented: “”We welcome the Scottish Government’s decision to fully fund the cost of implementing the Real Living Wage across contracted Adults and Children’s Care.
“This decision is an important one that gives our partner providers assurance that direct care workers will receive at least the Real Living Wage in 2026-27.
“While the additional funding is welcome, the budget still falls short of the £750 million in urgent investment the sector truly needs. COSLA will continue to seek further investment in social care in the years to come.”
Councillors yesterday (12 February) agreed the first full set of spending programmes for funding raised by the Edinburgh Visitor Levy, which comes into effect on 24 July 2026.
At a special meeting of the City of Edinburgh Council, councillors agreed a package of transformational funding worth over £90 million over the next three years to sustain and enhance Edinburgh’s reputation as one of the most beautiful and enjoyable destinations in the world.
In what is the first scheme of its kind in the UK, today’s decision sets out the amounts and projects within three well-defined investment programmes, as agreed by Council in January 2025: City Operations and Infrastructure; Culture, Heritage and Events; and Destination and Visitor Management.
Over the past twelve months, these programmes have been developed by Council officers, informed by feedback from public consultation and industry engagement, elected members and other stakeholders. The independent Edinburgh Visitor Levy Advisory Forum has also been consulted and provided feedback and recommendations on the programmes.
In accordance with the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act (2024), funds raised by the levy must be reinvested in local facilities and services substantially used by business and leisure visitors. All investment streams will be formally reviewed alongside the overall scheme in 2029.
Key initiatives agreed yesterday include, but are not limited to:
Ambitious projects to renew and restore principal areas of Edinburgh, including investments in our town centre high streets, £3m for public realm improvements in Hunter Square (with the potential to combine with investment in the Tron Kirk) and £2m and £2.5m respectively towards transforming the city’s key coastal visitor attractions at Cramond Foreshore and Portobello Promenade.
£5m to restore Leith Theatre and create a year round culture and live music space, expanding cultural opportunity beyond the city centre.
£3m towards transforming the iconic Old Royal High School into a world class, accessible national centre for music, shaped by community engagement and open to all.
Partnering with Police Scotland to create a City Centre Policing Unit, increasing public safety in the city centre and freeing up existing resource for frontline officers to be more present across other areas of the city – supported by an £850,000 investment in increased CCTV to allow residents and visitors to feel more safe in the city, town centres and other busy areas.
£2.75m to create a Market Street Arts Hub, reinvigorating the City Art Centre and collaborating with the Fruitmarket to create a new arts and learning destination at one of the city’s major visitor gateways.
£3.85m to speed up the Setted Streets renewal programme and £3m for new and upgraded public toilets to maintain Edinburgh’s streets, public spaces and public infrastructure to a world-class standard.
Funding to ensure the city’s streets and open spaces are cleaned and kept to a high standard, including a £100,000 per year upgrade and replacement programme for bins in high footfall areas, £500,000 per annum to expand work to tackle graffiti through extra support for private businesses and £1.3m on additional operations services for the city centre (waste, cleansing, patrols).
Investing in our Premier Parks across the city to create improved spaces where the highest footfall and impact on the environment is experienced – and increases to the parks repairs budgets, while doubling the number of Park Rangers across the city.
Programmes to green the city with additional investment in planting, such as floral gateways, to improve the look and feel of the city’s green spaces as well as the overall visitor experience
Councillors also instructed officers to bring a report to the Transport and Environment committee setting out options to deliver further public realm improvements in the city centre, including both Princes Street and George Street, and how they should be prioritised.
Council Leader Jane Meagher said: “We’re rightly proud to be the first local authority in the UK to push ahead with a city-wide visitor levy scheme, and I can’t stress enough just how big an opportunity this is for our city, our residents and our visitors.
“Let’s not forget why we’re doing this. These spend programmes will help us not only to sustain and enhance the things that make our city so special, but also to better manage the effects of tourism and major events on those who live here all year round.
“But it’s so much more than that. After all, what’s not to like about visitors to Edinburgh contributing towards projects and services that benefit us all?
“We can now invest further in our plentiful parks and greenspaces, transform our city into a cleaner, greener and more welcoming environment, put more police on our streets and bring much-loved cultural venues such as the Royal High School and Leith Theatre back into use for the first time in decades. The list goes on.
“Agreeing these investment programmes today is a significant milestone in delivering a scheme that has been many years in the making, and is the result of a huge amount of development and engagement; engagement that, I’m pleased to say, will continue with communities making spending decisions in their local areas.
“I’m grateful to the many Council officers, Forum members, businesses and residents for their valuable contributions and for helping us to make this happen. I’m sure, like me, they’re looking forward to seeing the many benefits the levy will bring to our historic and beautiful Capital city.”
Commenting on the news that Edinburgh Visitor Levy Investment Programmes have been agreed by Edinburgh Council, Cllr Kayleigh Kinross-O’Neill, Edinburgh Green Group co-convenor, said: “The Transient Visitor Levy is an innovation we can all be proud that Edinburgh is making.
“The legislation was passed in Holyrood in 2024 but the idea was raised by Green councillors in City of Edinburgh more than a decade ago. Scottish Greens in local and national chambers have welcomed the levy rolling out in our capital city – the first city in the UK to do so.”
Cllr Kinross-O’Neill continued: “Our group put forward bold proposals to redistribute visitor levy funding to free bus travel, to invest in improving the city is more accessible and sustainable. And most importantly, we have pushed hard to increase investment in genuinely affordable housing to address the spiralling rents which are partly due to overtourism.
“The Green group comes to this decision from a fundamentally different position to other political groups. Edinburgh already suffers from overtourism, especially at festival time. We do not believe that Edinburgh needs ever more visitors.
“We believe we need to better manage the tourism that we already have for the benefit of residents and visitors alike.”
Cllr Alex Staniforth, Edinburgh Green Councillors Finance spokesperson, said: “Our proposals rejected unnecessary spending on the whims of private business regarding graffiti and bunting.
“We also rejected the pie-in-the-sky notion that extra funding for police will improve the night time experience. Instead we proposed funding for local initiatives, free bus days for residents and visitors alike, more for sustainability and accessibility as well as funding for important cultural assets like Gorgie Farm and the Tron Kirk.
“I have a background in tourism, I want to share this beautiful city with our visitors and our proposals would have let us share it responsibly and happily.”
Edinburgh City Centre Green councillor Claire Miller said: “I’m delighted that one of the key Green Group proposals for Visitor Levy funding was to help and support people who tend to gather in and around Hunter Square, where there are currently significant impacts for visitors as well as the tourism and hospitality industry.
“This project would look at the human aspect and to work directly with people to help them and to tackle the issues at a much deeper root-cause level, so that harm can genuinely be reduced for them. I’m disappointed this project was not funded today, but I hope it can be considered in future years.”
Commenting on the agreement between SNP, Labour and Lib Dems to scrap the George Street project, Cllr Claire Miller said: “I’m gobsmacked that SNP councillors today have scuppered the long overdue pedestrian and cycle priority project for George Street.
“George Street is an important section of the “city centre west-east link”, the segregated route to cycle safely between Roseburn and the top of Leith Walk. The project is almost ready to start, with designs that have taken a decade to develop in collaboration with all stakeholders.
“I’ll be the first to call out the deficiencies – it’s got far too few trees and not nearly enough protection for cyclists – but it’s essential that the project goes ahead to complete the CCWEL.
“Greens stand by the many residents and businesses who have invested considerable time and energy into a vision and design which would transform George Street.”
Chair of the Visitor Levy Advisory Forum, Julie Ashworth said: “I’m very pleased that agreement has been reached for these first spend programmes, which I hope will have a transformative impact on both protecting Edinburgh’s unique heritage and supporting its future success.
“The Forum has worked closely with Council officers over the last few months to provide robust feedback on these initial investment streams and ensure the levy is delivered in a way that is fair, just and brings benefits to everyone in the years to come.
“Today’s agreement of the first round of investment is just the beginning and there will be plenty of opportunities for further proposals to come forward.
“As the programmes begin to expand and bear fruit, we will provide feedback on performance and continue to put forward the views of the city to ensure they are fairly and accurately represented and taken into account over the next three years and beyond.”
Other programmes designed to help meet the Council’s objectives in its Business Plan and Tourism Strategy include:
A Housing and Tourism Mitigation Fund which could help deliver 472 affordable homes between 2026/27 and 2028/29, with more than 75% potentially available for social rent. Making more social rent homes available could allow households currently using unsuitable temporary accommodation, such as bed and breakfasts, to access more appropriate settled accommodation. This would return B&Bs to their intended use for shorter-term guests.
Initiatives to strengthen awareness of Edinburgh’s diverse, year-round offer by inspiring visitors and residents to explore beyond the well-known attractions, leading to more balanced visitor numbers and impact around the city, throughout the year.
Programmes to provide direct support for the visitor economy to improve economic as well as environmental sustainability, fair work and innovation and help the sector to be more resilient, ethical and ready for the future.
Giving Edinburgh’s cultural organisations the investment and support to innovate and generate new world class content for the whole city, all year round by supporting local talent, spreading cultural activity and ensuring culture remains accessible, affordable and embedded in communities.
Investing in Edinburgh’s cultural and heritage locations to secure their futures as high-quality visitor destinations, green, creative and well maintained, spaces.
A Well-Kept City Fund to help to revitalise the city through a range of Clean, Green, Safe, Well-Maintained and Sustainable Infrastructure themed projects:
Clean: Ensuring the city’s streets and open spaces are cleaned and kept to a high standard.
Green: Protecting the quality of our green spaces through effective maintenance and visitor management.
Safe: Providing extra resource to allow residents and visitors to feel more safe in the city, town centres and other busy areas.
Well-Maintained: Maintaining Edinburgh’s streets, public spaces and public infrastructure to a world-class standard.
Sustainable Infrastructure: Ensuring that public transport and events spaces are responsibly protected and used to their best.
The Council has also agreed that £2m of income generated from the levy would be used to support new participatory budgeting (PB) activity over the next three years. PB involves communities making decisions on how public money is spent.
Speaking before the special council meeting to allocate ‘tourist tax’ funding, Fiona Campbell MBE, CEO of the Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers, said: “From a grandiose super cycle lane on George Street to bringing back the Festival Cavalcade, Edinburgh Council has compiled an extensive shopping list based on projected revenue.
“Some of the ideas are merited from a visitor economy perspective, but a dose of realism is required. Many should already be part of basic council core spending – and it shouldn’t take a tourist tax for adequately policed streets in the city centre.
“To retain confidence, the Council must be laser focused on ensuring the spending falls within the statutory purpose of the visitor levy legislation. In particular, the plan for affordable housing not only scapegoats local businesses for issues beyond their control, industry has also repeatedly warned that is legally dubious.
“Given the Council’s recent track record in the courts on short term lets, the last thing it needs is another legal challenge.”
The levy applies to paid overnight accommodation booked after 1 October 2025, if the stay takes place from 24 July 2026 onwards.
It is a 5% payment on the accommodation-only cost and applies to the first 5 nights’ stay. The scheme is projected to raise up to £50 million a year to invest in protecting, supporting and enhancing Edinburgh’s worldwide appeal as a place to visit and live.
Four men have been convicted of serious organised crime offences linked to Operation Portaledge.
Kieran Abercrombie, 32, Kenzie Gardner (pictured, top), 19, Tyler Ramage (pictured, above), 19, and Robert Thomson (pictured, below), 18, pleaded guilty to wilful fireraising at the High Court in Edinburgh today, Thursday, 12 February, 2026.
They had been arrested and charged by police on 23 May, 2025, after two vehicles were deliberately set on fire in Pitcairn Grove in Edinburgh on Thursday, 8 May 2025.
Abercrombie, Gardner and Thomson, also pleaded guilty in relation to a fire at a premises on Cumbernauld Road in Stepps, which happened on Thursday, 8 May, 2025.
Thomson also pleaded guilty to a firearms offence, while Abercrombie pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit criminal activity.
They are all due to be sentenced at the same court on Tuesday, 10 March.
Detective Chief Superintendent Dave Ferry, Specialist Crime Division, said: “These were concerning incidents for the local community and now those responsible will face the consequences of their actions.
“I want to make it clear to those intent on being involved in serious and organised crime that we will not give up and you will be brought to justice.
“These convictions are further examples of Police Scotland’s commitment to the Serious and Organised Crime Taskforce and its national strategy”
Operation Portaledge is the ongoing investigation into violent incidents in the East and West of the country.
An Edinburgh children’s hospital has become the first in the world to introduce pioneering new personal navigation technology from Waymap, helping families to travel more easily from home to specific consulting rooms and wards.
The Royal Hospital for Children and Young People (RHCYP) at Little France is the first hospital globally to go live with Waymap – a ground-breaking app that guides visitors from their front door directly to the correct hospital department.
Made possible thanks to a partnership between Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity (ECHC), NHS Lothian, and personal navigation specialist Waymap, the app gives families step-by-step directions both inside and outside the hospital, making visits more accessible and less stressful.
Families like Gilly Bain’s, whose daughters Finty (3) and Mackenzie (6) have been admitted to the RHCYP numerous times with recurrent respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and other ailments, have already described the app as a gamechanger for navigating hospital visits.
Gilly, Founder & CEO of YOURGB, Edinburgh, said: “Making your way to hospital with a very unwell child is one of the most high-stress moments in any parent’s life.In that moment, the absolute last thing you need is to panic about which building is the right one, or which of the many car parks it is that you’re meant to use.
“This app takes away that added pressure, and it is going to make a world of difference to so, so many families.”
Already in use at major transport hubs, shopping centres and sports stadiums in the UK and around the world, Waymap works indoors, outdoors and underground. It helps people move confidently through unfamiliar spaces, regardless of vision, mobility, or language skills.
Roslyn Neely, CEO of ECHC, said: “Hospital visits can already be a daunting experience, especially for children and families with additional needs. This ground-breaking technology removes one of the biggest sources of anxiety – finding your way.
“Not only will it make journeys to the hospital much simpler by guiding people directly to where they need to be, it will also help to ease anxiety, break down language barriers, and reduce missed appointments.”
The Waymap team carefully mapped the hospital’s indoor physical space using a LIDAR scanner, which uses lasers to map spaces in 3D. The app guides families along clear routes displayed on a smartphone screen or via audio instructions. It is available in multiple languages and integrates with bus and train timetables.
Celso Zuccollo, CEO of Waymap, said: “We are really excited to be making wayfinding easier for children and families visiting the hospital.
“Waymap’s precise personal navigation technology works indoors and outdoors, making it ideal for helping patients, staff and visitors find their way to and around a busy hospital.”
Aris Tyrothoulakis, Service Director, Women’s and Children’s, NHS Lothian, said: “We are proud to be the first hospital in the world to introduce this technology to support our young patients and their families.
“It is about making the journey to and from hospital easier, reducing stress, and helping families to feel more confident and independent from the moment they arrive.”
Dr Olivia Swann, Paediatric Infectious Diseases Consultant, NHS Lothian, said: “My colleagues and I realised we were spending a lot of time helping anxious families find their way around the hospital.
“I was sure we could do this better. My research led me to Waymap and their innovative way of helping people navigate complex indoor settings.
“Working with Waymap and ECHC, we managed to secure funding to bring this amazing app to the families at RHCYP and hope it helps make hospital visits simpler and less stressful for everyone.”
The RAF Benevolent Fund has launched a new campaign in Scotland, Valentine for a Veteran, highlighting the impact of loneliness and isolation among RAF veterans and the power of small acts of kindness in helping them feel connected.
Timed around Valentine’s Day – a period when family life, friendships and togetherness are particularly visible – the campaign focuses on delivering thoughtful Valentine messages from children and young people across Scotland to RAF veterans who may be experiencing isolation and ill health.
Alongside sharing messages of kindness, the campaign invites communities to fundraise in support of the RAF Benevolent Fund’s ongoing welfare work with veterans and their families.
This year, the Fund has worked in partnership with Sight Scotland, recognising that many older veterans are living with visual impairments. Textured Valentine cards, created using materials such as felt, ribbon, fabric or buttons, have been especially meaningful for veterans with sight loss, allowing them to experience the messages in a more tangible way.
One of the veterans who received a Valentine message was David Innes, 94, from Edinburgh, who joined the RAF as a boy entrant in 1949 and served for more than ten years as an Aircraft Fitter.
Reflecting on his service, David said:“I really enjoyed my time in the RAF. I joined when I was very young and it became a huge part of my life. I travelled a lot and learned skills that stayed with me long after I left.”
Now later in life, David lives with significant sight and hearing loss, which he says can contribute to a deep sense of isolation. He explained: “When you lose both your sight and your hearing, it can be very isolating. You rely on other people and it’s easy to feel cut off from the world and from social life.”
For David, receiving a Valentine message is about more than the card itself. “Something like this really lifts you. It makes you feel remembered and valued. Knowing that someone has taken the time to think about you makes a big difference.”
He also highlighted the importance of intergenerational connection within the veteran community. He said: “It’s important that younger people understand who veterans are and what we’ve done. That connection helps keep our experiences alive and reminds you that you’re still part of something.”
Gavin Davey, Area Director of Scotland, Northern Ireland & North-East England at the RAF Benevolent Fund, said the campaign helps to shine a light on an issue that often goes unseen.He explained:“Across the nation, many veterans face increased risk of loneliness and social isolation, particularly in later life.
“Factors such as living in rural or remote communities, declining health, sensory loss and reduced mobility can make it harder to stay connected. ‘Valentine for a Veteran’ has had a huge response from the public, schools and community groups across Scotland, and will help veterans feel included, valued and connected.
“We are extremely grateful for the public thoughtfulness and generosity to help the RAF Benevolent Fund to continue to provide the practical, emotional and financial support veterans rely on throughout the year.”
Families, schools, youth groups and community organisations were invited to fundraise alongside taking part. All funds raised will support members of the RAF Family including veterans, serving personnel and their families with practical, financial and emotional support.
The RAF Benevolent Fund continues to support RAF veterans and their families across Scotland through a wide range of welfare services, addressing issues such as isolation, health challenges and changing support needs later in life.
Ahead of the 20th anniversary of Scotland’s smoke-free legislation coming into force on 26 March 2026, people in Edinburgh who quit smoking at the time are being encouraged by a campaigning health charity to share their stories.
ASH Scotland is urging people who stopped using tobacco to share their experiences about why the ban on smoking in enclosed public spaces helped to motivate their quit smoking attempts and how becoming tobacco-free has benefited their life.
Local residents who have quit smoking more recently are also invited to tell the charity ahead of No Smoking Day on 11 March what influenced them to stop and if they succeeded through personal determination or with the free expert support available from NHS Scotland’s Quit Your Way services.
Sheila Duffy, Chief Executive of ASH Scotland, said: “With two big celebrations coming up in March in the shape of No Smoking Day and then the 20th anniversary of Scotland’s leading smoke-free law, we would love to hear from people in Edinburgh about how living tobacco-free has boosted their health and personal finances.
“We are looking forward to hearing everyone’s success stories which could inspire others to try giving up smoking for the first time or to try again when they discover the methods and support that worked 20 years ago or in more recent years.”
Four writers from Edinburgh have been named as this year’s recipients of Scottish Book Trust’s 2024 New Writers Award.
Tutor Alice Rowena Wilson, writer and poet Shasta Hanif Ali, primary teacher Amie Robertson and journalist Sukhada Tatke were selected out of hundreds of entries to take part in this year’s mentorship programme.
Every year, Scottish Book Trust, the national charity changing lives with reading and writing, holds its prestigious year-long writer development programme to support burgeoning writers in Scotland. In addition to a £2,500 cash prize, awardees receive invaluable mentorship from established writers and industry professionals, a week-long retreat, and opportunities to showcase their work to key figures in the publishing world.
Since its launch in 2009, the New Writers Awards have had an extraordinary impact on publishing. Of the 212 awardees who have completed the programme, 96 have published their work, and 210 books have been published worldwide.
Previous awardees include Graeme Macrae Burnet whose 2015 novel His Bloody Project was shortlisted for the Man Book Prize.
Pakistani-Scottish writer Shasta Hanif Ali is a winner of the Edinburgh 900 Poetry Competition 2025 and the 2024 Candlestick Press Light Poems competition.
She’s also written and performed her poetry at Push The Boat Out Poetry Festival and Edinburgh’s International Book Festival amongst others.
She says: ‘I am delighted to receive the New Writers Award 2026 and grateful to the Scottish Book Trust for this opportunity. It’s come at just the right time for my writing and development. I’m looking forward to meeting the other awardees and being in community.’
Alice Rowena Wilson is originally from Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire and now lives in Edinburgh, where she works as a tutor. She was previously selected for the BBC New Creatives programme, in partnership with Arts Council England.
Her short drama was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 Extra in 2021. She is particularly interested in the intersection of the historical, the fantastical, and the imaginary.
Alice says: ‘I’m absolutely thrilled to receive this award. I was totally shocked when I got the call – I’d just woken up from a nap and thought it was a bizarre dream!
“I’m now looking forward to throwing myself into my writing this year, and making the most of this opportunity.’
Amie Robertson is a primary school teacher from Edinburgh, who specialises in children’s stories. Her stories weave a passion for Scottish history and mythology with the lived reality of her working-class background.
She has completed two writing courses at Edinburgh University, where her children’s picture book, My Secret Dragon was chosen for their writing showcase. She is working on her second middle-grade novel, inspired by historical Hebridean clans with an added touch of magic.
Amie says: ‘I am shocked and overjoyed to have won the Scottish Book Trust New Writers Award and cannot emphasise enough how much it truly means.
“It has given me the confidence and determination to go after my writing dreams, with the invaluable support and insight from those within the business. I just can’t wait to get started!’
Sukhada Tatke is an independent journalist and communications officer at a think tank. She was the inaugural recipient of this year’s The Kavya Prize, to support an emerging writer of colour.
Originally from Mumbai, India, she currently lives in Edinburgh. Her features have been published in Al Jazeera, Wired, BBC and Atlas Obscura, and essays in literary magazines such as The Rumpus, Literary Hub, Commonwealth Writers’ and Verseville. She is the recipient of several journalism awards and fellowships.
Sukhada says: ‘I am incredibly thrilled and honoured to receive this award. In what is often a solitary journey riddled with challenges and self-doubt, it is wonderful to get the kind of recognition that tells you you’re on the right path.
“I look forward to meeting my cohort and the many opportunities this award will bring.’
Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust, said:‘Congratulations to this year’s New Writers, each of whom were selected for this opportunity for their exceptional writing. It’s always incredible to meet our awardees as they start their year-long journey of receiving invaluable support and mentorship.
“We look forward to seeing the next steps in their writing journeys.’
Here is the full list of awardees:
Shasta Hanif Ali, poetry
EmmaClaire Brightlyn, spoken word
Alice Rowena Wilson, fiction and narrative non-fiction
Amie Robertson, children’s and young adult
Sukhada Tatke, Kavya winner
Donna Louise Irvine, Scots
David Ross Linklater, poetry
Andy Grace Edwards, fiction and narrative non-fiction
